Shortness of Breath - Is it a hiatial hernia?

Nagging cough!! PCP kept me trying little things for 2 yrs.... It was getting common to vomit with the worst episodes. At 55, I thought I was a more proactive person...proof that I wasn't. The coughing led to Costochondritis, damage to the cartilage and ribs, mine has caused permanent damage and bad pain (ice packs are the only thing that helps my pain). For my cough: I have a script for Benzonate/Tessalon Pearls, fully stocked at all times. My mom told me about this- it's very effective and absolutely ZERO side effects. When I need it, I take 3 @x, forget what the doctor says to take. My cough does have a true cause too. I have pSS, primary Sjögren's syndrome, can cause phlegm and dry mouth and throat... I gargle with room temperature plain soda water, over the sink, cuz it can cause me to gag and violently cough it out. It took me a while to figure out when to cough it out and when to swallow it.Also, I am extremely cautious about NOT breathing through my mouth. That means I have to stop talking sometimes. I, too, have a hiatal hernia, Dr says leave it alone for now. My husband has had 3, two were repaired and the third is being left alone. I am completely jealous that you get6-7 hrs sleep, I am lucky to get 2-3 @ a time. Good luck with your pickle ball.

My hiatal hernia allowed my stomach to wind up resting on my lungs and heart. Time for the surgery I had been putting off for years! The surgeon performed a fundoplication. After bringing my stomach down where it should be and putting in the mesh, he wrapped the top of my stomach around my estation tube. The tube got twisted some and my stomach was a mess for a while. But now I'm pretty much back to normal, except I lost about 35 lbs. and have kept it off. Plus my lungs and heart are back to normal.

My husband had a hiatal hernia and his symptoms were chest pain and GERD. No shortness of breath. Of course symptoms may differ from person to person.

I have a large hiatal hernia. My stomach with large colon around it is in front and resting on my left lung. I'm on oxygen 24/7 because that lung is only working at 40%. Consulted with a Surgeon at Denver University, I have a pulmonologist, consulted with a heart specialist. No one recommends surgery because I have no stomach issues such as gerd or heartburn and no esophageal issues. My heart is ok. I'm 69 years old. It was suggested I lose some weight but have also been told I don't have a lot to lose. 20 lbs would be ideal.

I have a sliding hiatal hernia, it can be seen on a 'real time' X-ray - it is called a sniff test, they were actually looking for phrenic nerve damage causing diaphragm issues, but the radiologist (he was here moving the head of the X-ray to see the image) told me he could see the sliding hiatal hernia.

It could be a hiatal hernia, as others noted due to the position of the stomach. It can also be laryngopharyngeal reflux. Here is a link to a previous Connect comment on LRP: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/breathing-problem-silent-reflux-a-hidden-epidemic/ This was from the lung problem group in the Connect platform.

I would definitely see another thoracic surgeon, or even two for another opinion, I don’t know your specifics but I would think that this puts you at risk for occlusion and necrosis which can be life threatening. this is causing pressure on your lung and heart which is not good for these organs, and puts you at greater risk for clots, This is also causing a lot of inflammation which is a basis for many chronic illnesses, Because of your age, surgery is better now than later, Some things to think about,

Thank you for your advice. I'll keep you informed

Last November I started having shortness of breath. I couldn’t even my bed without getting winded. I would have to lay down and rest until I could breathe again. It finally got to the point that resting wasn’t helping me to breathe. I went to the ER and was put in a hospital bed for four days because I had blood clots in my lungs, a lot of them in both lungs. I was a healthy senior citizen and a lot of tests they still don’t know what caused the clots. I am on Eliquis now for the rest of my life. This may not be your problem, but I just wanted to mention it to you.

I hope it all works out for you, It is important to be your own advocate in our current health care system Good luck