Hernias of the Diaphragm: What causes a hernia in your diaphragm? Can adults have a diaphragmatic hernia?
Normal organs can become malfunctional or diseased when they assume an abnormal position. This can be the problem when abdominal organs get into the chest. This type of hernia produces such varied complaints that it has been called the great masquerader. The symptoms can simulate heart disease, stomach ulcer, or gallbladder ailments. They are often so ill-defined that some patients have been regarded as neurotic until this type of hernia was recognized and corrected. What is the diaphragm and what does it do? The diaphragm is a muscle that serves as a bellows fence separating the chest, which contains the heart and lungs, from the abdomen, which contains the intestinal,urinary and generative organs. This separation is complete except for several holes through which various tubular structures pass from above down. These can be likened to firm pipe fittings going through an otherwise intact wall. The diaphragm moves up and down like a bellows, allowing the lung to expand completel...