3. Difficulty Breathing
You have probably already worked out how a hernia might similarly affect breathing. Just as pushing on the stomach underneath causes difficulty for digestion, so too does pushing on the lungs from underneath causing difficulty in breathing. In short, you are reducing the amount of space for your lungs to fill up and thereby making it hard to take complete breaths. You might, therefore, find yourself running out of breath easily when climbing stairs, or engaging in other activities.
Note that the difficulty in breathing can also be a result of the intense pain that also accompanies a hernia – though this is a much more difficult option to miss.
If you are over the age of 50, and you suffer from difficulty breathing, reflux, and the appearance of a new bulge… then a hernia becomes a likely culprit.