hiatal hernia : Screening and diagnosis

Your doctor may discover a hiatal hernia while trying to determine the cause of heartburn or chest or upper abdominal pain. In that case, it's likely to be found during one of the following procedures:

Barium X-ray. During this diagnostic test, you'll drink a chalky liquid containing barium that coats your upper digestive tract. This provides a clear silhouette of your esophagus, stomach and the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum) on an X-ray. A barium X-ray may help reveal whether the contents of your stomach are backing up into your esophagus.
Endoscopy. In this test your doctor passes a thin, flexible tube equipped with a fiber-optic light and video camera system (endoscope) down your throat and into your esophagus and stomach to check for inflammation. This not only can help detect a hiatal hernia, but also is the most sensitive way to check for damage to your esophagus from acid reflux.

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