Her hiatal hernia can also be controlled by avoiding the foods that irritate the problem. My mom has this same problem and she's slowly, over the years, narrowed down the foods that irritate her. I just sent her an email after reading this so I can pass them on to you. I don't know if its a "universal" thing or if everyone is different, but I know her doctor is the one who suggested a few of them to try to avoid first.