The hernia thing has caught my interest. Let me do some reading and get back to you. There may be a link that no one has really articulated.

Well I have one for sure. Do not know which came first. Since they both seem to be present when I did my first CT chest exam. But I worked in Radiology for years. Not unusual to help hold or lift patients. So I assume mine came from those daily duties.

Me too. I’ve heard they can be genetic. My dad had surgery on his.

My hernia came from coughing to hard ! Don't know if it's from the copd; but my doc says it's a protrusion in the lining of my esophagus; which is very close to my stomach, mine sits right above my stomach!