Respiration and Acid Reflux – Can Indigestion Cause Difficulty Breathing?
Can indigestion cause difficulty breathing? Feeling bloated, abdominal pain, belching, and a burning sensation in your chest are pesky enough. Add labored breathing, into the mix, and annoyance elevates to misery. What is indigestion? Does acid reflux effect respiration?
Acid reflux is a set of symptoms related to digestive difficulty. Signs and symptoms vary but the cause is usually stomach acid flowing up to irritate the mucosa lining of the esophagus. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a valve between the esophagus and stomach. The LES opens to permit food to pass through. It also opens for belching. LES dysfunction results in acid reflux. Heartburn, mild abdominal pain, premature fullness or nausea may result. Acid reflux during pregnancy or after a large, fatty meal is typical. Both situations result in heavy pressure on the abdomen.
Chronic indigestion (symptoms that persist longer than two weeks) necessitates medical intervention. A gastroenterologist will perform tests to gauge acid levels and examine the digestive tract. Esophageal pH monitoring gauges esophageal acid levels. Manometry measures LES pressure.
A myriad of conditions can cause chronic dyspepsia: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), stress, peptic ulcers, stomach cancer, gastrititis, or pancreatitis. GERD is a common culprit. In addition to heartburn, GERD can cause hoarseness, sore throat, bad breath, earaches, laryngitis and asthma. Refluxed stomach acid stimulates some of the same nerves that enervate the lungs. The result is narrowed bronchial tubes which hinder respiration. Fortunately, there are prescription medications that combat GERD symptoms. H2 receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors are especially effective. H2 receptor antagonists decrease the production of stomach acid. Proton pump inhibitors, such as Prilosec blocks stomach acid from the esophagus.
Your physician will also prescribe practical advice for minimizing reflux. Eating small, frequent meals prevents excess stomach content. Healthy foods and abstaining from citrus helps the LES function properly. Avoid eating a few hours before bedtime. Sleep with your upper body elevated to block stomach acid from ascending.
Identification and treatment of the underlying condition should alleviate indigestion and its related complications. Can indigestion cause difficulty breathing?—if diagnosed with GERD, yes.
Hey, I’m 26, and for the past 7 years I have had occasional bouts of breathing problems.
Between the ages of 19 and 23, I have had over 7 EKGs, an echocardiogram, and various other heart tests. All of them came back normal.
I went to an asthma doctor who basically told me that I did not have asthma.
When I have one of these periods of labored breathing, my blood oxygen level is normal (near 100%), and my peak flow meter reading is normal.
One thing I have noticed during these breathing bouts is I always have an upset stomach and a lot of bloating. I don’t remember a single time when I had difficulty breathing when I did not have gas, bloating, or an upset stomach.
I now believe that this bloating is the cause. I don’t feel like I get a full breath of air because my abdominal breathing muscles are partially restricted by the excessive gas.