How To Treat Bloating Caused By Copd
Aug 21, 2018 11:00:42 AM / byDuke Reeves
Everyone experiences bloating every now and then, often the result of a big meal or a minor stomach illness. However, bloating tends to be a frequent problem for people with COPD for different reasons, and it’s a problem that is frequently underestimated.
Bloating tends to be particularly uncomfortable for COPD patients because it can make it much more difficult to breathe. Common COPD symptoms like chest soreness and coughing can also feel much worse when your belly is bloated and tight.
What many patients don’t realize is that their COPD bloating symptoms could be directly or indirectly caused by their disease. In some cases, treating underlying COPD symptoms can relieve and prevent bloating or at least make it much more tolerable.
In this article we’re going to help you better understand the connection between COPD and abdominal bloating and what you can do about it. We’ll explain how and why COPD bloating happens, how to reduce bloating, and how to better manage your symptoms and feel more comfortable when bloating unexpectedly strikes.
Asthma Compared To Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis and asthma can look and feel very similar. Both cause difficulty breathing that can be both frightening and life-threatening. Anaphylaxis may be accompanied by some additional symptoms that are not often seen with asthma: hives and skin rashes, swelling in the face, stomach discomfort, bloating, diarrhea and vomiting.
But How The Shortness Of Breath Can Occur With Burping: Possible 4 Mechanisms:
- Passage of air can stretch your esophagus: Because the esophagus passes inside your chest, you can perceive esophageal pain as shortness of breath or chest tightness. But note, this is a temporary feeling during burping only.
- Other painful Esophageal conditions can also cause shortness of breath. For example, esophagitis and esophageal motility disorders as achalasia and diffuse esophageal spasms.
- Excess abdominal air : The presence of excess air inside your stomach, small intestine, or colon can press on your diaphragm. This will result in shortness of breath as your lungs have no room to expand.
- A real chest disease: Shortness of breath can arise from a chest disease affecting your lungs or airways.For example, Bronchial asthma can cause shortness of breath. At the same time, forceful breathing due to asthma can cause you to swallow more air and burp.
Read Also: Do Bananas Help With Bloating
Read Also: Scientific Name For Asthma
Manage Your Copd Symptoms
If breathlessness is causing you to get bloated or making you extra sensitive to bloating sensations, then the best thing to do is treat the underlying problem. Frequent bloating caused by shortness of breath may be a sign that you need to better manage your COPD symptoms.
One thing you can do is talk to your doctor to see if your treatment plan needs adjusting. You may need to try a new medication or change your medication dosage to help you breathe better throughout the day.
You could also try other COPD treatments to help you manage shortness of breath, including breathing exercises like pursed lips breathing. By helping you keep your breathing under control, these treatments could help reduce the amount of air you swallow and reduce your bloating symptoms.
Another option is supplemental oxygen, which many COPD patients use to help them breathe while they eat. Oxygen reduces breathlessness and can help with bloating in two ways: it reduces the chance of erratic breathing, which can cause you to swallow air and get bloated, and it makes it easier to breathe, which can make you less sensitive to mild bloating.
Abdominal Bloating And Excess Mucus
Abdominal bloating can be awful causing, in some cases,
- stomach pain,
- tenderness
- and gas pains.
If you always feel full or experience frequent bloating and not quite sure of the reasoning behind it, you could be suffering from mucus draining into your stomach due to an allergy which is what I suffer from.
Food allergies are most prevalent when it comes to experiencing bloating after eating as well as stomach pain after eating as I’ve experienced.
Read Also: Ways To Help Asthma Without Inhaler
Watch Your Wheat Intake
In many cases, bloating from wheat products is often linked to a food sensitivity or an allergy to wheat- and gluten-rich foods. This food sensitivity or allergy is vastly different than Celiac diseasean abnormal immune system reaction to gluten, Dr. Shemek says. People who are allergic or sensitive to wheat are often fine with other grains. We are not eating the same wheat grain our grandparents did. Today, grains have been hybridized and genetically modified to achieve larger crops, which has had a negative effect on our bodies, especially our digestive health.
Replace wheat options with ancient grains such as einkorn, which includes minimal gluten and contains digestible protein for those who have sensitivities. Other great options include quinoa, millet, and amaranth. In addition, swap wheat-based pasta with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice, and replace bread with romaine lettuce or collard greens.
Soda And Carbonated Drinks
Drinking carbonated beverages can often cause you to swallow excess air, which leads to bloating. That air has to go somewhere, and once it passes from the stomach to the intestines, it cant escape your body as a burp, says Taylor.
Instead of carbonated beverages, increase your intake of water. Not only will it relieve your bloating from carbonation, studies show increasing your water intake can help you lose weight if youre trying to.
Also Check: Asthma And Toradol
Barium Swallow Or Barium Meal
A barium swallow, or barium meal, is a test to assess your swallowing ability and look for any blockages or abnormalities in your oesophagus.
You are first given some barium solution, then some X-rays are taken. Barium is a harmless substance that shows up clearly on X-rays as it passes through your digestive system.
You’ll be asked not to eat anything for a few hours before the procedure. Afterwards, you’ll be able to eat and drink normally, although you may need to drink more water to help flush the barium out of your body.
Why Do Peanuts Make Me Gassy
gasbloating iscan
. Similarly, it is asked, do Peanuts cause gas?
They contain high amounts of protein, fiber and healthy carbs, as well as minerals such as iron, copper and manganese. Because of their high fiber content, they can cause bloating in sensitive individuals. These sugars may contribute to excessive gas production and bloating.
Secondly, why do peanuts make me burp? Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid flows back up into your esophagus. Peanut butter generally isnt considered to trigger acid reflux, but it may affect some people differently. Although peanut butter has several health benefits, its also a high-fat food. These foods can increase acid reflux symptoms.
Also to know is, can peanuts cause digestive problems?
Peanuts in particular contain aflatoxin and lectins, while soy also contains phytoestrogens. All of these could irritate the digestive system. While other legumes may not be as bad, Id still recommend removing them for awhile to let your gut heal.
Can eating a lot of peanuts cause diarrhea?
Allergies: People who eat foods they are allergic or sensitive to may develop irritation of the gut, leading to morning diarrhea. Common food allergens include peanuts, wheat, egg, dairy, and fruit.
Recommended Reading: Almond Milk Gassy
Recommended Reading: Does Ibuprofen Make Asthma Worse
The Link Between Gerd And Asthma
Researchers have also identified a link between GERD and asthma. A 2019 study suggested a bidirectional relationship between GERD and asthma. This means that people with GERD may be more likely to have asthma, and people with asthma may be more likely to experience GERD.
In fact, a 2015 study estimates that up to 89% of people with asthma also experience GERD symptoms. The reason for this may be due to how acid interacts with the airways. Acid in the esophagus sends a warning signal to the brain, which triggers the airways to contract. This, in turn, triggers asthma symptoms.
In cases of GERD-related asthma, treating the symptoms of GERD may help alleviate the symptoms of asthma.
As a 2016 review notes, asthma may also trigger GERD. During an asthma attack, the airways tighten, causing pressure in the esophagus. This increased pressure could encourage acid to leak into the esophagus.
Sometimes, it may be difficult to tell whether a persons symptoms are the result of asthma or GERD. For instance, a
Untreated or unmanaged GERD can lead to numerous health complications. Some examples include:
Acid Reflux Or Heartburn
Youre more likely to get acid reflux or heartburn if you have asthma – especially if your asthma is severe or difficult to control.
This is where acid from the stomach leaks out of the stomach up into the oesophagus .
You might get a burning feeling in your chest after eating, a bad taste in the mouth, and find it hard to swallow.
If you keep getting acid reflux or heartburn, its known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease .
GORD and obstructive sleep apnoea are linked too, so you may have both at the same time.
How GORD can affect your asthma
If you have asthma and GORD, you need to keep a closer eye on your asthma symptoms. They could get worse because of stomach acid irritating your airways.
The things that make heartburn worse – being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking, and stress – are all common asthma triggers too.
Although its not yet clear whether treating acid reflux improves asthma symptoms, there is some evidence to say it might improve them for some people.
How to lower your risk of symptoms
- Ask your GP or pharmacist about medicines for acid reflux
- Keep a food diary to see what makes it worse
- Ask for help with losing weight
- Stop smoking
Read Also: Asthma Gov
Who Is At Risk For Anaphylaxis
- People who have experienced anaphylaxis before
- People with allergies to foods, insect stings, medicine and other triggers
If you are at-risk:
- Keep your epinephrine auto-injectors on-hand at all times and be ready to use them if an emergency occurs.
- Talk with your doctor about your triggers and your symptoms. Your doctor may tell you to see an allergist. An allergist can help you identify your allergies and learn to manage your risk of severe reactions.
- Ask your doctor for an anaphylaxis action plan. This will help you know what to do if you experience anaphylaxis.
Medical Review October 2015, updated February 2017.
Allergy Symptoms
Diagnostic Tests/lab Tests/lab Values
Diagnostic tests are not typically needed unless the symptoms are severe. Physicians will order diagnostic tests to diagnose GERD or other complications if there are severe symptoms, the symptoms are not relieved with medications or the symptoms returned. Severe symptoms include dysphagia, odynophagia, bleeding, weight loss, anemia, and those at risk for Barrett’s esophagus. Commonly used diagnostic tests used to diagnose GERD are discussed below.
Also Check: Is Coffee Good For Asthma
Case Study: Overcoming Bloating And Allergies
The other problem Maree wanted help with was chronic sinus infections, a runny nose, sneezing and itchy throat. The hayfever symptoms came and went and were much worse during Spring. The blocked sinuses were a constant problem, and she caught a cold every few months. She regularly suffered with sinus headaches and her continual blocked nose made it difficult to sleep at night. The poor sleep was starting to wear her down. Maree was a single mom with a full time job and a hectic life. She was starting to become quite frustrated and depressed about continually feeling unwell.
Bowel problems and sinus problems often go hand in hand it is very common to see those two conditions in patients. The old herbal medicine textbooks recommend bowel and liver cleansing herbs for chronic sinus and respiratory conditions. This is not surprising once you realise that the majority of the immune cells in our body are found in the intestines. If the health of the bowel is poor and there is too much bad bacteria, yeast or parasites growing there, the immune system will suffer. The allergy symptoms Maree experienced caused her body to produce excess mucus. Mucus is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, thus encouraging repeated sinus infections.
How To Reduce Bloating If You Have Copd
Hyper-inflated lungs and breathing problems caused by COPD can make it difficult to eat without feeling bloated. The simplest and quickest way to solve this problem is by eating smaller portions at mealtimes to make sure you never get too full.
Instead of eating the traditional three large meals a deal, try eating five or six smaller meals and spacing them out throughout the day. That way, your stomach is never too full at any given time and you’re less likely to feel bloated and breathless when you eat.
Whenever you cook meals or go out to restaurants, try to choose smaller portions and don’t rush through your food. Take as much time as you need to eat, stop when you start to feel full, and don’t be afraid to save leftovers for later.
If you have trouble eating enough at mealtimes without feeling bloated, make up the extra calories by eating healthy snacks throughout the day. It’s important to make sure you get enough to eat in order to prevent malnutrition and other complications like osteoporosis.
Some COPD patients also benefit from using supplemental oxygen when they eat, which helps with shortness of breath and may prevent bloating. It can also help to sip water and take breaks when needed during your meals.
Here are some extra tips for breaking up your meals into smaller mini-meals and snacks:
Don’t Miss: What Happens If You Smoke Weed With Asthma
Asthma Gerd And Breathlessness
Many patients with asthma report heartburn and shortness of breath, as well as regurgitation and dysphagia . This may be, in part, due to the pressure incurred by wheezing and coughing, which can be strong enough to push stomach acid up into the esophagus.
No matter the cause, the link between GERD and asthma is now obvious. Thats why doctors are now on the lookout for GERD in asthmatic patients, especially if:
- they developed asthma in adulthood.
- episodes appear after eating, exercising, or lying down right after a meal.
- their condition continues to worsen despite treatment.
Fix Bloating From Anxiety
All of these can provide some relief from bloating, but won’t prevent bloating from coming back. You can also check your trigger foods, and see if there are foods that tend to cause more bloating when you’re anxious.
SUMMARY:
Anxiety affects the gut, it affects breathing, and it affects sleep. All of these things can lead to bloating, and what adds to the complications is that bloating can also affect anxiety. Once you feel bloat, you often have to just let it and fade away, but eventually it will become important to address the anxiety itself.
Was this article helpful?
Recommended Reading: Instant Relief From Asthma
What Causes Anaphylaxis
An allergy occurs when the bodys immune system sees something as harmful and reacts. Your immune system tries to remove or isolate the trigger. The result is symptoms such as vomiting or swelling. The most common triggers of anaphylaxis are allergens. Medicines, foods, insect stings and bites, and latex most often cause severe allergic reactions.
With proper evaluation, allergists identify most causes of anaphylaxis. Some people have allergic reactions without any known exposure to common allergens. If an allergist cannot identify a trigger, the condition is idiopathic anaphylaxis.
Donât Miss: How To Relieve Asthma Without Inhaler
Can You Stop Farting
Fruit, vegetables and pulses can cause gas, but eating several portions of these a day is much more important than eliminating wind. If you dont already eat fibrous foods, increasing the amount you eat too quickly might make you uncomfortable. Add fibre to your diet slowly to stop adverse effects.
Staying hydrated reduces the risk of constipation, which can cause excess gas. If a stool remains in your gut, it will continue to ferment, producing extra gas that can smell particularly foul. Try to have a drink with every meal and keep hydrated throughout the day. The NHS also recommends drinking peppermint tea to relieve gas and bloating.
Fizzy drinks contain gas, and if you drink a lot of them youll probably burp and fart more than if you dont. The same goes for chewing gum or guzzling down a bowl of soup or cereal with a spoon. If you ingest air, it has to go somewhere.
You May Like: Marines Asthma
Healthy Replacements For Cruciferous Vegetables
As with the beans, Freuman says you can try to take Beano before eating meals with these high gas foods to see if that alleviates the problem. Also, you can simply reduce your portion size of the problem vegetable. If youd like some less gassy, but still nutrient-rich options from the cruciferous vegetable family you can eat:
- Arugula
- Cabbage
Nuts And Galactooligosaccharides: How Galactooligosaccharides In Nuts Can Cause Gas
Galactooligosaccharides or GOS are made of plant sugars connected in chains. Although oligosaccharides belong to the categories of fiber, currently, they are not counted as dietary fiber on food labels in the United States.
They are present naturally in nuts, legumes, seeds, dairy products, and some root vegetables.
Commercially, GOS is used as an ingredient of prebiotic functional food.
Unlike probiotics which are made up of good bacteria that keep your digestive health, prebiotics comprises of nutrients that help you feed and strengthen your good gut bacteria, including Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus.
Multiple clinical trials have also shown that GOS may help decrease the severity of mild constipation. GOS help softens the stools as well as facilitate and increase the bowel frequency of constipated people.
Since GOS is in the form of carbohydrate chains, you need to break it down into single sugar units first before your body can absorb it.
Sadly, humans bodies do not have the necessary enzymes to carry out this task.
So similar to fiber, GOS will slide through your GI tract and reach your colon intact where it meets your intestinal bacteria.
Your gut bacteria have the enzymes needed to break the GOS down and use them as a source of energy. This is how GOS feed your bacteria and make them grow.
Again, similar to fiber digestion in the colon, the bacteria will release gas when they digest GOS.
Read Also: Mast Cells Asthma