What Is Shortness of Breath?

Shortness of Breath occurs when you experience a feeling of not being able to take in enough air into the lungs. It is quite normal for one to feel this way after rigorous exercise or hard physical work since more oxygen is needed for the body.

However, some of the health conditions make you develop shortness of breath suddenly but after treatment, it resolves. Some conditions often leave you breathless, even when there is not much activity to be performed.

What Causes Shortness of Breath After Eating?

You may have shortness of breath just after eating a meal, mostly when you have some other health conditions. It is usually harmless, but if you do have it with other symptoms such as chest pain if you have wheezing, or nausea go see a doctor.

Excess weight and diseases such as asthma and GERD also account for this shortness of breath. Avoiding shortness of breath after eating is often correlative with control of the underlying condition.

Other Reasons You Might Feel Short of Breath:

Usually, shortness of breath is due to problems related to the heart or related to the lungs, or even the digestive system.

It’s okay to be breathless after running or doing something difficult, but if you are suddenly breathless without any apparent reason, that could be alarming regarding your health or even the existence of a medical emergency.

Possible Causes Include:

1. Living in high altitudes
2. Being unfit and/or heavy
3. Pushing oneself too hard
4. Low iron levels
5. Infection of lung tissues
6. Infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
7. Choking on a foreign body

What Does Shortness of Breath Feel Like?

Getting short of breath for the first time in your life might scare you. You might find out:

1. No matter how hard you try, a full breath evades you.
2. You notice yourself squeaking or gasping during the process of exhaling and inhaling.

Why Do You Feel Short of Breath After Eating?

Suffering from shortness of breath after meals can be very disturbing and can occur for several reasons:

1. Overeating:
   Overindulging at the table, especially in types of food such as beans, cabbage, or spicy foods can stretch out your stomach. Some types of bloat can prevent the diaphragm which aids in breathing and is located beneath the lungs from moving properly or at all. Thus when the diaphragm cannot move freely, there will be restrictions in the expansion and contraction of the lungs and this will make normal breath hard to come by.
2. Obesity:
   Excess fat around the neck, chest, or abdomen can interfere with one’s ability to breathe. This is not all though as a person suffering from obesity may also experience headaches, fatigue, and excessive sleeping during the day. Other symptoms include choking or making low grunting sounds when breathing, these symptoms are however mostly noted in the night.

Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS) is another condition associated with obesity in some individuals. Patients with OHS typically have blood with too much carbon dioxide and a deficiency of oxygen, due to the failure of the brain in controlling breathing.

Allergic Reactions:

An acute allergic reaction could cause the air passages to constrict, making an individual struggle for breath. In the United States, roughly 5 percent of the population has had anaphylaxis, but fewer than 1 percent had a fatal outcome.

Approximately 32 million people are Americans with food allergies and as a result, 200,000 visits to the hospital are due to the causes of anaphylaxes.

Respiratory Infections:

The lungs and the airways can also be responsible for dyspnea due to the infections present in them. Other factors such as inflammation, secretions of mucus, and phlegm also lead to breathing difficulty.

Choking on, or Inhaling Food:

In case the food goes not so carefully into the airways or the lungs, shortness of breath may be experienced. At times, inhalation of food can cause even greater complications such as lung infections, and in some cases choking.

Hiatal Hernia:

A part of the organ or tissue that bulges into an area, that is not the normal compartment of that organ or tissue, is called a hernia. To be more specific a hiatal hernia occurs when any part of the stomach pushes through the diaphragm into the thorax.

A hernia buried deep inside can press against the diaphragm and lungs, causing shortness of breath and chest pain. Eating also worsens such facts.

• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease – GERD: Usually, gases are supposed to contract to keep food in a person’s stomach after it has been ingested. It is therefore that way in this case where the valve between the food pipe and stomach allows food back in creating the condition known as heartburn.

What are the Life Threatening Aspects of Shortness of Breath?

Chronic shortness of breath, though dreaded, is typically not life-threatening. Nevertheless, based on the condition causing it, some situations may call for urgent medical attention.

For instance, severe breath-constricting food allergies may be the cause if you notice shortness of breath after eating.If you experience shortness of breath with any of the following symptoms, however, get help right away.

• Skin color changes especially if the lips become bluish.
• Dizziness and lightheadedness episode or even fainting
• Breathlessness that comes quite suddenly

What Steps Can I Take To Avoid Feeling Breathless After Meals?

Usually, shortness of breath after eating does not require any treatment. Nevertheless, some strategies may help to minimize it:

1. Cutting portion sizes will greatly help as overfilling the stomach brings discomfort.
2. If you are overweight, consider losing weight, to relieve pressure around your lungs.
3. Investigate food allergy tests to rule out possible causes.
4. Invite your health care provider to discuss if you need an epinephrine auto-injector, and how to use it properly.
5. Take time to eat and chew all your bites properly to prevent additional strain on your stomach.
6. Avoid foods that are difficult to digest.

Make sure to manage chronic illnesses like asthma or GERD, which have underlying factors such as shortness of breath.