August 11, 2023
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It’s common for COPD to make you feel out of breath after you eat. But there are things you can do to feel better after meals and enjoy your food.
Feeling out of breath after you finish every meal or snack can feel uncomfortable or even painful.
If you live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may experience shortness of breath after eating. But COPD isn’t the only cause of shortness of breath.
There are many different reasons why you may feel short of breath after eating.
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a common symptom of COPD. But there are other conditions that may make you feel short of breath after a meal.
Other common causes of dyspnea after eating include:
It’s not uncommon to experience shortness of breath after eating if you have COPD, according to the COPD Foundation.
If you live with COPD and experience breathlessness after eating, there are a few techniques you can try to help make breathing — and eating — easier.
Here are a couple of explanations for how COPD causes shortness of breath:
It may feel more difficult to breathe after you eat a big meal, especially if you have gas.
When your stomach is full, it can push against your lungs, making it harder to expand them, according to the COPD Foundation.
Bloating can also occur after a meal, putting pressure on your belly and diaphragm.
Many people with COPD also experience hyperinflation, which is when air gets trapped in the lungs persistently.
Hyperinflation occurs when the lungs lose elasticity. Since the lungs cannot stretch or return to normal exhalation volume, people cannot fully exhale. This means air gets trapped in the lungs, which can lead to shortness of breath.
The shortness of breath you experience after eating may be caused by hyperinflation.
Breathing pattern may be key. A typical healthy breathing pattern in people without COPD is exhale–swallow–exhale.
Researchers found that breathing and swallowing discoordination can exacerbate COPD symptoms.
A 2009 study found that some people with COPD swallow while inhaling or right after, and it may cause shortness of breath. In other words, the timing of swallowing can interfere with breathing.
There’s also an interesting association between GERD and worsening COPD symptoms. You may think GERD is causing your shortness of breath after meals. But it’s unclear whether GERD actually causes shortness of breath after eating in people living with COPD.
A 2008 study on the association between COPD and GERD found that when participants took medication to reduce GERD symptoms, their COPD symptoms didn’t improve at the same time.
If you think you have a swallowing-breathing difficulty, you can consciously work to improve your breathing and swallowing pattern. Researchers have suggested it may help improve your COPD symptoms.
Here are some other tips for catching your breath after a meal, according to the American Lung Association and COPD Foundation:
Feeling out of breath during meals or after eating can feel confusing and uncomfortable. It can make it harder for you to eat well and take pleasure in your meals. But these tips can help you breathe easier and make your next meal more enjoyable.
Medically reviewed on August 11, 2023
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