Gas trouble breathing

Abdominal Bloating and Shortness of Breath

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Overview

Abdominal bloating occurs when the abdomen feels tight or full. This may cause the area to appear visually larger. The abdomen may feel hard or tight to the touch, and can cause discomfort and pain.

Shortness of breath is difficulty breathing. It’s the feeling that you can’t catch your breath, and that you are not taking in enough air. It can cause feelings of faintness and panic if it continues for long periods.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
pregnancy
hyperventilation
ascites
obesity
anxiety or panic disorder
lactose intolerance
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
menstruation
hiatal hernia
gallstones
hernia
ovarian cancer
pancreatic insufficiency
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
cystic fibrosis
peripheral neuropathy
Legionnaires’ disease
polio
celiac disease

Abdominal bloating has many causes. It is more common in people who experience functional gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome or gastroparesis. Bloating can be due to the buildup of gas, fluids, or food in the stomach.

Overeating or eating foods known to contribute to bloating and gas, such as cabbage, beans, and lentils, may cause bloating.

Abdominal bloating can affect the diaphragm, a muscular partition between the chest and abdomen. The diaphragm assists in breathing, which means bloating can lead to shortness of breath. This happens if the pressure in the abdomen is enough to restrict the movement of the diaphragm.

Being short of breath can cause you to take small, short breaths. This can lead to swallowing air, which is known as aerophagia. Difficulty breathing can be brought on by anxiety or panic attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and asthma attacks.

There are conditions that can result in both abdominal bloating and shortness of breath.

Any condition that leads to the buildup of air or foodstuffs could cause both bloating and shortness of breath. Also, stool inside the intestines, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, constipation, ileus, bowel obstruction, and gastroparesis could cause bloating and shortness of breath.

If bloating or shortness of breath is severe, seek immediate medical treatment.

Remember that the above list is not exhaustive but contains some of the more common conditions that may cause shortness of breath and abdominal pain.

Most abdominal bloating should resolve itself with time when the excess gases, liquids, or food can move through the stomach and intestines. However, if your abdominal bloating and shortness of breath last longer than a day, seek medical attention.

The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a primary care doctor.

Also seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms along with shortness of breath and abdominal bloating:

blood in your stool
chest pain
choking
confusion
dark, bloody, or tarry-looking stools
uncontrollable vomiting
loss of control over bladder or bowel movements
severe abdominal pain
vomiting that does not cease after one day
any worsening symptoms

Medical treatments for abdominal bloating and shortness of breath will address the underlying condition. For example, over-the-counter medications may help resolve abdominal bloating. Bronchodilators can help to open the airways and improve breathing.

Home care

When you experience abdominal bloating, drinking more water may help to reduce symptoms. Walking also helps to relieve gas, but this may not be possible if you are experiencing shortness of breath.

If anxiety is causing your symptoms, taking slow, deep breaths, and thinking calm, peaceful thoughts might help relieve your symptoms.

Taking over-the-counter medications to reduce gas, such as simethicone drops, digestive enzymes, and activated charcoal may help abdominal bloating. Find a great selection of digestive enzymes here and activated charcoal here.

Avoiding foods known to cause abdominal bloating can help reduce your risk for experiencing symptoms. Also avoiding carbonated beverages can help.

Refraining from smoking can also help to reduce shortness of breath, and lessen the risk of potentially fatal lung disorders.

Abdominal bloating and shortness of breath: What's the link?

A person with abdominal bloating may notice that their tummy looks larger than usual. They may also experience a sensation of fullness, tightness, or discomfort in the abdomen.

Sometimes, abdominal bloating can affect movement of the muscles that separate the abdomen from the chest. This can leave a person feeling short of breath.

Keep reading for more information on the link between abdominal bloating and shortness of breath. This article also outlines some of the situations and conditions that can cause these symptoms to occur together.

Share on PinterestOvereating may cause abdominal bloating and shortness of breath.

Abdominal bloating and shortness of breath can occur independently of each other. Sometimes, however, the two symptoms may occur together.

Abdominal bloating can affect the diaphragm, causing shortness of breath. The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest. The up-and-down movements of the diaphragm enable a person to breathe.

When the abdomen is bloated, however, it can press against the diaphragm, thereby inhibiting its movement. This can make breathing difficult.

In other cases, conditions that affect lung capacity and breathing can cause swelling or bloating in the abdomen. Examples of such conditions include cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Abdominal bloating and shortness of breath may occur together for several reasons. Some are benign, whereas others may be more serious.

The following sections discuss these potential causes in more detail.

Benign causes

Three relatively benign causes of abdominal bloating and shortness of breath include:

Overeating

A person may experience bloating after overeating. This bloating may then put pressure on the diaphragm, causing the person to feel short of breath.

Certain foods and additives

Some foods and additives can cause excess gas production. The excess gas can put pressure on the diaphragm.

Some foods and additives that may cause or contribute to excess gas include:

high fiber foods, such as beans, lentils, and whole grains
carbonated drinks
artificial sweeteners

Pregnancy

A woman may experience bloating and nausea during pregnancy. Slight breathing difficulties may also occur toward the end of the second trimester or during the third trimester, when the growing fetus may push against a woman’s diaphragm.

Underlying medical causes

Sometimes, abdominal bloating and shortness of breath can occur due to one of the following medical conditions. Some of these conditions are more serious than others:

obesity
food intolerances
irritable bowel syndrome
celiac disease
gallstones
hernia
fluid in the abdomen, or ascites
pancreatic insufficiency
panic disorder
anxiety disorder
hyperventilation
excessive air swallowing, or aerophagia
cystic fibrosis
COPD
peripheral neuropathy
Legionnaires’ disease
polio
ovarian cancer
non-Hodgkin lymphoma

People with an underlying medical condition might experience additional symptoms. The exact symptoms will depend on the condition.

Some general symptoms that may accompany breathing difficulties include:

coughing
wheezing
excessive mucus
lightheadedness
fatigue

Some general symptoms that may accompany abdominal bloating include:

indigestion
burping
flatulence
abdominal pain
constipation or diarrhea
mucus in stool

There are many conditions that could cause both bloating and shortness of breath. People who are not sure of the cause of these symptoms should consult their doctor as soon as possible.

Sometimes, bloating and shortness of breath occur due to certain food choices or overeating. In such cases, the symptoms usually disappear once the food has passed through the digestive system.

If bloating and shortness of breath do not go away within a day or so, a person should talk to a doctor. They may have an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.

A person should seek immediate medical treatment if they experience any of the following symptoms alongside bloating and shortness of breath:

severe abdominal pain
vomiting that lasts for longer than a day
loss of control over bladder or bowel movements
dark, bloody, or tarry stools

Those who experience shortness of breath as well as the following symptoms need emergency medical attention:

severe chest pain that spreads to the arms, back, neck, or jaw
tightness or heaviness in the chest
choking
vomiting

There are many potential causes of abdominal bloating and shortness of breath. Some causes are relatively harmless, while others may be more serious.

The most common benign causes are food choices and overeating. In such cases, symptoms usually subside once the person has digested the food.

A person should see their doctor if they experience persistent or recurrent abdominal bloating and shortness of breath. This may signal an underlying health condition that requires medical treatment.

Breathing and Health

How we breathe - fast or slow, shallow or deep, chest or belly - affects our mood, stress levels, blood pressure, immune function and many other processes in the body.

Most people do not control their breathing. It should be noted that the higher the respiratory rate, the greater the likelihood of serious health problems.

So, how to breathe correctly and with health benefits?

The first and most important rule for healthy breathing is to always breathe through your nose, even during exercise.

Breathing through the nose is the most correct and optimal, while breathing through the mouth reduces tissue oxygenation, increases heart rate and blood pressure, and has many other adverse health effects.

The benefits of nasal breathing are obvious.

First, nasal breathing helps fight infections. Our nose is the only organ that is able to properly "prepare" the air we breathe. The air passing through the nasal passages is heated, humidified, conditioned and mixed with nitric oxide, which performs two important functions: it kills pathogens and acts as a vasodilator in the airways, arteries and capillaries.

When breathing through the mouth, there are no barriers preventing pathogens from entering the body.

Second, nasal breathing improves blood flow and lung capacity. Vasodilation by nitric oxide increases the surface area of the alveoli, resulting in more efficient absorption of oxygen in the lungs.

Nasal breathing (as opposed to breathing through the mouth) improves circulation, increases blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, slows breathing rate, and increases total lung capacity.

Continuous breathing through the mouth causes constriction of the airways.
When breathing through the mouth, the lungs are overstimulated with oxygen, but since the air thus supplied is not humidified and the vessels are not dilated enough, the actual absorption of oxygen through the alveoli is much lower than during nasal breathing.

Thirdly, nasal breathing is involved in the thermoregulation of the body, helping to maintain body temperature.

Fourth, breathing through the nose improves brain activity and the functioning of all organs and systems of the body.

The hypothalamus is a small area in the diencephalon, which includes a large number of cell groups (nuclei) that regulate the neuroendocrine activity of the brain and homeostasis of the body. The hypothalamus is responsible for many functions in our body, especially those that we consider automatic: heartbeat, blood pressure, thirst, appetite, sleep and wake cycles. It is also responsible for the production of chemicals that affect memory and emotions.

Nasal breathing, as part of the respiratory process in the body, is also controlled by the hypothalamus. With an increase in airflow through the right nostril, there is an increase in the activity of the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for logic and analysis, and with an increase in airflow through the left nostril, there is an increase in the activity of the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for processing non-verbal information and spatial orientation.

When we breathe through our mouth, we deny optimal oxygenation to our heart, brain and all other organs, which can lead to arrhythmias and other heart diseases.

Fifth, nasal breathing helps with high physical exertion, including during training.

In the lungs, oxygen is extracted from the incoming air primarily during exhalation. When we exhale air through the nose, resistance is created in the airways, which slows down the speed of the exhaled air, while at the same time, oxygen uptake by the lungs increases. Carbon dioxide is not just a waste product of our body, it plays a large biological role, one of which is to help in the utilization of oxygen.

When the level of carbon dioxide in our body is too low, acid-base imbalance occurs, the pH of the blood changes, which leads to a deterioration in the ability of hemoglobin to release oxygen to our cells (Verigo-Bohr effect). The Verigo-Bohr effect was discovered independently by the Russian physiologist B. F. Verigo in 1892 and the Danish physiologist K. Bohr in 1904, and it depends on the degree of dissociation of oxyhemoglobin on the value of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveolar air and blood. With a decrease in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood, the affinity of oxygen for hemoglobin increases, which prevents the transfer of oxygen from the capillaries to the tissues.

Nasal breathing creates about 50% more resistance to airflow in healthy people than mouth breathing, and also helps to slow down the respiratory cycle, reduce the number of breaths, which leads to an increase in oxygen uptake by 10-20%.

Thus, if we want to improve our physical performance, we should breathe through the nose during physical activity. The intensity of sports activities must be adjusted in accordance with breathing. If you feel that you are not breathing enough through your nose, you need to slow down the pace of the workout. This is a temporary phenomenon, after a fairly quick period of time the body will begin to adapt to the increased level of carbon dioxide.

Sixth, nasal breathing has a therapeutic effect. Breathing through the nose properly can lower blood pressure and reduce stress levels.

Mouth breathing can lead to malocclusion, changes in the anatomy of the face in children, impairs the quality of sleep, making us look and feel tired. Also, when breathing through the mouth, the loss of water is accelerated, as a result of which dehydration is possible.

Mouth breathing skips many important steps in this physiological process, which can lead to health problems such as snoring, sleep apnea. Breathing through the mouth promotes hyperventilation, which actually reduces tissue oxygenation. Mouth breathing also reduces the body's carbon dioxide levels and reduces the ability of the lungs to filter out toxic pollutants from the air.

Mouth breathing can be used in an emergency. During hypoxia, our body reflexively reacts to a lack of oxygen, starting to yawn, thus trying to increase the amount of incoming air.

Next time we'll look at some controlled breathing techniques that will help you improve your health.

Breathe properly and be healthy!

Sources: http://www.whogis.com/ru/

Heaviness in the stomach and difficulty breathing

Types and symptoms of dyspepsia

Dyspeptic complaints can occur both in organic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, when the examination reveals changes in the structure of the digestive organs, and be functional, when only the functioning of the digestive tract is disturbed ² . In addition, often the symptoms of impaired digestion can occur after taking medications or overeating ^{2, 6} . Let us dwell on those symptoms of dyspepsia that may be the cause or be combined with difficulty breathing.

functional dyspepsia

Currently, there are two main clinical types of functional dyspeptic disorders ^{2, 3} :

Postprandial distress syndrome. In this case, the symptoms of indigestion are associated with food intake. It is characterized by a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, which occurs after eating the usual amount of food, and rapid satiety, which occurs soon after the start of the meal, due to which the patient cannot eat his standard portion to the end.

Epigastric pain syndrome, including pain and burning. Patients describe epigastric pain as an intense unpleasant sensation that occurs from the navel to the lower edge of the sternum. Burning is also determined there, which is perceived as a feeling of heat.

The listed types of disorders can also be combined with other gastrointestinal symptoms: rumbling and transfusion in the upper abdomen, heartburn, belching, nausea, bloating, stool disorders ^{2, 4} .

There may also be "non-gastroenterological" complaints: decreased performance, sweating, feeling short of breath and difficulty breathing, palpitations, depression, fear. Complaints in functional dyspepsia are usually diverse and have a pronounced emotional coloring ² .

There may also be "non-gastroenterological" complaints: decreased performance, sweating, feeling short of breath and shortness of breath, palpitations, depression, fear. Complaints in functional dyspepsia are usually diverse and have a pronounced emotional coloring ² .

The main causes of functional dyspepsia are considered to be an increase in the sensitivity of the gastric receptors to stretching, as well as psychosocial factors, including the psychological characteristics of the patient and his reaction to the disease. Past intestinal infections are also important, genetic factors ² .

Flatulence

In patients with gastrointestinal diseases, flatulence is quite common. Excess gases accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract in the form of gaseous foam when the gas bubbles are mixed and distributed in the food gruel. Such conditions are created if the ratio between the formation of gases, their absorption and removal from the body is violated. Mucous foam covers the surface of the digestive tract with a thin film, reduces the activity of enzymes, disrupts parietal digestion, and makes it difficult to reabsorb gases. As a result, flatulence may increase ⁵ .

Clinical manifestations can be divided into two main variants ⁵ :

Complaints of fullness, distension, bloating due to intestinal spasm. In this case, the gases do not depart, and the circumference of the abdomen is increased.

Signs of rapid discharge of intestinal gases. Gas emission can occur slowly, without sound, or as a "sounding breakthrough" with a different smell. Characterized by complaints of transfusion and rumbling in the abdomen, which are heard by others.

With excessive accumulation of intestinal gases, painful symptoms can also occur from other organs: burning and interruptions in the region of the heart, sleep and mood disturbances, weakness, shortness of breath (sometimes so severe that it is called "dyspeptic asthma") ⁵ .

Why does it press in the stomach

Banal overeating can disrupt digestion and lead to unpleasant symptoms ⁶ . Due to the large amount of food absorbed, the volume of the stomach increases and intra-abdominal pressure increases. With increased intra-abdominal pressure, the dome of the diaphragm (the partition separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and taking an important part in breathing) shifts into the chest, which leads to a feeling of difficulty breathing ⁷ .

Dyspepsia can occur with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These include ^{1, 6} :

Banal overeating can disrupt digestion and lead to unpleasant symptoms ⁶ . Due to the large amount of food absorbed, the volume of the stomach increases and intra-abdominal pressure increases. With increased intra-abdominal pressure, the dome of the diaphragm (the partition that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and takes an important part in breathing) shifts into the chest, which leads to a feeling of difficulty breathing ⁷ .

Dyspepsia can occur with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These include ^{1, 6} :

inflammation or ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;

chronic pancreatitis;

inflammation of the gallbladder, cholelithiasis, biliary dyskinesia;

dyskinesia of the small intestine;

esophageal reflux.

Thus, the combination of dyspepsia with shortness of breath is characteristic of the neurovegetative variant of chronic duodenitis. Other extraintestinal symptoms are typical for it, for example, weakness, palpitations, tremors in the limbs, sweating, loose stools. Symptoms usually appear a few hours after eating ⁸ .

With long-term chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by structural changes in the gastric mucosa, liver, dyspepsia is especially pronounced. Severe symptoms are accompanied by pathology of the pancreas, when digestive enzymes are not enough. Enzyme activity may decrease due to excessive acidification in the duodenum, excessive growth of pathogenic bacteria ⁶ .

Treatment Recommendations

Usually, with dyspeptic symptoms, the doctor first of all determines the true cause of the onset of unpleasant symptoms, and also prescribes a comprehensive treatment. Along with medicines, it is recommended to change the lifestyle, adjust the diet and create a menu. Sometimes psychotherapeutic techniques are used ¹ .

Nutrition principles

Food has a direct impact on the digestive process, so the treatment of dyspepsia syndrome begins with a diet ⁶.

In acute inflammation
in the digestive tract, food should be mechanically processed, sparing and balanced. Raw vegetables, fruits, indigestible fats should be excluded from the diet ⁶ .

For the most complete digestion in the intestines, you need to eat often, in small portions, avoiding foods that can provoke the appearance of loose stools: coffee, strong tea, coarse fiber ⁶ .

Smoking and alcohol are considered risk factors for dyspeptic disorders, so it is better to avoid them ² .

It is useful to keep a food diary, where you need to record the time of occurrence
and the severity of symptoms,
as well as provoking factors ¹⁰ .

What is the FODMAP diet for flatulence?

With increased gas formation in the intestines, a special diet is used, based on the exclusion of FODMAP products from the menu. Such foods increase flatulence due to the high content of short-chain carbohydrates, which are not digested by human enzymes and get processed by the intestinal microflora, which may be accompanied by the formation of gases ¹¹ .

What is the FODMAP diet for flatulence?

The following carbohydrate compounds are rapidly fermented by intestinal microflora ¹¹ :

Lactose. Found in milk, cream, yogurt, soft cheeses, ice cream.

Fructose. It is abundant in fruits (e.g. peaches, mangoes, watermelon), concentrated fruit sauces and juices, honey and products based on it.

Fructans and galactans. Their sources are some vegetables (asparagus, beets, onions), cereals (wheat and rye cereals, pasta, bread), legumes (chickpeas, green beans, peas), fruits (apples, persimmons).

Sugar alcohols. Sources - mushrooms, cabbage, cherries, nectarine, sweeteners.

Patients with flatulence may be advised to limit the above ¹¹ products as much as possible.

Medical therapy

Improvement of digestive processes in the gastrointestinal tract contributes to the reduction of dyspeptic symptoms ⁶ . So, if symptoms of dyspepsia occur, which patients generally characterize as "discomfort in the abdomen", even for people with normal function of the gastrointestinal tract, when overeating, enzyme preparations can be recommended (including those with normal production of enzymes by the pancreas) ^{6, 12 , 13} . Such a combined enzyme preparation is Festal® ^{6, 13} .

More about preparation

To improve the digestion of food with nutritional errors, polyenzymatic preparations can be used, for example, Festal® ^{2, 13} . The pancreatic enzymes included in this drug promote the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, bile acids facilitate the absorption of lipids and fat-soluble vitamins A, E, K, and the hemicellulase enzyme helps break down plant fiber, thereby helping to reduce gas formation ^{2, 13} . Thus, Festal® can be used to improve the digestion of food with nutritional errors, helping to comprehensively deal with the symptoms of impaired digestion, including heaviness in the abdomen ^{2, 13} .

This remedy, in addition to pancreatin, also contains active substances such as bile components and hemicellulase.

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