will i suffocate?

hi.  i am having trouble swallowing due to an Acid Peptic Stricture in my esophagus.  i am getting the procedure done to fix it in a week ( thank the heavens...seriously!)  but i am afraid of food or liquids getting stuck and pileing up and tipping into my lungs ands suffocating.  can this happen?

[Casey803]

its me casey 803... after i drink or eat(my eating consists of blended food) i get a gargling feeling in my chest.  then after about 10 minutes i have to burp real loud about 3 times.(for what ever reason)

[CalGal]

Take a lot of time while you're eating allowing each mouthful a fair amount of time to get through the area of the stricture. There's little chance of you suffocating, but if you take in too much at one time and things start to back up, you'll probably end up regurgitating and you could aspirate some particulate material into the lungs. Having that happen could result in a problem with infection, etc.

There's a very coordinated neural/reflux response in your body that will result in the entry way to the lungs being 'closed off' while you're eating or if you end up throwing up. The majority of any 'bulk' will go up through the throat and into the mouth, but particulate material could get side-tracked.

The best way to avoid it is slow eating.

[Casey803]

thank you!

[Casey803]

thank you!