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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Sudden breathing problem
Answered by
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Sudden breathing problem
by Lurry, Jun 10, 2004 12:00AM
I am 30 years old and a smoker. 3 nights ago I awoke in the middle of the night with shortness of breath, coughing, pain in my lungs and some white foamy phlegm. It lasted for about 4 hours. When I awoke in the morning it was gone though my lungs still felt stressed. Last night it happened again, not as bad as the first time but still very scary. There have been no unusual changes in my diets,habits or environment.I do not excersize regularly, I am 5ft 3inches and 124 pounds.I have been smoking regularly for 12 years.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Jun 17, 2004 12:00AM
, Jun 17, 2004 12:00AM
What you have described sounds like recurrent aspiration due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is the back flow of stomach contents, including digestive juices, into the esophagus or food tube. This is most commonly called acid reflux or heartburn. This reflux can come all the way up into the mouth and nose. When this happens the material can be aspirated, dribbling into the windpipe and lungs.
GERD can cause the following symptoms:
· Heartburn or a sour taste in the mouth;
· Pain occurring in the middle of the chest;
· Coughing and/or choking while lying down; and
· Increased trouble breathing while asleep.
You will need to check with your doctor to know for sure what is causing your symptoms. A pH probe is the best test to find out if you truly have GERD. This test measures the acid in your esophagus to see if digestive juices are coming up from your stomach. GERD can often be controlled by avoiding food and drink 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, raising the head of the bed 6 to 8 inches, and/or taking medicines. Please read our Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/reflux.html for more details about what to do to lessen GERD. A gastroenterologist is the type of specialist to let you know if further testing is needed to identify GERD and the best treatment.
GERD can cause the following symptoms:
· Heartburn or a sour taste in the mouth;
· Pain occurring in the middle of the chest;
· Coughing and/or choking while lying down; and
· Increased trouble breathing while asleep.
You will need to check with your doctor to know for sure what is causing your symptoms. A pH probe is the best test to find out if you truly have GERD. This test measures the acid in your esophagus to see if digestive juices are coming up from your stomach. GERD can often be controlled by avoiding food and drink 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, raising the head of the bed 6 to 8 inches, and/or taking medicines. Please read our Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/reflux.html for more details about what to do to lessen GERD. A gastroenterologist is the type of specialist to let you know if further testing is needed to identify GERD and the best treatment.
Member Comments (1)
by katmcm999, Aug 15, 2008 01:40PM
A related discussion, Maybe Gerd, but I'm not sure was started.
