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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Upper Quadrant Discomfort/Pressure
Answered by
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Upper Quadrant Discomfort/Pressure
by Kloppy, Sep 13, 2003 12:00AM
I'm posting this for my father who was diagnosed with Emphysema in 1991. For the past year he has been experiencing pain approximately 1-2 inches below his sternum on a daily basis for 2-3 hours in late afternoon. Makes his breathing even more difficult. Makes him feel full and causes him trouble eating. He's lost 15 pounds (which he doesn't have to spare) in the past 9 months.
Is this a common symptom of COPD/Emphysema? Our physcian hasn't been able to shed much light into what is causing this added misery. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Kelly
Is this a common symptom of COPD/Emphysema? Our physcian hasn't been able to shed much light into what is causing this added misery. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Kelly
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Sep 17, 2003 12:00AM
, Sep 17, 2003 12:00AM
The pain that you have described is not a common symptom of COPD. Your father will need to be seen by a doctor to find out what is causing his pain. A gastroenterologist is the type of specialist to identify a problem with your father’s esophagus and/or stomach.
Usually we breathe by moving our diaphragm. Your father’s pain may get worse when he moves his diaphragm. To keep the pain from getting worse he may be breathing with the muscles in his upper chest, neck, and between his ribs. Then he wouldn’t have to move his diaphragm as much. These muscles are less efficient than the diaphragm, so it takes more energy for him to breath. Also taking a deep breath can make the pain worse. This may cause your father to take more shallow breaths. This may explain why his breathing is more difficult. Sometimes when people are having difficulty breathing, they will swallow air. This can make him feel full.
Unplanned weight loss is common in people with emphysema because the effort of breathing takes extra energy. Feeling full crowds the diaphragm and makes breathing more difficult. Breathing difficulty can make eating hard work. This is a frustrating cycle. Maintaining a healthy weight is vital for your father to keep his ability to fight infections and to keep his muscles strong. Here are some ways to reverse his unplanned weight loss.
1) Eat several small meals and snacks instead of three big meals. Smaller more frequent meals are recommended since a full stomach crowds the diaphragm causing increased discomfort and breathing difficulty. Your father can satisfy his nutritional needs, keep his stomach comfortable and help his diaphragm to work better by eating smaller, more frequent meals earlier in the day before the pain starts.
2) Use “calorie boosters” such as fats and oils as a way to boost his calorie intake. Suggested calorie boosters are: butter/margarine, cream cheese, dried fruit, dry milk powder, granola, honey/sugar, peanut butter/nuts, vegetable oils. These allow him to eat more calories with the same amount of food.
3) Choosing high calorie drinks will improve his calorie intake. Water, tea and coffee fill him up without giving him the extra calories he needs to stop weight loss or improve weight gain. Non-alcoholic and decaffeinated drinks, high in calories such as juice, milk and nutrition supplements are good choices.
4) Ask his doctor or a registered dietitian about nutritional supplements and snacks. They can help him choose foods wisely to get the most out of his meals and snacks. A loss of appetite or feeling tired can also cause him to eat less than normal at his meals. Supplements and snacks are often vital to replace those calories he missed.
5) Another way to avoid that “too full” feeling is to eat less of the foods that cause gas. Keeping a food diary can be helpful to find out which foods cause gas for him. The following foods are common offenders:
· asparagus
· beans (pinto, kidney, black, navy)
· broccoli
· brussels sprouts
· cabbage
· carbonated drinks
· cauliflower
· cucumbers
· melons
· garlic
· onions (raw)
· peas (split, blackeye)
· peppers
· radishes
· rutabagas
· sausage
· spicy foods
· turnips
Usually we breathe by moving our diaphragm. Your father’s pain may get worse when he moves his diaphragm. To keep the pain from getting worse he may be breathing with the muscles in his upper chest, neck, and between his ribs. Then he wouldn’t have to move his diaphragm as much. These muscles are less efficient than the diaphragm, so it takes more energy for him to breath. Also taking a deep breath can make the pain worse. This may cause your father to take more shallow breaths. This may explain why his breathing is more difficult. Sometimes when people are having difficulty breathing, they will swallow air. This can make him feel full.
Unplanned weight loss is common in people with emphysema because the effort of breathing takes extra energy. Feeling full crowds the diaphragm and makes breathing more difficult. Breathing difficulty can make eating hard work. This is a frustrating cycle. Maintaining a healthy weight is vital for your father to keep his ability to fight infections and to keep his muscles strong. Here are some ways to reverse his unplanned weight loss.
1) Eat several small meals and snacks instead of three big meals. Smaller more frequent meals are recommended since a full stomach crowds the diaphragm causing increased discomfort and breathing difficulty. Your father can satisfy his nutritional needs, keep his stomach comfortable and help his diaphragm to work better by eating smaller, more frequent meals earlier in the day before the pain starts.
2) Use “calorie boosters” such as fats and oils as a way to boost his calorie intake. Suggested calorie boosters are: butter/margarine, cream cheese, dried fruit, dry milk powder, granola, honey/sugar, peanut butter/nuts, vegetable oils. These allow him to eat more calories with the same amount of food.
3) Choosing high calorie drinks will improve his calorie intake. Water, tea and coffee fill him up without giving him the extra calories he needs to stop weight loss or improve weight gain. Non-alcoholic and decaffeinated drinks, high in calories such as juice, milk and nutrition supplements are good choices.
4) Ask his doctor or a registered dietitian about nutritional supplements and snacks. They can help him choose foods wisely to get the most out of his meals and snacks. A loss of appetite or feeling tired can also cause him to eat less than normal at his meals. Supplements and snacks are often vital to replace those calories he missed.
5) Another way to avoid that “too full” feeling is to eat less of the foods that cause gas. Keeping a food diary can be helpful to find out which foods cause gas for him. The following foods are common offenders:
· asparagus
· beans (pinto, kidney, black, navy)
· broccoli
· brussels sprouts
· cabbage
· carbonated drinks
· cauliflower
· cucumbers
· melons
· garlic
· onions (raw)
· peas (split, blackeye)
· peppers
· radishes
· rutabagas
· sausage
· spicy foods
· turnips
