Is this GERD? And can acid reflux cause asthma flare ups?

[melbidd]

Can acid reflux cause asthma flare ups?  
I seem to be getting a lot of episodes of shortness of breath since I stopped my meds.

I also have post nasal drip.
I sleep elevated (if not, I don't feel good at all), doesn't always help though.
When I cough, mucus comes out 3/4 of the time.  
Whenever I eat, I don't feel good (nausea).  Juice is the worst.
I'm 16 years old, female.

I don't know if these are symptoms of GERD or?
Thank you !

[benah68]

Yes GERD can cause asthma since it goes in the lungs. You should go see a gastroenterologist to diagnose. Gerd causes many problems, for me bloating is the worse, but I suffered episodes where I thought I was dying. Sometimes I wake up with shortness of breath that is the worse. I think mines was caused from pregnancey with my 4th child, and that is how I got a hiatal hernia. My nose was always clogged and when I described my symptoms to an ENT he said I may have acid reflux,that was like 10 years ago, and with the surgery I had to help, nissan fundoplication which I don't think I needed. I think that if the hiatal hernia is fixed correctly the GERD will go away.

[selmaS]

A hiatal hernia occurs when part of your stomach bulges upward out of your belly and into your chest cavity.

There are three main types of hiatal hernia: sliding, paraesophageal, and mixed. A sliding hiatal hernia is the most common type and is generally not a serious condition.

U want to elevate the head of the bed...not just ur pillows....usually 4 to 6 inches....this will help with reflux.....plus not eating  3 to 4 hrs prior to  lying down...and avoid dairy as it can slow down the LES and allow the acid up into ur throat.

U may also have nodules in ur thyroid which can add to the feelings u have in ur throat.....but the acid itself can also give these feelings......post nasal drip can cause inflamation.

I do hope u r seeing a good Dr...and ENT and a GI both should have good input to help u feel better.

Keep us posted

"selma"

[melbidd]

Thank you both very much.

Selma : What is a hiatal hernia?  And how elevated should my pillow be?  I don't feel that it helps that much, until I fall asleep.  It can take me about an hour to fall asleep.  Oh and yes, I am going for food allergy tests in november.  I know some stuff I cannot tolerate (juice, oranges, and shrimps).

Autumnlake : I feel the same way, my throat feels like it is closing everytime it gets really bad (that is especially at night).  My neck feels stiff to the touch (really hard, like I'm about to have a severe asthma attack [that's what happens when I get one]).  Not eating after 6.30 pm will be a problem for me.  If I don't eat for about 2 hours, I will start feeling nauseated.  And was the surgery for the acid reflux?

Thanks again !!

[autumnlake]

I have all your symptoms. I find that the acid reflux causes my throat to close and I have to sip ice water very slowly to get it under control then I use the asthma inhaler. I find that taking Nexium every morning and not eating after 6.30 p.m. helps. I had surgery last year for my sinuses and that has also helped.

[selmaS]

Hi...sounds like gerd and maybe a hiatal hernia and I am sure this will affect ur asthma.
Please see a dr and get on meds....sleeping with the head of the bed elevated is very good.....

U may have food allergies or foods that are adding to ur acid issues.....please see the Health Pages here on MedHelp for more info.

Please keep us posted

"selma"

[melbidd]

Oups, another thing, I burp A LOT !!  When I say a lot, I mean like, every few minutes, if not an hour, not even. I guess its because it helps me deal with the nausea?

[melbidd]

I forgot to add, I have a weird cough since about 2 years ago.