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Aspirating When You Eat or Drink
Even healthy people will occasionally aspirate while eating or drinking but those with lung conditions, such as PH, might experience this more frequently. It is something to pay attention to and report to your doctor, especially if it’s occurring regularly. Have you had issues with aspiration while eating and/or drinking? What where the concerns your doctor addressed with this symptom and how has it been treated? Where you offered more than one option such as medication, surgery or diet change, and if so, how did you come to your treatment decision?
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4 Replies
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I think everyone probably has aspirated at least once in their life. Most people, well my parents and grandparents would always say, “ it went down the wrong pipe”.
Colleen, you are so right ,people with PH may experience this more. It’s interesting that you ask this because I’ve only heard a doctor bring this up once in all of my PH years! Thankfully, I’ve never had an issue with this that needed meds or surgery! But I have known a few PHers that did need meds.
@colleensteele, do you find that its more common with the PH kids? Just wondering as I’m thinking that they already have issues with swallowing at certain ages.
But, I definitely have had the issues and it can become dangerous as you can aspirate and develop Aspiration Pneumonia!
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Jen, it was a pediatric PH support group page that this topic turned up in a discussion. There where several parents that could relate and I”m sure the younger the child the larger the problem with aspiration. I was curious how much of a PH adult concern this is. My son never really had an issue with aspiration until he was in heart failure and in serious decline. Then I noticed, especially when drinking, that it would “go down the wrong pipe,” more often. I do remember his PH team sometimes asking during clinic visits if he ever aspirates so it must be something they watch for, that and acid reflux. In fact, reflux is closely monitored after transplant because it can lead to rejection of the lungs if it gets serious enough.
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I don’t drink(wine) from 5 years, and it’s all the because of aspirating. After a few minutes of my drink, I don’t breathe properly. The doctor advised me not to drink and to spend my life in safety valves. It makes me so bore, and I want to release from it.
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I can see why they would want you to try to stay away from the drinking. With alcohol it usually slows down the bodily systems and the nervous system (used in digestion) so this might be why it causes you to have more reflux or aspirate more? Have you talked with the doctors about their reasoning behind why this might be happening? For me, when I understand WHY something is happening to my body, it is easier for me to accept.
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