Normally when I'm hungry I can eat enough to feed about 4 people without blinking. Lately, my husband has noticed a connection between my eating and shortness of breath, so I did a little research and he was correct.
If you are feeling bloated or out of breath after a large meal it is not uncommon for Cystic Fibrosis patients. There can be a few different reasons that this happens.
☆I never thought to connect those dots until it was brought to my attention. Now, it's obvious to me as to what was happening.
Eating a large meal actually requires more energy to digest and of course energy doesn't always come easy to a CFer. Leaving larger meals to keep adding more pressure on your chest and diaphragm. For many, CF causes your lungs to take up more room in your chest when we begin to struggle. Resulting in air being trapped in the damaged areas of the lungs. Again causing us to feel out of breath.
So, how do we fix the issue and keep the calorie intake? Simply by eating several small meals throughout the day.
☆This is normally the case for everyone CF or not. It is better for your overall health to actually eat 6 small meals a day than it is 3 large ones. Of course with CF we are to eat extra calories high in fat, protein, calcium, and so on. So, don't forget to keep that in mind as you plan your meals.
If you require oxygen, make sure to use it while eating. This will help you get less short of breath and also help to aid in digestion.
Try some of these little tips if you experience the same thing and it should help a little or even make it not happen as often!!
•Stay away from those foods that can cause bloating like raw fruits and vegetables. Yes, you can avoid the healthy foods sometimes.
•Try to eat foods that you don’t have to chew as much like mashed potatoes or soup.
•Eat slowly, taking time between bites. There is no reason to rush through your meal, it's not going anywhere!
•Don’t rush off after you eat. Take some time to not only start to digest, but also to enjoy your family or friends. If you are alone just take some time for yourself before jumping right into your next activity.
•Once again, if you use supplemental oxygen, make sure you use it when you are eating!
Sometimes things that seem to simple to cause something medical is actually just that simple. I would have never put two and two together in this situation, because it seems too easy. Thankfully my husband pointed it out for me and now I've pointed it out for you!
Love How You Eat,
Sandi
For more information or tips regarding Cystic Fibrosis or just my journey with it follow me on Facebook.
