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What Do Shortness Of Breath And Pressure In Chest Of A Person With Pneumothorax Indicate?

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Posted on Tue, 21 Apr 2015
Question: I have had two query sessions regarding my son's pneumothorax in past few months. (query id 147473) and another query with his reports were uploaded.
First Pneumothrax episode (10/26/2014)
ER admit, chest tube (10/27/2014)
Could not breathe, chest pain, saw the doctor (11/11/2014)
Another ER visit, high BP, chest pain, exhaustion (11/22/2014)
Specialist group of pulmonologist and cardiologists (11/24/2014) - was advised to take it easy and reduce spicy foods, certain exercises like weight-lifting.

Now my question is regarding my son feeling pressure in his chest after a meal. He sometimes feels shortness of breathe also. I noticed him taking deeper breathes after some intervals and then he breathes normally.
A pulmonologist said that he could have developed herniated stomach; hiatal hernia. Is there any test, treatment and cure for this?
Please share your expertise/advice. Thank you.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
i need some info from you

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Welcome to Health Care Magic,

I am Dr.Muhammad Ahmad, I have read your message and will try to help you in best possible way.

I would like you to give me some more info in this regard.

Here i will ask you some questions to guide our conversation.

1) Does it only happen after meal?

2) Does he feel burning too or jist heaviness?

3) What medicines is he taking these days.

4) Does heaviness get better with time?

5) Is he physicially active?


Waiting for your input.

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad

M.B.B.S

Resident M.D.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (3 hours later)
1) Does it only happen after meal?
Generally, it happens after the meal. Few times he has felt pressure otherwise as well.

2) Does he feel burning too or just heaviness?
Just heaviness, no burning. The pressure is on abdomen but under chest bone.

3) What medicines is he taking these days.
None.

4) Does heaviness get better with time?
Yes. He feels it more as day progresses and at night.

5) Is he physically active?
He lives in the college dorm. So he walks a lot to his classes every day.

I have not heard from anyone for more than 12 hours. Is Dr. XXXXXXX still advising on this query?

My response to 4) can be explained as follows....
Does heaviness get better with time?
Yes, it gets better over time after a meal. He feels more pressure as day progresses when he eats and after dinner he feels the most pressure at night while he is trying to sleep. We have elevated my son's bed by 6 inches at the headboard as per the doctor's advice who told us that he has hiatal hernia.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (24 hours later)
Brief Answer:
This in my opinion can be get rid of easily.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for writing back,

I am sorry for the delay in my response, had some connectivity issues, for which i apologize.

I have read your son's previous history from previous question on one hand i am sorry for what happened to him, on the other hand i am so pleased to know that he is doing fine and having a normal life, enjoying youth and college.

According to your son's history and description of symptoms, plus the answers given to my questions, i am in opinion that he is having digestion issues.

It might be lower motility which causes food to stay for more time in blood which makes it heavy.

This food keeps moving out of stomach as time passes so his symptoms get better with time.

What can be done about that?

Well that's really simple , he can control it with bvery simple measure:

(1) Eating smaller meals.

2) Lighter foods which digests quick.

3) Chewing food more than times than before.

4) Drink water BEFORE meal not after.

(5) Prokinets like motillium helped my patients too with the same problems.


Hiatal hernia:

You asked if it could be hiatal hernia.

Hiatal hernia means stomach protruding into the chest. This usually prsents differently main features are burning and regurging of the food which is not true in your son's case.

In my opinion there are low chances that it would be hiatal hernia.

How to detect it:

One needs a Gastroentrologist for hiatal hernia problem. They make their diagnosis on the basis of history , presentations, and then they might want to sun some no invasive tests like chext x-ray simple and chest Xray with barrium swallow.

Usually these tests confirm or atleast give a good indication if there is a problem or not.

If the doctor is not satisfied he will go for endocscopy , in this procedure a camera is entered in to the oesphagus through mouth and it examines stomach from inside.



TREATMENT OF HIATAL HERNIA:

It ranges from conservative medical treatment to surgery, depending upon severity of symptoms.

END NOTE:

In my opinion your son needs nothing but following the above mentioned measures.


I still don't suspect hiatus hernia much but I will suggest you to visit a gastroentrologist to be sure.

I wish your son the very best of Health.

I Hope this answers your question, if your have more queries feel free to ask, otherwise close the discussion and rate it. Wish you the best of health.

Pardon me again for the delay.



Regards,

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.

M.B.B.S.

Resident M.D.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Muhammad Ahmad

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 1308 Questions

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What Do Shortness Of Breath And Pressure In Chest Of A Person With Pneumothorax Indicate?

Brief Answer: i need some info from you Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome to Health Care Magic, I am Dr.Muhammad Ahmad, I have read your message and will try to help you in best possible way. I would like you to give me some more info in this regard. Here i will ask you some questions to guide our conversation. 1) Does it only happen after meal? 2) Does he feel burning too or jist heaviness? 3) What medicines is he taking these days. 4) Does heaviness get better with time? 5) Is he physicially active? Waiting for your input. Dr.Muhammad Ahmad M.B.B.S Resident M.D.