Hi my mum has started to gag when eating, just wondering is this normal?
Gagging : Hi my mum has started to gag... - Lung Conditions C...
Gagging
Written by
Kelly3
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7 Replies
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Hi, what stage is your mother? When we copd sufferers get to late stages, our breathing problems can be difficult and we will have to make a decision, or is hard to eat and breathe at the same time, so sufferers will make a choice to breathe rather than eat, the gagging is caused by the inability to eat and breathe at the same time.
It’s possibly because she is dehydrated, as mucus tends to build up more when we haven’t drunk enough water. Try that if not talk to mums GP 😊
Hi
Eat small mouthfuls, chew well. Stop to inhale through the nose. Swallow on the exhale.
Takes a bit of practice. Stopping to inhale through the nose helps.
Whilst any of the above answers could help, it could also be something unrelated to her COPD, so it would be best to see a GP to cover all bases.
Hi if she is having problems eating and is well underweight she might benefit from build up drinks. They can even be prescribed by her doctor. x
My first thought was reflux - do check that out with your mum's gp.
I met a few people with this sort of problem over the years, with most it was related to the swallowing reflex, some because of specific causes, others as previous answer, cannot breathe and swallow at same time. When we wanted to check "what going on" we used to refer to a Speech and Language Therapist for a swallowing assessment. Sometimes they would recommend specific food preparation, such as pureed or something called Thick and Easy for "feeding drinks" to keep up the nutrition intake. Sometimes just pacing what is being eaten is enough to help.
