Pectus Excavatum Puking & Acid Reflux Prevention in [2023]

Pectus excavatum can manifest in various forms, from minor to severe. Growth, movement intolerance, weight loss, and vomiting are the most common links to a more severe form of abnormality.

This chest deformity creates various disturbances in the body. Slow but constant alveolar collapse can contribute to that.

VOMITING AFTER PECTUS EXCAVATUM SURGERY

A familiar association between pectus excavatum and vomiting is after surgery. The heavy anesthetics used for surgery are strong enough on their own, which can lead to a collision in your body and induce vomiting.

After the operation, everyone recovers differently; in some people, such symptoms can last longer.

But, there is a chance for other possible diseases that may appear in your body, due to pectus excavatum or by themselves. GERD is one of the most common diseases, with almost similar symptoms to pectus excavatum.

GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GERD)

When stomach acid goes back into the tube that links your mouth and abdomen, it's called gastroesophageal reflux disease. This backwash (reflux) might irritate your esophageal lining.

Acid reflux is a common problem and affects many people at some point in their lives. GERD is mild acid reflux that may happen at least twice a week or mild to severe acid reflux at least once a week.

COMMON INDICATIONS AND SYMPTOMS

• Heartburn- a burning sensation in the chest that occurs after eating and is worse at night
• Pain in the chest
• Swallowing problems
• Feeling like you lump in your throat
• Coughing for a long time
• Laryngitis
• Asthma
• Sleep troubles

REFLUX

Reflux can irritate and hurt your lungs if it reaches the back of your throat. It can push its way into the lungs and make your voice rough. You can also suffer from chest congestion and an ongoing cough.

Asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia can occur if your lungs become irritated. So, we can conclude that this problem can harm someone with pectus excavatum because the symptoms are almost identical.

VOMITING CAUSES

Vomiting causes a lot of different varieties of things, and they also may depend on your age. Vomiting is dominant in children due to viral infections, food poisoning, milk allergies, coughing, or clogged intestines.

Reasons for nausea or vomiting can determine the timing of the symptom's appearance. Food poisoning, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), or bulimia can produce nausea or vomiting quickly after a meal.

Food poisoning might occur one to eight hours after a meal. However, other bacteria found in food, such as salmonella, might take longer to cause symptoms.

Accordingly, before making any diagnoses, take good note of when such a vomiting urge occurs. In such moments, try to be aware of what you consume and how that affects you.

HAVE A CLEAR IMAGE OF YOUR DEFORMITY

Having a clear vision of your deformity and its development can go a long way in preventing any additional problems or, at least, helping to control them.

Therefore, I continually recommend having regular check-ups and contacting your doctor anytime you feel a change in your body.

As a result, the depth of a person's chest that seems sunken may rise as they age. You should consult your doctor about treatment options if you experience any digestion, breathing, or heart problem symptoms.

WHEN TO CALL THE DOCTOR

• If the vomit contains blood
• If you have a headache or a stiff neck
• If you feel anything like a possible loss of awareness
• If nausea persists for more than a few days, see your doctor.
• If home therapy isn't working and you are dehydrated, or a known injury has occurred, you should seek medical attention
• Abdominal discomfort
• Diarrhea
• Breathing or pulse that is too fast
• Chest pain

SIDE EFFECTS PREVENTION

Be mindful of your health; with that, you will be ready when any side effects occur. Stay calm, act sensibly, and don't panic immediately; do your best for your condition.

But it would be even better if you find ways to prevent possible side effects. Therefore, I will share a few steps that will help you prevent possible nausea or vomiting.

5 TIPS

When you sense minor sickness, you may do a few things to prevent yourself from vomiting.

• Take a few deep breaths. This trick helps when our body feels tense and nervous in other situations.
• Eat raw or candied ginger or drink ginger tea.
• Consume ice chips.
• Avoid greasy or spicy meals if you suffer from indigestion or acid reflux.
• Sit or lie down with a supported head and back in a situation like this.

WHAT TO DO AFTER VOMITING

If you can't prevent it, drinking lots of water and other drinks is critical to replace lost fluids. Begin with sipping water or sucking on ice chips, then slowly increase the consumption of clear liquid, such as sports drinks or juice.

After vomiting, you shouldn't eat a large meal and load your stomach again. Start with something easy like saltine crackers, plain rice, or bread.

Avoid meals that are hard to digest, such as milk and coffee. To eliminate the awful smell in the mouth and possibly harm your teeth from stomach acid, rinse your mouth with ice water after you vomit.

STAY AWAY FROM THESE FOODS

Avoid foods and beverages that can affect the stomach issues, such as chocolate, peppermint, heavy meals, coffee, and alcoholic drinks.

If you have symptoms, you should avoid foods and beverages that might irritate you, such as citrus fruits and juices, tomato products, and pepper.

Eating smaller portions at mealtime may also aid in symptom management. Additionally, eating meals at least 2 to 3 hours before night allows your stomach acid to subside and your stomach to be partially empty.

Eat slowly and chew your meal thoroughly. Setting your fork down after each bite may help you remember to do so. Stop smoking to prevent additional lung problems.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The visual aspect is the biggest problem that affects pectus excavatum patients. But, if we ask a person with pectus excavatum or pectus carinatum about their deformity, they will share many more unpleasant experiences that they constantly experience regardless of the apparent problem.

These additional issues can be due to many different reasons. If the deformity is severe, the chest is more pressed, and issues for these patients may be more represented and unpleasant.

Because the chest bones push hard on nearby organs like the heart and lungs, a sunken chest deformation causes different symptoms in the body.

Some of the most common problems are:

• Irregular heartbeats and heart problems
• Limited capacity to exercise and keep a regular day-to-day activity
• The most typical are breathing problems, as well as unexplainable fatigue.

All of the additional pectus excavatum problems usually depend on the degree of the malformation.

Many people also complain of abdominal discomfort, even nausea, and vomiting.

That’s why I decided to talk about the problems related to the digestive system in patients with sunken chests. This is hardly ever mentioned, but many patients experience these issues daily.