Aerophagia while awake?

[donsburg]

Hi everyone,

I've been playing around with my pressures and have noticed that at higher pressures (12) I'm getting significant aerophagia. Two questions:

1. Is it normal to get aerophagia even while you're awake? I'm certain this has been happening to me.
   
2. Does bilevel (increased pressure support) help to reduce aerophagia?
   

Thanks!

Donsburg

[Deborah K.]

[Jay51]

It can take some time to get rid of aerophagia that has accumulated during sleep with pap (symptoms can persist during the day until the excess air is expelled).  From my research, swallowing air during eating and chewing gum are 2 ways to get aerophagia when not sleeping with pap.  Possibly carbonated beverages if my memory serves me correctly also. 

From what I have read, it depends.  If your EPAP is keeping the airway open enough, some pressure support of a bilevel shouldn't cause aerophagia.  But the higher pressures get, usually the more at risk a person is for aerophagia.  People have different tolerance levels to various pressures (esophageal sphinters).  But on the flip side, if you EPAP is not maintaining an open airway, then some of pressure support could be diverted; and could go down your esophagus into your stomach instead of into your lungs.  


If anyone has better explanations, please post.  Usually the single best thing to do to reduce aerophagia is to decrease pressure.  GERD can contribute to increased aerophagia.

[Phaleronic]

Pressure support just the difference in pressure between EPAP and IPAP and if it's set to to static it will not be able to move up, if it's on auto it can move up to compensate for collapse in the airway. Bipap helps aerophagia because we are able to set the ipap and epap pressures individually to help with over pressure.

[Motorheadrulz]

Higher pressures = more aerophagia.
My story only and shouldn't be applied to you:

I have chronic aero due to a very weak esophageal sphincter and no cure. I can feel my throat relaxing and the air compressor painfully blowing up my belly like a beach ball. A couple hours later I start blowing it out the tailpipe, keeping me awake, so I remove the mask and try to get back to sleep. I'm on auto ASV + oxygen and cannot find the right mix.

Work with these guys to lower your pressures to a comfortable level. I've had some minor success by wearing a lifting belt (tummy wrap) tightly at bed time, but sometimes woke up and it's slipped to around my chest. I've given up for now, but I wish you luck.

MHR