Let’s discuss How to Prevent Choking on Vomit While Sleeping? There are many children and adults who vomit during sleep. Vomiting during sleep can cause choking or even death in some cases. Following these simple steps will help you avoid such incidents in the future.
Choking on vomit happens because of the liquid being swallowed into the airway. This causes swelling of the throat and larynx, leading to suffocation.
To prevent choking on vomit, you should always wake up before vomiting. Also, never put anything down your mouth while asleep.
So,you need to learn about it in great detail. Many conditions, like sleep apnea, GERF, and more, lead to this. So, read this blog and get a hold of the means to prevent choking while sleeping.
What causes vomiting while sleeping?
The main question is: why do people vomit while sleeping? If you’re searching for ways to prevent choking while sleeping due to vomiting, you’ve come to the right place. However, you need to learn the causes first. Below are some reasons why it happens:
● Food allergies
● Food poisoning
However, those mentioned above are the most common causes of vomiting during the night. It is also important to keep in mind that anxiety can also lead to vomiting in order to deal with the situation. But many medical conditions lead to vomiting while sleeping. What are those?
● GERD
● Sleep Apnea
What is GERD?
So what causes the vomit? First, you need to worry about acid reflux. The anti-peristaltic movement of the esophagus leads to vomiting. Also,there are a number of factors that contribute to antiperistaltic movements. When you talk about vomiting while sleeping, it is most common in patients with GERD. GERD: What is it?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common type of GERD. It is a chronic disease affecting people aged 45 and older. But some younger people are suffering from it. So, how does it occur? The esophagus becomes inflamed when stomach acid builds up.
Have you heard about stomach acid flowing upwards into the esophagus? Eating and drinking are both done through the esophagus. This acid irritates other organs like, esophagus, throat etc. hence, it causes vomiting, and choking.
The following is an interesting fact about GERD. Around 20% of US citizens suffer from it, did you know? GERD is a common health issue affecting everyday work and interrupting sleep.
Is, So the question is if you are suffering from GERD or another health issue that leads to vomiting while sleeping, how to deal with it?
Do you know that vomiting while sleeping can choke, leading to instant death? Consider many factors before making a decision.
This article has tried to cover each tip and guide to avoid choking while sleeping. So, read the entire blog and learn how to prevent acid reflux at night!
Guide GERD and Sleep
You must learn that “nighttime reflux is linked with more severe symptoms of GERD.” It does occur that sleep and GERD have a bi-directional link.
More generally, a person with GERD experiences short, multiple arousals that they are unfit to recollect. Hence, it results in the fragmentation of sleep. At the same time, this deprivation can badly affect GERD. How is it possible?
You can tag it as esophageal hypersensitivity by influencing the perception of stomach acid in the esophagus. Hence, it increases the esophageal acid exposure period.
How to Prevent Choking on Vomit While Sleeping Step By Step Guide
So now you have an entire idea about GERD and how it causes vomiting and leads to choking. But is he able to deal with it? Can you prevent choking on vomit while sleeping?
If you want to prevent or stop choking while sleeping, there are some things that you need to do. Practice these sidelines to enjoy sound sleep without any risk of choking via vomiting.
Besides the essential medical treatments, we also discuss the changing lifestyle. These tips will be a game changer for you in various ways. Additionally, there are specific lifestyle changes that you will have to adhere to improve.
01. Wear Loose-Fitting Clothing
Let us start from the basics. The first thing on the list is to wear loose-fitting clothing. Here you might be thinking about how it affects acid reflux. Remember that clothes that are too tight, specifically around the abdomen and waist, put pressure on the stomach. Hence, it pushes the stomach’s content back into the esophagus, causing GERD symptoms.
Now you have an idea of why the sleepwear is loose and comfy. So if you suffer from Gerd, we advise you to wear tight clothing while sleeping. Go for the loose gowns if you are a woman, or pick the loose pants if you are a man. Make sure the elastic band is open, not tight. The primary purpose of loose-fitting clothing is to prevent pressure on the stomach.
If you’re following this tip but still have no outcome, we advise you to move on to the next one.
02. Change Your Sleeping Position
Rather than lying flat, we advise you to lie flat. Why is that so? It is to use gravity to the edge at night to improve GERD symptoms. Heightening the head with a pregnancy or wedge pillow or keeping the head of the bed elevated is helpful. But how? The angle makes it useful for relieving nighttime GERD signs, consisting of choking on reflux while sleeping.
03. Add More Pillows
So next on the list is a suggestion for you. While sleeping, add more pillows. One can never have enough pillows for sleeping, whether you are suffering from GERD or a healthy sleeper. If you are suffering from GERD, it is best to use many pillows while sleeping.
Add four or three pillows to support the head while sleeping. How is it beneficial? It raises the level of the esophagus, prevents acid reflux, and hence, reduces the chances of aspiration. GERD can occur regardless of the position one sleeps in. But, it usually occurs to sleepers when sleeping on their back rather than in other positions.
04. Pregnancy Pillows
Next, we have the pregnancy pillows on the list. You might be wondering why people get pregnant. These pillows are not only for pregnant women. It also has other functions. So, if you are suffering from GERD and want to avoid the risk of choking while sleeping, then get it.
These pillows are a blessing for pregnant women while sleeping and for GERD patients while resting. Do you think the pregnancy pillows look like wedges? You can name it the wedgies pillows. You can get these pills from any pregnancy store. Pick the sizes that work best for you.
Many of you have not experienced GERD, but pregnant women have experienced GERD while sleeping. Sometimes it stops after birth in most cases, but sometimes it persists. It is why wedges and pregnancy pillows are the ideal purchases during pregnancy.
05. Never Eat Right Before Sleep
It is good to allow enough time for the meal to digest. Also, sleeping on an empty stomach is beneficial because it can help reduce the chance of acid reflux into the esophagus during sleep.
If any of you experiences GERD signs while sleeping or lying, try eating at least 3 hours before you sleep or lie down. Why is that? It is because it aids in enhancing symptoms of Acid Reflux and the danger of choking at night.
06. Use Adjustable Bed
It may appear like a notable lifestyle change, but it is best if you are experiencing GERD. So here, one needs to change their lifestyle entirely. Why is that so? It is because other means didn’t work.
07. Quit Smoking
Do you know that smoking is a major factor in GERD? Also, smoking causes severe signs in people with GERD. So, if you quit smoking, the chances of GERD will be less.
08. Avoid Alcohol
The last thing on the list is to avoid alcohol. It has many harmful effects on health, and alcohol deepens GERD signs.
Liquor abuse can lead to throwing up. If that occurs during sleep, the drinker is likely to begin choking on vomit.
How to Prevent Choking on Vomit While Sleeping( FAQ)
01. Is it the cure for vomiting while sleeping?
No, these tips do not cure the issues. If the conditions persist, we advise you to consult your doctor.
02.What foods do you need to avoid to prevent acid reflux?
Some dietary triggers for GERD are:
● Acidic foods like the culprits are citrus, tomato items, and tomatoes.
● High-fat
● The greasy foods
● Also Spicy foods
● AvoidChocolate
● The Mint
● Salt and salted items
● Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee
● Alcoholic drinks
● Carbonated drinks
03.Can anyone choke on their vomit while sleeping?
One means is via pulmonary aspiration. What is this? For this person, inhaling the vomit into their lungs directly blocks oxygen flow. Doctors need to intervene and clear the air pathways.
04.Can a Person Die From Choking?
A person can choke to death because of the aspiration of vomiting. Sometimes aspirated stuff can get into a person’s lungs, leading to pneumonia.
Conclusion
In the end, we learn How to Prevent Choking on Vomit While Sleeping? Choking acid reflux can become a scary event. Nevertheless, there are many steps one can follow to help prevent or decrease acid reflux at night. We have tried to mention the most effective one to avoid choking on vomiting.