There are many remedies for breathing issues, including cold and flu medications, puffers and inhalers, and so on. In addition to this, vaccines have long been recognized as a crucial treatment for a wide array of respiratory and breathing ailments. This critical role extends to various respiratory conditions such as Nasal Polyps, Cystic Fibrosis, Influenza, Pneumonia, Whooping Cough, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Tuberculosis, among others. Despite its widespread prevalence, the common cold still lacks a corresponding vaccine. Leading vaccine manufacturers, including Novovax, Fluarix Quadrivalent, Vaxelis, Infanrix, Kinrix, Pediarix, Pentacel, among others, are responsible for the production of these vital immunizations. But have you ever considered the root of the problem may be the foods you consume? Digesting food and chewing requires oxygen. Thus, it implies that you will have to work more to breathe adequately while eating. Simultaneously, the food present in the stomach envelopes the diaphragm and lungs. This makes the entire task even harder. Health conditions, such as asthma and COPD, tend to expand your lungs. Hence, there is not much space left in the chest.

List of foods that cause breathing issues
Breathing problems can drain your body and make you tired even while eating food. However, when you have a breathing issue, it is all the more important to eat well. It is vital to keep your body strong by protecting it from infections and illnesses. So, here is a list of foods that cause breathing issues.

1. Drinks and acidic food
At the end of the food pipe, there is a muscle shaped in the form of a ring, which is known as a lower esophageal sphincter (LES). It forms a valve around the esophagus. If this valve is not shut correctly, it will open frequently. As a result of it, the stomach acids can travel back to your food pipe. It can lead to frequent heartburn around twice or thrice a week. This is a giveaway sign of acid reflux. In people who have a lung disorder, acid reflux will have an adverse impact on the lungs. Thus, you must strictly limit or avoid drinks and acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, fruit juices, citrus fruits, spicy foods, and coffee. This can reduce acid reflux symptoms and simultaneously reduce lung disease symptoms.

2. Foods that lead to gas
If there is any food item that causes bloating or gas, it can make breathing a lot more complicated. It may lead to chest tightness and can cause asthma symptom flare-ups. Thus, you should avoid foods such as garlic, carbonated drinks, beans, fried foods, and onions.

3. Excess salt
A small quantity of iodized salt is needed to maintain a requisite sodium balance in the body. However, consuming salt in massive amounts can cause water retention. It is called edema. The extra water works like the additional fat around your diaphragm. It can hamper the breathing of a person who already has a breathing issue from any existing illness or disorder. Thus, when you reduce the salt content in the food, the water retention will also decrease. It will lower the possibility of any excess damage to the lungs. Of course, we need salt to add flavor to the food, but it is best advised to balance it with other spices and herbs instead to make up for the taste. As a prevalent substitute to salt, you can use lime juice. It is one of the best ways to compensate for the taste.

So, these are a few foods that cause breathing issues. You need to refrain from consuming these if you have breathing problems or are at risk of having them.