I know that I have a hernia near my incision site from previous abdominal surgery. It is a bubble. Today as I stood up if felt like it popped and now I have lots of pressure around the bubble and feel very bloated. The only way to describe the feeling is tightness in the area and some shortness of breath. What could be causing this?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your situation and problem. You are mostly having HERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) due to incisional hernia. This makes gastroesophageal sphincter lax. And because of this the acid of the stomach tends to come up in the esophagus and cause gaseous feeling, bloating, chest tightness, pressure etc. Gaseous distention of stomach can prevent lungs to expand fully. So patient feels breathing difficulty. Try to follow these steps for better symptomatic relief. 1. Avoid stress and tension. 2. Avoid hot and spicy food. 3. Avoid large meals, instead take frequent small meals. 4. Start proton pump inhibitors. 5. Go for walk after meals. 6. Keep 2-3 pillows under head in the bed to prevent reflux. If you are still not improving after these lifestyle modifications then you need surgical correction for incisional hernia.