Later this week, I will post a longer discussion on air swallowing (aerophagia), a very annoying and not so uncommon side-effect from using positive airway pressure (PAP). Although CPAP may be the worst offender, you can still suffer air swallowing with BPAP, ABPAP and ASV devices. Ironically, there are those who have experienced improvement in air swallowing symptoms by using these advanced devices, but there are also those who report worsening. As it turns out, there are a lot of factors that trigger aerophagia as will be discussed on Thursday.
For now, I want to mention a key diagnostic tool that should never be overlooked especially when you’ve had no success resolving the problem. An Ear, Nose and Throat doctor (otolaryngologist) who examines your nose and throat with a fiber-optic scope is a consultation I strongly recommend to all my patients who have suffered air swallowing problems. If you are suffering from aerophagia that persists, then I encourage you to schedule a visit with an ENT physician.