Question
What is the interrelationship between respiration and gastrointestinal function?
Answer
Let's bring digestion into this discussion of interrelationships between systems. As we think about how the respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) systems interact, we want to think about pressure relationships, energy relationships, innervation, and of course, we have to talk about aspiration. Let's start by talking about pressure relationships. The respiratory and GI systems are adjacent to each other, and they interact in several ways, not the least of which is they press on each other. When there is an expansion of the lungs, the expansion of the respiratory system puts pressure on the esophagus and stomach. Patients with COPD with mildly hyper-inflated lungs have increased reflux because those hyperinflated lungs are pressing on the stomach and the esophagus. Patients with increased stomach and esophageal distention related to GI problems are more likely to feel and report shortness of breath. The inflated GI system is pressing onto the respiratory system, and those pressure relationships are essential.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, link to If You Cannot Breathe, You Cannot Swallow... Breathing and Swallow Coordination in Respiratory Disease, presented by Angela Mansolillo, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S.
