Everyone has experienced breathing problems once in a while, whether it is a simple common cold or as a symptom of a long lasting respiratory condition. Some common breathing complications include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), allergies, lung cancer, and cystic fibrosis. Most of these diseases have similar symptoms, which may include wheezing, chest pain or tightness, excess mucus, and inflamed airways.

Respiratory difficulties can be triggered by many reasons, especially if you have an inflammatory lung disease, such as asthma or COPD. Upon diagnosis, doctors will often recommend patients make several healthy changes to their lifestyle, including foods they eat and avoid, as breathing problems may be exacerbated by certain foods, such as:

1. Cabbage
Cabbage belongs to a food group known as cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables have high fiber content and can result in indigestion. When indigestion occurs, it leads to bloating, caused by excessive gas in the stomach, which expands and pushes onto the diaphragm. When the diaphragm is restricted, breathing becomes difficult hence triggering symptoms of asthma and COPD. The solution is to remove the cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables in your diet or significantly reduce their portions.

2. Milk
Milk is a beautiful drink, filled with protein and calcium. However, for people with respiratory problems, milk can cause their symptoms to flare up at unexpected times. When milk is digested, it produces a by-product called casomorphin. Casomorphine is a protein derivative that stimulates the production of excess mucus in the body linings. When excess mucus gets made in the respiratory tracts, it causes a blockage, thus triggering respiratory distress.
To prevent this, choose an alternative warm beverage before bed, and any other time you feel like drinking milk.

3. Corn
When corn digests, it produces some chemicals that may cause your mucus to thicken. Mucus aligns the insides of our bodies and especially the breathing canals. When the mucus becomes thick, it will restrict air passage and result in really thick phlegm production. Blocked airways are among the classic symptoms of asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Avoid eating corn and other foods that will make your mucus thicken.

4. Excess salt or sugar
If you have a diagnosed breathing problem, it is probably a good idea to cut back on salt and sugar. Excess salt and sugar will cause you more health problems on top of your already compromised body. Too much salt in the body will lead to the body becoming dehydrated. When the body gets dehydrated, the mucus in the body lining does not get enough water to remain moist to thicken. Thick mucus blocks the airways triggering breathing problems. Avoid excess sugar and salt, even if you do not have respiratory problems.

5. Preservatives and additives
Some of the food preservatives and additives in common processed foods include; carbon dioxide, potassium bisulfite, and sodium bisulfite. These preservatives might cause bloating, like carbon dioxide, thus affecting the diaphragm’s working, causing breathing difficulties, while others trigger allergic reactions, which in turn causes respiratory symptoms.
Breathing problems caused by these foods can be prevented by staying away from them, especially those that trigger your allergies.