Why Do I Cough After Eating Fast Food? We all know how dangerous it can be to eat fast food. But why do we cough after eating fast food?
Maybe your body is telling you that you have just eaten something that does not agree with your body. Or maybe the body doesn’t have enough time to digest the food before breathing in cold air.
One theory is that when people eat fast food, they take in very few vegetables and fruits, which leads to a lack of antioxidants and phytonutrients that help keep asthma and allergies at bay.
Eating more fruit and vegetables reduces inflammation and lessens the chance of coughing. The acidity in fast food can also cause a person to cough, so people who drink soda often get a sore throat.
Carbonated drinks increase the amount of air you swallow, contributing to coughing after drinking carbonated beverages or eating acidic foods.
12 Reasons Why Do I Cough After Eating Fast Food:
1. Acid reflux and related conditions:
When you eat fast food, the stomach has to work hard to digest it. This overloads the esophageal sphincter and can lead to acid reflux if your body does not dispose of this excess acid correctly. According to US News, more than 60 million Americans suffer from some acid reflux disease.
2. Weight gain:
Fast food contains harmful trans-fats and a lot of sugar, which adds empty calories without providing any important nutrients to your body. Eating fast food makes it easy to ingest a large number of calories in a short time – especially if you have a Big Mac Extra Value Meal – and can lead to obesity and related conditions.
3. Lactose intolerance:
Many people cannot digest lactose – a sugar found in milk and dairy products – as they lack the enzyme lactase, which is required for its digestion. Ingesting fast food can cause these people to suffer from bloating, stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea due to lactose intolerance.
4. Food poisoning:
Fast food can contain salmonella or e-coli, which cause a range of health problems from nausea and vomiting to diarrhea, fever, and even death in severe cases. According to the CDC, those who eat fast food are at risk of contracting food poisoning, as fast food is often made with ingredients that have not been cooked or handled.
5. Allergic reactions:
According to a study by the CDC, the number of children with food allergies has doubled since 1997 and shows no signs of slowing down. Children who suffer from hay fever symptoms or asthma symptoms may also develop an allergic reaction to fast food due to its high levels of yeast and mold.
6. Excessive air intake:
When we eat fast food, we tend to take large bites and swallow a lot more air than when eating home-cooked meals or meals with smaller bites. Because of this, the person may experience temporary problems with their throat, such as coughing.
7. Irritants in the air:
Fast food restaurants are often busy and tend to be located in cities with a lot of vehicle traffic and environmental pollution. This means that when you eat fast food, you may be inhaling more toxic chemicals that can irritate your throat, causing you to cough.
8. Genetics:
Please note that coughing after eating fast food is a symptom of an underlying medical condition, not a cause in and of itself. However, some people have asthma or allergies triggered by certain foods, which often include acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus fruits. This means they will get worse symptoms from the chemicals in fast food than other people.
9. Irritants in the air:
Fast food restaurants are busy, which means there is a lot of vehicle traffic around them and environmental pollution from smog and other chemicals in the air. This means that when you eat fast food, you will be inhaling more toxins that can irritate your throat and cause coughing.
10. Fatty foods:
Although fatty foods like French fries can be delicious, you will feel bloated and gassy afterward. This may be due to your body trying to digest the food quickly. If you can’t, it gets sent back up into the esophagus and may lead to a coughing fit.
11. Allergies or asthma:
For people who suffer from allergies or asthma, foods like burgers with onions and tomatoes can worsen symptoms because of their acidity levels. The higher acidity level triggers inflammation in the throat, leading to coughing for those with respiratory conditions such as allergies or asthma.
12. Respiratory infections:
If you’re sick with a cold, the coughing may be due to an infection. This is especially true if you’ve had a viral or bacterial respiratory infection in the past and your body is familiar with how it feels. Coughing helps get rid of mucus in the lungs when you have this type of condition.
How can I prevent coughing after eating fast food?
The following steps can prevent the need to cough after eating fast food:
- Eating one hour before bedtime should be enough time for your food to digest before you lay down.
- Drink a glass of warm water 10 minutes before a meal, which will help with digestion.
- Avoid acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes if they are triggers for you.
- Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly so your body can digest it more easily.
- Use smaller utensils when eating fast food to reduce the amount of air intake during each bite.
- Drink water throughout your meal so you don’t have any excess air in your stomach, which can also cause coughing after a meal.
- If you are sick with a cold or other respiratory infection, avoid eating fast food because the coughing may worsen.
Finally, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to help flush out toxins in your body and keep mucus levels down in your lungs by clearing them out every time they get clogged up.
Please note that it is best to be evaluated by a doctor to rule out an underlying medical condition if you are coughing after eating fast food frequently. It would be best if you did not rely on the information in this article as a diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition and instead seek professional help from a doctor.
The Bottom Line
I hope this post made you think about your following fast food selection a little differently. Fast food is delicious, but it can also make us sick if we don’t eat responsibly and caution. If you have any questions or comments on this article, please leave them in the comment section below!
In return for reading our blog, subscribe to get updates from us when new posts go live! Also, feel free to share this article with friends that might find it interesting. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our content today!
