Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is the presence of systemic atherosclerosis in arteries distal to the arch of the aorta. As a result of the atherosclerotic process, patients with PVD develop narrowing of these arteries.
Whether your shortness of breath is related strictly to GERD or is due to GERD-related asthma, there are small steps you can take to prevent and treat it. Often, the most effective steps to prevent GERD involve making some lifestyle changes.
If you breathe in gas, it enters your lungs. If the gas is something other than air (mixture of nitrogen and oxygen) then you might have negative effects. Breathing in helium (without oxygen) would eventually make you pass out, but at first it would make your voice squeaky. If you breathe in xenon, it makes your voice very deep.