You cannot use the Hope Scholarship with the Lifetime Learning tax credit for the same student in the same year, but you can use them for different students' educational expenses in the same year. In most cases the Hope Scholarship will yield a greater financial benefit than the Lifetime Learning tax credit.
About half the population suffers from bad breath caused by factors other than food, drinks and cigarettes. Of those, only about 10 percent come from other health issues such as diabetes, liver and kidney disease. The number of people who suffer from bad breath because of stomach problems is even lower.
This is something for which it would be best to go for a medical checkup. The bloating of your stomach can be probably explained by your acid reflux. But this does not explain the shortness of breath. Shortness of breath commonly occurs due to lung or heart conditions. Since you are having persistent shortness of breath, bloating of stomach along with swelling of the stomach, it is best to have a checkup to rule out any other problems. You should consult your Family Physician/PCP. You should discuss all these conditions and tests and ask which are likely for you.