Most people experience heartburn once in a while. It feels like a painful, burning sensation right behind the breastbone. Having heartburn occasionally is nothing to worry about. Your elderly relative can probably manage bouts of occasional heartburn by using an antacid or changing the way they eat. However, knowing more about the condition and what can cause it may help you to recognize when heartburn could be something more serious and require medical treatment.
Causes of Heartburn
When a person swallows food, there is a sphincter located at the bottom of the esophagus that closes up and prevents food from moving back up into the esophagus. Heartburn occurs when that sphincter gets weak or opens abnormally. When that happens, stomach contents, both food and acid, back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Heartburn can be worse when the senior bends over because that squeezes the sphincter. It can also be worse when they lie down because gravity helps the stomach contents to flow in the wrong direction more easily.
Heartburn is often triggered by the foods a person eats. However, there are some other things that can lead to heartburn, including:
Eating Too Much: When the older adult eats too much, the stomach becomes distended. The pressure overeating causes makes it harder for the sphincter to close.
Eating Habits: Eating too close to bed time or lying down right after eating can cause heartburn. Eating too quickly may also trigger it.
Smoking: Cigarettes have been linked to heartburn.
Hiatal Hernia: A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach and sphincter move above the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a wall of muscle that assists the sphincter to keep stomach contents where they belong.
Excess Weight: Studies suggest that excess weight may play a role in causing heartburn.
Medication: Certain medications can have heartburn as a side effect. Some medicines associated with heartburn are those used for high blood pressure, asthma, heart conditions, and pain.
When to Talk to a Doctor
Although occasional heartburn doesn’t require a trip to the doctor, if your older family member is having heartburn more than twice per week, they should talk to their doctor. They may have a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which may need treatment using prescription medicines or surgery. Some other symptoms that suggest a need for medical attention are:
- Symptoms that don’t respond to over-the-counter medications.
- Trouble swallowing.
- Nausea or vomiting that persists.
- Weight loss due to lack of appetite or trouble eating.
If your elderly relative suffers from heartburn, an elderly care provider can help them to avoid foods that cause the problem. It can be useful to keep a journal of foods the older adult eats and the symptoms they experience. This can help to identify trigger foods. An elderly care provider can log the foods the older adult eats during the day and whether they experience any symptoms. If the senior is diagnosed with GERD, an elderly care provider can remind them to take medications used to treat the condition.
Sources: https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/causes-of-heartburn#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heartburn/symptoms-causes/syc-20373223
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-that-cause-heartburn