Heartburn and menopause: Why it happens and how to manage it

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Learn what causes menopausal heartburn, why managing heartburn is important and how to manage your symptoms
Heartburn and menopause: Why it happens and how to manage it

Table of contents

  • Heartburn science
  • Heartburn and menopause
  • The risks of unmanaged heartburn
  • How to manage heartburn

Heartburn science

We’re guessing you know what heartburn is, but why does it happen?

Heartburn occurs when stomach acid comes up. Normally, a circular band of muscle called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) prevents this. However, if the LES is weakened or relaxed, stomach acid can flow back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn.

This gives you that familiar pain in your chest, and can cause bad breath, bloating and nausea.

Menopause and Heartburn: the unfortunate relationship

Dropping estrogen levels during menopause cause the circular band of muscle (LES) to become weaker, resulting in stomach acid having a greater opportunity to flow back into the esophagus.

As a result peri and post menopausal woman have a higher chance of experiencing heart burn1 than the general population5

Why management is important

If left untreated heartburn can result in esophagitis, ulcers, and Barrett's esophagus, all three are far from ideal!

So before you just go adding heartburn to the list of annoying menopause symptoms, consider the long term health implications of heartburn and implement a heart burn strategy.

How to Manage Heartburn

Lifestyle Changes

  1. Maintain a healthy weight: 

Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the stress on your LES and reduces inflammation, both decreasing the chances of heartburn.

2. Avoid trigger foods:

If heartburn commonly follows specific food or drink, as hard as it may be, avoiding trigger foods can make a significant improvement on your health. The most common trigger foods are:

Spicy foods 
  • 38% of heartburn sufferers are triggered by spicy foods (hot sauce, curry or chili)
Fatty foods 
  • 38% of heartburn sufferers are triggered by fatty foods (fried food, pizza or cheese)
Acidic foods
  • 15% of heartburn sufferers are triggered by acidic foods (coffee, citrus fruits or tomatoes)
But it’s OK!
 
95% of people who avoided their trigger foods reported an improvement in their heartburn symptoms2

Sorry spicy margs!

3. Eat smaller, more frequent meals:
Menopause is also associated with slower gastric emptying3, smaller meals will result in less pressure being placed on your LES and less heartburn.

4. Don't lie down immediately after eating:

Gravity does a great job in keeping gastric acid away from your esophagus, so as tempting as it is to crash on the couch post-feast, try and avoid it for an hour or two

5. Gut health supplements: 

Supplements help maintain a healthy gut biome helping reduce heartburn symptoms4 

Other solutions

1. Over the counter options
  • Antacids: Neutralising stomach acid can provide temporary relief from heartburn
2. Healthcare professional required
  • H2 blockers: H2 blockers work by blocking the action of histamine, a chemical that stimulates the cells in the stomach lining to produce acid. 
  • By reducing the production of stomach acid helps to relieve symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux.
  • Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): If heartburn is more serious and no other solutions listed here have worked, PPI’s might be the next option. 
  • PPIs work by blocking the action of the proton pump, which is responsible for producing stomach acid. By inhibiting the proton pump, PPIs can reduce the production of stomach acid and help to relieve symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux.

 

Managing heartburn during menopause is about keeping your esophagus happy for the long haul. 

Mastering the art of saying 'no' to spicy tacos and 'yes' to a happier, healthier you – one bite at a time with Her Vitality is here supporting you all the way with education, support and menopause specific products.

  1. Kim YS, Kim N, Kim GH. Changes in Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Morphological Features on Endoscopy in Middle-Aged Korean Women According to Menopausal Status. Journal of Menopausal Medicine. 2018;24(2):85-92.
  2. Goh KL, Choi MG, Hsu WP, et al. A survey on gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome in Asia: the digestive health working team of the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2006;21(9):1366-1373. 
  3. Mazzawi T, Hausken T, Gundersen D, et al. Effects of the menopause transition on body composition and gastro-intestinal motility. Gynecological Endocrinology. 2011;27(4):307-312. 
  4. Szajewska H, Horvath A, Kołodziej M. Systematic review with meta-analysis: Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2015;42(7):793-801. 
  5. Infantino, M. (2008), ‘The prevalence and pattern of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in perimenopausal and menopausal women’, Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 20 (5), pp.266-72, 

 

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