What Causes Congestive Heart Failure In An Elderly Person?

Posted on Thu, 19 Jan 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 Answered on

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : My mother is 86 and has congestive heartfalure and last night her stomach began making A LOT noise and is still growling loudly at this time. She has very low energy and up until now she was fine. She took 2 750mg Tums and it is still growling in her stomach. What can we do?

Answered by Dr. Rahul Tawde (37 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Possible Causes

Detailed Answer:
Good day,

A growling stomach most often means gas, as caused by alterations in GI chemistry from acidity, and or heavy meals.

I must ask, is there pain associated with this growling ?
Any other symptoms, nausea, vomiting, blood on stool presentation and or dark tarry stools lately ?

This would lead me to warning signs for either ulcers, stool/bowel obstruction and/or bacterial infection, all possible causes for your mother's experience.

If there are none of these symptoms and this is isolated growling; I'd lean towards some of the more benign causes until proven otherwise; such as excess gas or possible over acid production from a meal your mother's tummy didn't like.

Ant-acids may help, over the counter digestive enzymes aka alpha-D-galactosidase and or simethicone or activated charcoal. I would talk to your local pharmacist to determine whether these are available.

Nonetheless I would recommend a visit to a physician if these symptoms do not subside, worsen and or any of the symptoms I mentioned above are present, particularly if there is severe abdominal pain, fevers, and or blood; this will warrant calling emergency services and presenting to your nearest emergent or urgent care facility.

I wish you and your mother the best.

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee