Why would an adult need a feeding tube? Reasons and Considerations

November 27, 2025 •

3 min read

According to studies, over 790,000 feeding tubes are inserted in the NHS every year to provide essential nutrients to adults who cannot eat normally. This critical medical intervention addresses a wide range of issues, explaining why would an adult need a feeding tube in various health scenarios.

Quick Summary

A feeding tube provides liquid nutrition and medication when an adult cannot eat or swallow safely due to medical conditions, critical illness, or post-surgical recovery.

Key Points

Impaired Swallowing (Dysphagia): Neurological issues like stroke, Parkinson's disease, and advanced dementia can compromise swallowing, making feeding tubes necessary.
Digestive System Issues: Severe gastrointestinal conditions, including Crohn's disease, gastroparesis, and bowel obstructions, can prevent nutrient absorption.
Cancer Treatment: Patients with head, neck, or esophageal cancers, or those experiencing side effects from chemotherapy or radiation, often need enteral nutrition.
Critical Care and Surgery: Unconscious patients, those on ventilators, or individuals recovering from major surgery may require a temporary feeding tube for support.
Severe Malnutrition: Significant unintentional weight loss and dehydration are primary indicators that necessitate a feeding tube to ensure proper nutrition and prevent complications.
Types of Tubes: Feeding tubes vary from temporary nasogastric (NG) tubes to longer-term surgical options like gastrostomy (G-tubes) and jejunostomy (J-tubes), depending on the patient's needs.

A feeding tube, or enteral feeding, is a vital medical device that delivers liquid nutrition, fluids, and medication directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, bypassing the mouth and esophagus. For many adults, it is a life-sustaining option when an illness, injury, or medical procedure interferes with their ability to consume adequate nutrients orally. The decision to use a feeding tube is made by a healthcare team, often in consultation with the patient and their family, after assessing the individual's nutritional needs and overall health status. This decision is based on many factors, including the potential for recovery and the long-term prognosis. Understanding the varied medical and circumstantial reasons can provide clarity on this often-complex subject.

Neurological Conditions and Impaired Swallowing

One of the most common reasons an adult would need a feeding tube is impaired swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. This can result from a number of neurological and neuromuscular diseases that affect the muscles and nerves controlling the act of swallowing. A feeding tube ensures proper hydration and nutrition while preventing the risk of aspiration, where food or liquid enters the lungs.

Stroke: Damage to brain areas controlling swallowing can necessitate a feeding tube.
Parkinson's Disease: Progressive muscle control decline can lead to severe dysphagia.
Dementia: Advanced stages may cause individuals to forget how to swallow.
Critical Illness and Coma: Patients unable to eat independently require nutritional support.

Gastrointestinal and Digestive System Disorders

Compromised GI tracts preventing proper food absorption or digestion may require a feeding tube.

Crohn's Disease: Severe cases causing malabsorption may need supplemental nutrition.
Bowel Obstruction: A physical blockage requires bypassing the obstruction for nutrient delivery.
Gastroparesis: Poor stomach muscle function may necessitate a J-tube.
Short Bowel Syndrome: After intestinal surgery, a feeding tube can provide sufficient nutrition.

Cancer and Its Treatments

Cancer and its treatments can lead to nutritional challenges.

Head and Neck Cancers: Tumors can obstruct food passage.
Chemotherapy and Radiation: Side effects can make eating difficult.
GI Surgeries: Temporary nutrition via a feeding tube may be needed post-surgery.

Comparison of Common Feeding Tube Types


Feature	Nasogastric Tube (NGT)	Gastrostomy Tube (G-Tube/PEG)	Jejunostomy Tube (J-Tube)
Placement	Through the nose into the stomach.	Directly into the stomach via abdominal incision.	Into the jejunum through an abdominal incision.
Duration	Short-term (less than six weeks).	Long-term (months or years).	Primarily long-term, bypassing the stomach.
Best For	Temporary support, gastric decompression.	Long-term feeding, medication, venting.	High aspiration risk, poor gastric emptying, stomach issues.
Procedure	Non-surgical, bedside.	Endoscopic or surgical placement.	Surgical or endoscopic insertion.

The Role of a Feeding Tube in Adult Malnutrition

Significant unintentional weight loss and dehydration can necessitate a feeding tube to provide essential nutrients and rehydration. Feeding tubes help stabilize nutritional status, regain strength, and improve the ability to fight infection.

The Decision-Making Process

Deciding to use a feeding tube involves medical and ethical considerations. This includes nutritional assessment, discussing goals of care, and evaluating benefits versus risks. For some, it's life-saving, while in others, like advanced dementia, benefits are debated. Healthcare teams work with patients and families for optimal outcomes.

For more detailed information on living with a feeding tube, resources like Healthline can provide further details on types, procedures, and what to expect.

Conclusion

A feeding tube is a necessary medical tool for adults with conditions preventing safe oral eating. It provides vital sustenance for neurological disorders, GI diseases, and cancer treatment effects, ensuring proper nutrition, hydration, and medication delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common reason for an adult to need a feeding tube is dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, which can be caused by conditions like stroke, Parkinson's disease, or advanced dementia.

Feeding tubes can be either temporary or permanent, depending on the underlying condition. Temporary tubes, like nasogastric tubes (NGTs), are used for shorter periods, while gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) are for long-term use.

In many cases, yes. The ability to eat orally depends on the severity of the patient's swallowing difficulties and the specific medical situation. Some individuals use the tube to supplement their oral intake, especially if they can only manage small amounts of food safely.

Potential complications include infection at the insertion site, tube blockage or displacement, and gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. Aspiration pneumonia is also a risk, especially with nasogastric tubes.

A feeding tube delivers nutrients directly to the stomach or intestines, bypassing the need for the patient to swallow. This method is used for patients with dysphagia to ensure adequate nutrition and prevent aspiration, which is a significant health risk.

In end-of-life care, particularly for individuals with advanced dementia, the decision to use a feeding tube is highly personal and complex. For some, it can provide comfort, but studies suggest it does not extend life and can cause agitation.

Enteral nutrition refers to providing nutrition through a feeding tube directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is used when the GI tract is functional but oral intake is insufficient or unsafe.

Yes, a feeding tube provides an effective way to administer both liquid nutrition and medication, which is especially useful for patients who have trouble swallowing pills.

A feeding tube is not recommended for patients who do not have a functional gastrointestinal tract or have conditions like bowel obstructions where enteral feeding is contraindicated.