Constipation is most often affected by women and the elderly. More than half of people over 60 years old suffer from difficulties with bowel movement. It can be both an independent functional disorder, and the phenomenon accompanying another serious disease.
- Possible causes
- Symptoms
- General recommendations
- How to treat folk remedies?
- What is not recommended?
- Preventative measures
Possible causes
At every age, constipation is formed for various reasons. In elderly people it is:
- Exacerbation of already existing diseases ( multiple sclerosis, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, diverticular disease, depression, atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease).
- Household conditions ( low physical activity, hypodynamia, a small amount of dietary fiber in food due to a decrease in the ability to chew them, reducing the amount of food eaten and liquids drunk).
- Hormonal disorders of ( hypercalcemia, hypothyroidism, menopause).
- Taking medications that lead to constipation of ( calcium channel blockers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, diuretics, preparations containing iron ions, calcium, aluminum, abuse of laxatives).
- Age features of ( decreased synthesis of peptides, worsening sensitivity of nerve endings responsible for gastrointestinal motility, decreased repair - the rate of cell control with various DNA damage).
Whatever causes of constipation are cited, two always remain the main ones: insufficient physical activity and unbalanced nutrition. In the elderly, people move much less: the joints ache, shortness of breath, frequent dizziness and impaired coordination of movements, weakness, pressure jumps.
As a result, the blood flow in the small basin of the is reduced, there it is less delivered with the blood of oxygen. Because of hypoxia, tissue repair is disrupted and the weakness of the pelvic floor muscles is rapidly developing.
Often in elderly people, the cause of constipation is a decrease in the tone and activity of the colon, a slowing of the transit of food through it, a decrease in the sensitivity of the sphincter( ring muscle) in the anus, and the lack of the urge to defecate.
Symptoms
Constipation is a clinical syndrome that includes:
- defecation less than 3 times a week;
- even if the defecation succeeds, there is a feeling that there is a lot of contents left in the intestine;
- embolism difficulties;
- hard, miserable stool;
- excretion of feces less than 35 grams per day.
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General recommendations
When starting an elderly person to treat constipation, one must strive to achieve two goals:
- Normalize the consistency of stool.
- To achieve regular emptying of the intestine.
You need to start with a change in lifestyle and diet: first of all you need to try to increase motor activity, monitor the amount of liquid consumed per day and introduce the dietary fiber into the daily diet.
Although motor activities for the elderly are difficult to realize due to age characteristics, in particular, for people who are in bed due to the state of health( so-called bed patients).
In this case, you can apply a light massage of the abdominal area, stimulating peristalsis, physiotherapy procedures, dosed gymnastics.
Because elderly people eat mostly soft food( cereals, potatoes, pasta), it is difficult to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet. If you have problems with your teeth, you can use food supplements containing pectins, bran and other dietary supplements, which contain insoluble and soluble dietary fibers that stimulate intestinal motility.
To ensure that the dietary fiber works well, you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of a day, otherwise you can aggravate the condition, as the fiber will absorb the liquid from the intestine. Such appointments should be made only by the attending physician, since in some diseases large daily volumes of fluid are contraindicated.
If the cause of constipation is a disease, then the constipation will not be resolved until the disease is eliminated. In this case, if there are insufficient primary methods of eliminating constipation, resort to folk remedies or a mild laxative, without making their intake regular, so that the intestine is not completely depleted.
All the agents having a laxative effect can be divided into three categories:
- Softening fecal deposits in the intestine( almost not used).
- Intensifying intestinal secretion and reducing the absorption of fluid by tissues.
- Stimulating peristalsis, increasing the amount of feces contained in the intestine.
How to treat folk remedies?
In the fight against constipation, only potent pharmaceuticals are universally ruthless towards all indiscriminately. If you want to find a soft harmless laxative, you may have to try a lot of money before you find the right one.
- In the morning on an empty stomach to drink a spoonful of olive or linseed oil.
- Well stimulated intestinal peristalsis with boiled beet. It is enough to rub it and fill it with a small amount of vegetable oil. Regularly used beet normalizes bowel emptying.
- When atony intestine is a collection of licorice and althaea roots, flax seed and fennel fruits, taken in weight ratios of 1: 2: 2: 1.Half an hour in a water bath boil 10 g of collection in a glass of water, cool, drain, volume to bring to the original, adding boiled water. After dinner, drink half the glass.
- If, in addition to constipation, the quality of life also spoils the hemorrhoids, a collection is prepared, consisting of flax seeds and oak bark( 30 g each), chemist's chamomile( 40 g).A tablespoon of the mixture is boiled in a water bath. Recommendations are the same as in the previous recipe.
- A light laxative effect is given by wheat bran. In the evening, you can drink a glass of yogurt mixed with 2 tsp.bran.
- An effective laxative is the grass of the hay( Alexandrian leaf), which strengthens the intestinal wall. For the preparation of infusion 1 tbsp.l.herbs for the night, pour a glass of cold boiled water in the morning, strain and drink on an empty stomach. The remedy is strong and acts on everyone in different ways. Begin daily to drink better with 1/3 cup gradually increasing the dose.
- Folk healers came up with a remedy for constipation in the elderly, consisting of 1 glass of apple jam, wheat bran and boiled water. Mix well, add 1/4 cup of plum juice, stir again, put into a jar with a tight lid. Keep refrigerated. Use daily in the morning for 4 tbsp.l.
What is not recommended?
Do not use laxative pharmaceuticals without prescribing a doctor.
Do not engage in self-medication in the presence of diseases - the problem must first be discussed with the attending physician.
You can not solve the problem using enemas.
You can not let the problem run its course, because intestinal deposits poison the body, which should be regularly disposed of.
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Preventative measures
Prevention of constipation consists mainly of a certain lifestyle and a full-fledged diet. Walking, self-massage and gymnastics facilitate the emptying of the intestines.
Regular pedestrian walks well restore intestinal peristalsis, and at the same time have a beneficial effect on the condition of the heart and blood vessels, the musculoskeletal system.
Gymnastics are done in the morning without getting out of bed. A greater effect on strengthening the motor activity of the intestine is provided by such exercises as "bicycle", "scissors" and others affecting the muscles of the press.
After gymnastics, still lying down, self-massage is done:
- Right hand from the bottom up on the right side of the abdomen up to the ribs is a smooth stroking movement with moderate pressing force.
- When reaching the ribs, the hand starts to move from right to left.
- The movement on the left side of the abdomen is similar to the original, but from the top down.
In total, do 4 cycles, then get out of bed and walk around for a few minutes, then go to the toilet and try to empty the bowels without effort. Even if the effect is invisible from the first time, the intestine will gradually turn into work, you just need to repeat self-massage every day.
Constipation is a serious problem at any age, and in the elderly especially. Many old people move little, eat irrationally, have a bouquet of diseases. But to get rid of deposits and intestines is necessary, because it is waste that poisons the body of .
For this, you need to visit a local doctor to consult and develop a strategy to get rid of the problem. In some cases, it will be enough to increase activity, to engage in easy gymnastics and self-massage.
If the effect is not, only then you can try using laxatives of traditional medicine or pharmaceuticals. The main thing is not to forget that prevention of constipation in old age is better to start with youth.
