Constipation occurs when the frequency of bowel movements is less than typical for a given population, and the method of defecation causes discomfort. With age, the incidence of constipation increases, after the age of 65, the disease can occur in 30-40% of the population, especially in patients living in social care homes. There comes the perfect anal usage of the CBD Suppositories. Taking stool less than 3 times a week is an abnormal phenomenon. According to the American College of Gastroenterologists and the American Society of Gastroenterologists, the above symptom must occur at least 3 months in order to be able to diagnose the disease. In addition to rare bowel movements, the following problems occur in passing stool:
- feeling of incomplete emptying
- elimination of hard or stools
- pressure on the stool, difficulty with defecation
- long time of excretion of faeces
In the elderly, there are anatomical and functional changes in the anus and pelvic floor. With age, the resting pressure of the anal sphincter decreases. Functional changes of the large intestine, however, are insufficient to cause constipation unless the elderly person takes medications with undesirable side affecting:
- antidepressants
- anticonvulsants
- medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease
Which leads to the occurrence of constipation in seniors:
- too low supply of liquids
- low-fiber diet
- insufficient calorie diet
- no movement
- too much abdominal muscle strength
- the use of problems in passing stools, e.g. in neurological, endocrine and muscular diseases
Treatment of constipation in the elderly starts with non-pharmacological methods, that is, increasing the supply of fiber and fluids in the menu and practicing age-adapted physical training. The senior should try to give up the morning after waking up or 30 minutes after eating the meal. Older people, especially those over 85, drink too little fluid during the day. It is important to persuade old people to drink more water, even by 0.5 liters per day. The exception are people with renal failure, portal hypertension and accompanying ascites, which do not have to increase the volume of fluids in the diet. It is also necessary to increase the supply of fiber in the senior’s diet to about 30 grams a day to ensure proper bowel function and improve the natural deflex reflex.
Side effects of using laxatives
When nonpharmacological methods fail, laxatives remain. Unfortunately, the risk of side effects in the elderly is higher than in younger people, due to the occurrence of comorbidities manifested by organ failure, occurrence of water and electrolyte disorders. Preparations containing fiber may cause gastrointestinal obstruction when taken in too high a dose and without enough liquid. Osmotic laxatives may result in electrolyte disturbances. Symptoms in the form of flatulence, gas, abdominal pain occur as side effects of the metabolism of this type of drugs. Stool softeners may lead to oily fluid leaking from the anus. People with dysphagia and predisposition to aspiration pneumonia should not use liquid paraffin.
Complications associated with the occurrence of constipation
Elderly people suffering from atherosclerosis of the cerebral arteries and coronary arteries due to excessive pressure during defecation may experience episodes of unconsciousness and coronary pain. Stubbing the feces in the large intestine contributes to the development of intestinal obstruction and the formation of faecal ulcers. Ulcer caused by necrosis of the mucous membrane may result in perforation of the intestine. In seniors, rectal ulceration may also occur without the stool being in a condition called a syndrome of solitary rectal ulcer.