Does this sound at all familiar? Your bowel movements have decreased in frequency. Your stools seem hard and small. You strain excessively to move your bowels. You feel that evacuation may not have been completed. You would very much like go but feel that you can’t. This should sound very familiar if you’re constipated.
How about the following statement?
Constipation is inevitable as we get older. That may sound familiar too, but it isn’t necessarily true– at least not completely.
It is probably true that the more we age the more likely we are to become constipated. However aging alone doesn’t account for this fact in its entirety. Many people who are advanced in years have never experienced constipation of any kind.
The best approach is taking a look at a few things we can do to prevent constipation from occurring as we get older.
People tend to become more sedentary as they get older and the more sedentary you become the more likely you are to become constipated. You may not be able to maintain the level of activity that you had no trouble maintaining when you were 25 years old, but a conscious effort to get up and do things can serve to prevent constipation — at least in part.
After people reach the age of 50 they tend to take considerably more medications for other health conditions both major and minor. Medications taken to treat arthritis, back pain, allergies, high blood pressure and depression can all increase the risk of developing constipation as well. It doesn’t make sense to stop taking medication that you need, but it might well make sense to take another look at the side effects of your medications in consultation with your doctor.
Certain studies also indicate that older adults actually tend to decrease the amount of fiber in their diet. Further study may be required because this does seem to contradict the common image of older adults heading for the fiber on a frequent basis. Regardless, whatever age you may be, it’s a good idea to make sure that your diet includes a sufficient amount of fiber if you want to cut down on your risk of developing constipation.
Older individuals have also been shown to have a higher risk of developing dehydration than younger adults. There also seems to be some evidence that the thirst sensation decreases as people age. It’s a good idea as you age to remind yourself to drink enough water to stay healthy. Dehydration is commonly regarded as a significant risk factor in cases of chronic constipation.
Older individuals also need to take heed of the fact that constipation may be a warning sign of other serious medical conditions. A visit to the doctor is in order if any of the following is occurring:
• bloody diarrhea
• diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
• constipation that continues longer than two weeks
• stools that are tarry in color
• severe diarrhea that lasts longer than two days
These symptoms may indicate infection or intestinal obstruction in the bowels or inflammatory bowl disease. Colon cancer is another possibility. Tests for colon cancer should be scheduled on a regular basis after you reach the age of 50—normally every three years or so.
