Senile constipation
Healthy people defecate once a day, and patients with constipation cannot defecate freely for more than 48 hours. Feces stagnate in the colon for too long, water is absorbed in excess, feces are dry and hard, losing normal bowel patterns, and cannot be discharged at will, which is called constipation. Constipation can be temporary, and laxatives can be eliminated after the cause is eliminated; It can also be habitual, with long-term constipation knots. After entering the old age, the body function is reduced, the activity is less, the colon tone and peristalsis are weakened, and the bowel reflex is dull, so the elderly are prone to constipation. Difficulty defecating each time, over time, chronic constipation often causes other comorbidities such as rectum and anus, causing pain and mental stress.
Common causes of constipation in the elderly:
1. Loss of appetite, too little intake, too little food, too fine and less residue, insufficient drinking water, less intestinal volume, insufficient stimulation of the intestinal wall, weakened and slow intestinal peristalsis.
2. Old age and weakness, little physical activity, decreased muscle strength, including diaphragm, abdominal muscles, perineal muscles, intestinal smooth muscle contraction ability is generally reduced, lack of strength to promote defecation.
3. The elderly often benefit from obesity, emphysema, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, neuropsychiatric diseases, chronic gastrointestinal diseases and low function, which can affect the contractility of the bowel muscles.
4. The elderly often suffer from rectal cancer and local lesions, such as hemorrhoids, fissures, prolapse, etc. The patient is afraid of defecation, delays the time of defecation, affects normal defecation activities, misses the time of defecation or disappears the defecation reflex. Statistical reports indicate that constipation due to hemorrhoidal fissure accounts for 45%.
5. The elderly have incomplete teeth, dare not eat more fiber and indigestible foods, reduce the stimulation of the intestinal wall, weaken intestinal peristalsis, and affect defecation.
6. Many drugs can affect bowel movements. Long-term use of laxatives or enemas often stimulates the intestinal wall, weakening the ability to respond to local stress, and the result is worsening constipation.
7. Others: The causes of constipation are also bad living habits, bad habits, smoking, drinking, partial food, etc. The symptoms of constipation are obvious and the diagnosis is not difficult, but tracking down the exact cause requires a detailed understanding of the medical history and a thorough examination of the body. During the examination, pay attention to the presence of lumps in the abdomen, gastrointestinal peristalsis, whether there are fecal masses in the sigmoid colon, and if necessary, do a digital rectal examination. The anus and perineum should also be checked for hemorrhoids, anal fissures, tumors, etc.
Constipation in the elderly can cause a variety of symptoms, such as loss of appetite, dyspepsia, abdominal discomfort and pain, general weakness, weight loss and neuropsychiatric symptoms, which are easily considered other diseases, such as once the stool is excreted, various symptoms can disappear quickly.
After the exception of other organic diseases, the diagnosis is definitive. If simple constipation is diagnosed, rehabilitation can be done in the family under the guidance of a doctor.
Home Rehabilitation Treatment:
1. Adjust the diet: Under the premise that the gastrointestinal tract can digest, the diet gradually increases the vegetables and fruits with more fiber. Eat apples, pears, etc., try not to peel, but also eat some coarse grains appropriately, such foods can adsorb water, increase intestinal capacity to stimulate bowel movements.
2. Encourage drinking water: Patients with constipation should drink 2000 ~ 3000 ml of water every day, divided into 3 to 4 times, drink boiled water or add a little table salt. In particular, it is necessary to develop the habit of drinking a cup of warm and cold boiled water on an empty stomach in the morning to moisten the digestive tract, soften fecal blocks, and relieve constipation.
3. Eat foods that moisturize the intestines and soft stools: There are many foods that can keep the stool wet and soft, such as honey, dates, preserved fruits, fresh fruits (bananas, apples, pears, etc.), walnut kernels, black sesame seeds, agar, cold powder, etc.
4. Take laxatives: first take a gentle laxative, laxatives can not be taken often, to be intermittent or change the use.
5. Enema: those who have severe constipation or need to defecate immediately can be solved by enema method, such as high-pressure enema with soft soapy water, and inject ganyong or soft soapy water with an enema. Patients can inject the seminuclear dew through the anus by themselves, 1 to 2 tubes at a time; Take the recumbent position to inject the drug, stay for 10 minutes after the injection, and wait for the liquid to wet the fecal block after non-defecation. When a hard stool blocks the rectum, it must be removed with the fingers to relieve the suffering. #健康真知计划 #
