Page 22 - Seniorstoday September-2023 Issue
P. 22
Health
The woes of
Constipation
Constipation is defined as changes in the frequency, volume, weight,
consistency and ease of passage of the stool, writes Dr Nandini Saini
Constipation is defined as changes in the Risk factors
frequency, volume, weight, consistency and Constipation is common among all ages and
ease of passage of the stool. populations... Symptoms of constipation
As food normally moves through your are observed in About 16 out of 100 adults
digestive tract, your intestines gradually and about 33 out of 100 adults aged 60 and
absorb the nutrients. The partially digested above.
food (waste) that passes from your small Certain people are predisposed:
intestine to your large intestine becomes ● Pregnant women or women immediately
your stool. Your colon absorbs water from after delivery.
this waste, which makes it more solid. If ● Geriatric people
you have constipation, food may move too ● Non-Caucasians
slowly through your digestive tract. This ● People who eat little to no fibre
gives your colon more time — too much ● People with preexisting health issues,
time — to absorb water from the waste. The including functional gastrointestinal
stool becomes dry, hard and difficult to disorders.
push out. ● Being dehydrated
Constipation happens because your colon ● Getting little or no physical activity
(large intestine) absorbs too much water ● People on certain medications, including
from your stool. This dries it out, making sedatives, opioid pain medications, some
it hard in consistency and difficult to push antidepressants or anti hypertensives.
out of your body. ● People with a mental health condition
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