Senior Digestive Issues It's not uncommon for older adults to have low blood pressure, constricted blood vessels, or to be at risk of blood clots. All of these factors can contribute to the development of bowel problems if it means blood is having a harder time reaching the gut.
One of those many things that age tends to change is our digestive system. It has been estimated that 40 percent of the elderly will have an age-related digestive problem each year.
The most common gastrointestinal complaints in elderly patients include dysphagia, dyspepsia, anorexia, constipation, and fecal incontinence.
IBS in the elderly is typically characterized by chronic abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. In most cases, symptoms of IBS are brought about by alterations in the digestive system instead of being derived from a chronic condition. You may ask, “can IBS come on suddenly?” The answer is Yes.
Constipation is a leading cause of bowel incontinence. In cases of severe constipation, a large, solid stool can become stuck in the rectum. This is known as faecal impaction. The stool then begins to stretch the muscles of the rectum, weakening them.
For some, it can mean twice a day, and for others, three times a week is normal. However, if you often have infrequent bowel movements, you may be constipated. Symptoms of constipation include: Fewer than three bowel movements a week.
Travel, hormonal shifts, medications and multivitamins, and your activity level also affect your bowel habits. The appearance and experience of your bowel movements can vary from day to day and also change as you age.
Some common problems include heartburn, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and lactose intolerance. Other digestive diseases include: Gallstones, cholecystitis, and cholangitis. Rectal problems, such as anal fissure, hemorrhoids, proctitis, and rectal prolapse.
Regular exercise can be helpful in reducing symptoms of IBS in the elderly. According to Medscape, exercise increases colonic motility, transit time, and transitive intestinal gas. While it may not relieve bloating, it does tend to change gas transit, which means exercise does pose some advantages to patients with IBS.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly diagnosed among elderly persons (older than 60 years). Epidemiological studies show that late-onset IBD is characterized by predominance of colonic disease, milder disease course, and less frequent occurrence of extraintestinal manifestations.
The good news is that, in most situations, elderly fecal incontinence is treatable or manageable.
Simple treatments—such as diet changes, medicines, bowel training, and exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles—can improve symptoms by about 60 percent. These treatments can stop fecal incontinence in 1 out of 5 people. Your doctor can recommend ways you can help manage and treat your fecal incontinence.
Seek professional guidance if any change in bowel movements has persisted for more than a few days. Even minor changes, such as constipation or diarrhea, can indicate a health issue. If more severe symptoms occur, consult a healthcare professional immediately.
IBS is a commonly diagnosed disorder, and although it does not generally start until after the age of 50, there is no indication that incidence of IBS is necessarily higher in older adults (those 65 years of age or older).
The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, pain, nausea and vomiting.
Changes in bowel habits can be caused by a temporary infection, taking certain medications, or by a long-term (chronic) condition. Some chronic conditions that commonly cause changes in bowel habits include: Celiac disease. Constipation.
What's happening. With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
Your poop can tell you if you're eating enough fiber and drinking enough water, or if your digestive system is processing food too slowly or too quickly. Also, lasting changes in your bowel habits or the appearance of your poop can be a sign of a medical condition that requires treatment.
Straining is the most commonly identified symptom by older adults, even though physicians tend to rely on bowel movement frequency to diagnose constipation. Additionally, patients tend to underestimate their frequency of bowel movements. Normal stool frequency can vary between 3 motions per day and 3 motions per week.
Although it's probably ideal to have a bowel movement every day, it's generally considered acceptable to have them every 2-3 days, provided they aren't hard, painful, or difficult to pass.
Common causes include from foods – especially if something was spoiled or tainted – but GI viruses, food allergies and medication side-effects can also cause them. Some chronic conditions like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome can also lead to ongoing diarrhea.