Pathogeny
1. Age-relatedThe prevalence of constipation in the elderly is significantly higher than that in the young and middle-aged, mainly due to the decrease of food intake and physical activity, gastrointestinal secretion and digestive juice, intestinal tract tension and peristalsis, abdominal and pelvic floor muscle weakening, internal and external anal sphincters weakening, gastrointestinal reflex weakening, rectal sensitivity. Sensibility decline, so that food stays in the intestine for too long, excessive absorption of water causes constipation. In addition, elderly people often lose defecation reflex due to Alzheimer's disease or depression, resulting in constipation.
2. Bad habits
(1) Dietary factors in the elderly teeth fall off, like to eat delicate food with low residue, or a small number of patients try to be convenient and easy to eat, simple diet, lack of crude fibers, so that fecal volume shrinks, viscosity increases, slow movement in the intestine, excessive absorption of water and constipation. In addition, the elderly due to eating less, low calorie content of food, gastrointestinal passage time slowed, can also cause constipation. It has been reported that gastrocolic reflex is related to the amount of food consumed. 1000 CALS can stimulate colonic motility, but 350 CALS have no such effect. Fat is the main food that stimulates reflex, but protein does not.
(2) Defecation habits Some elderly people do not develop the habit of regular defecation, often ignoring the normal meaning of defecation, resulting in constipation caused by inhibition of defecation reflex.
(3) Activity reduction in the elderly due to certain diseases and obesity factors, resulting in reduced activity, especially in patients who are sick in bed or wheelchair, due to lack of exercise stimulation to promote excrement movement, often susceptible to constipation.
3. Psychological factors
People with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder are prone to constipation.
4. Intestinal lesions