digestive disorders
Constipation in Adults
Essentials for Older People
The rectum enlarges as people age, and increased storage of stool in the rectum means that older people often need to have larger volumes of stool in their rectum in order to feel the urge to defecate. The increased rectal volume also allows hard stool to become impacted. Other common factors in older people that lead to constipation include increased use of constipating drugs, a low-fiber diet, coexisting medical conditions (such as diabetes and an underactive thyroid), and reduced physical activity. Many older people also have misconceptions about normal bowel habits and use laxatives too often. 