3

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r diets

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People who live alone sometimes

lose interest in cooking and eating.As a result, they start using alot of prepared foods. Thesefoods tend to be low infiber and may lead toconstipation. Inaddition, ifyou have badteeth, you may tendto choose soft, processedfoods that contain smallamounts of fiber.

People sometimes do not

drink enough water and otherfluids. This often is true whenthey are not eating regular meals.But water and other liquids mayhelp some people stay regular.

Using too many laxatives and

enemas. Many people think oflaxatives as a cure for constipation.But if you use laxatives too often,your body may forget how to workon its own. Heavy use of laxativesis not needed and can causediarrhea. For the same reason,

bowel movements.

Lack of exercise. Inactivity or

long periods in bed, such as afteran accident or illness, may causeconstipation. Doctors sometimessuggest medicine for people whostay in bed and suffer from chronicconstipation. But being moreactive, when possible, is best. 

Holding back bowel movements.

People also can become constipatedif they ignore their urge to have abowel movement. Some peopleprefer to have bowel movementsonly at home. But holding in abowel movement can cause constipation if the delay is too long. 

Medical conditions. Some

problems, like stroke, diabetes,or a blockage in the intestines,can cause constipation. A condition called irritable bowel syndromecan also cause constipation. Thesedisorders may affect the musclesor nerves used for normal bowelmovements. A doctor can do teststo see if a medical problem is the
3

4

 these

e

 than

a week?

d time

r hard?

 being

 fully

ne or

o, you

blem.

not.

tion?

what

e a poor

rcise,

e con

ough

les,

me

r diets

n.

may cause constipation.

People who live alone sometimes

lose interest in cooking and eating.As a result, they start using alot of prepared foods. Thesefoods tend to be low infiber and may lead toconstipation. Inaddition, ifyou have badteeth, you may tendto choose soft, processedfoods that contain smallamounts of fiber.

People sometimes do not

drink enough water and otherfluids. This often is true whenthey are not eating regular meals.But water and other liquids mayhelp some people stay regular.

Using too many laxatives and

enemas. Many people think oflaxatives as a cure for constipation.But if you use laxatives too often,your body may forget how to workon its own. Heavy use of laxativesis not needed and can causediarrhea. For the same reason,

stop you from having normalbowel movements.

Lack of exercise. Inactivity or

long periods in bed, such as afteran accident or illness, may causeconstipation. Doctors sometimessuggest medicine for people whostay in bed and suffer from chronicconstipation. But being moreactive, when possible, is best. 

Holding back bowel movements.

People also can become constipatedif they ignore their urge to have abowel movement. Some peopleprefer to have bowel movementsonly at home. But holding in abowel movement can cause constipation if the delay is too long. 

Medical conditions. Some

problems, like stroke, diabetes,or a blockage in the intestines,can cause constipation. A condition called irritable bowel syndromecan also cause constipation. Thesedisorders may affect the musclesor nerves used for normal bowelmovements. A doctor can do teststo see if a medical problem is the
7

8

after

nges

m to

thy

r, you

n.

uids.

 consti

inking

elps

regular

tant

o

ving

 Take

hings

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ork,

atives.

laxa

nd

hich

sometimes goes along with constipation. This problem is commonin Americans as they get older.Talk to your doctor if you areconcerned about this condition.For More InformationThe National Digestive DiseasesInformation Clearinghouse2 Information WayBethesda, MD 20892-35701-800-891-5389301-654-3810E-mail: niddc@info.niddk.nih.govwww.niddk.nih.govFor more information on healthand aging, contact:National Institute on AgingInformation CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)

The National Institute on Agingwebsite is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National

Institute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function thatreads the text out loud.

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesNational Institutes of HealthJuly 2005
7

8

ating

after

nges

m to

thy

r, you

n.

uids.

 consti

inking

elps

regular

tant

o

ving

 Take

hings

m a part

ork,

atives.

laxa

nd

hich

lar disease, another condition thatsometimes goes along with constipation. This problem is commonin Americans as they get older.Talk to your doctor if you areconcerned about this condition.For More InformationThe National Digestive DiseasesInformation Clearinghouse2 Information WayBethesda, MD 20892-35701-800-891-5389301-654-3810E-mail: niddc@info.niddk.nih.govwww.niddk.nih.govFor more information on healthand aging, contact:National Institute on AgingInformation CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)

The National Institute on Agingwebsite is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National

Institute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function thatreads the text out loud.

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesNational Institutes of HealthJuly 2005