Their anxiety causes headache, exhaustion and loss of appetite. The elderly may pass stools daily but they may have difficulty or the stools maybe hard. Lack of adequate fibrous matter in the food. Drinking less water which may sometimes be due to the fear of passing urine frequently. Intestinal obstruction due to various diseases, piles, inadequate secretion of thyroid glands, excess calcium in the body, lack of potassium and mental depression Lack of adequate exercise.
Old people avoid visiting the toilet frequently due to unsanitory conditions in the lavatory.
Restricted mobililty due to arthiritis or stroke. The elderly should not become anxious if they do not pass stools for a day or two, but chronic constipation should be attended to immediately to avoid further complications. They may strain while passing motion and this could trigger an attack of chest pain. The straining may also cause a fainting attack due to transient reduction of blood supply to the brain. Chronic constipation increases intra-abdominal pressure and straining could lead to hernia or varicose veins.