[Constipation in the aged. I. Significance, prevalence, causes and treatment]

There is no reason to assume that in old age defecation is different from younger people. Old people who are sound and active often have normal defecation. Their intestinal transit time has been shown to be normal. Nevertheless about fifty percent of the elderly use laxatives. In the very old and in institutions the use is even more frequent. The main cause of this real or supposed constipation is the lack of dietary fibre in the food. In the aged constipation can have dangerous complications, e.g. acute mental confusion, urinary retention, urinary incontinence and fecal impaction. Treatment may include general measurements, the addition of bulk-laxatives to the diet and the prescription of other laxatives. The use of laxatives other than bulk-laxatives may cause many harmful side-effects in the aged. The daily food must contain sufficient dietary fibre. Failing this one can use bran, preparations of psyllium or lactulose syrup.