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Influence of age on the development of constipation
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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With each new year lived, the probability of developing constipation increases. About 20-25% of men and women in old age suffer from this ailment. Therefore, the influence of age on the human body as a whole is simply enormous. What is the influence of age on the development of constipation?
Old age is not a joy
Aging is a very long and complex process. It is associated with changes in the structure of many tissues and organs; during aging, all functions of the body gradually "die out". During aging, the skin becomes dry and saggy, the body's performance decreases, vision loses its former sharpness, memory becomes less good, various chronic diseases begin to bother a person more and more often, problems with the heart and respiratory system arise.
This is not the end of all the changes in the body associated with aging. Thus, over the years, the organs of the gastrointestinal tract begin to malfunction and the coordinated work of this system is disrupted.
Changes in the structure of the intestines appear with age
With age, the human intestine lengthens and changes its shape (so-called protrusions of the intestinal wall appear) - diverticula are formed, which are divided into false and true. With true diverticula, the intestinal walls become only slightly swollen, and the intestinal lining does not change its structure. False diverticula are hernia-like formations that grow through the thinned intestinal walls.
Diverticula often form in the sigmoid colon. Such changes in the structure of the intestine greatly impede the movement of its contents, and contractions of the muscular membrane bring less and less results. As a result, fecal matter accumulates in the expanded part of the intestine, thereby causing painful sensations to the patient.
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The Effect of Age on Bowel Movements
In older people, the mesentery, which supplies nerves and blood vessels to the intestines, can lengthen. As a result, the blood supply to the intestines is disrupted, its tone weakens, and feces stop moving. Another reason for the development of constipation in older people is muscle atrophy or physical inactivity.
The abdominal wall muscles cannot exert the necessary force on the intestines, which slows down the movement of its contents and causes constipation. In older people, due to poor quality teeth and lack of appetite, the diet consists exclusively of monotonous products that are not rich in dietary fiber - activators of intestinal function.