Parkinson's Disease And Bowel Problems

People with Parkinsonism may experience some bowel problems as a result of their condition.

Constipation is a common problem and most people will have experienced it to some degree at some point in their lives. There are no set patterns as to when a person should have a bowel motion - it does not have to be daily and sometimes people can pass motions once every three days or so and still not feel constipated. If stools are soft and can be passed without pain and undue straining - there is no problem. Constipation occurs when stools are very hard, almost like pebbles, and require much effort and straining to pass.

Constipation is the most common bowel problem for Parkinsonism sufferers.

The stiffness and slowness of movement that exemplifies certain behaviour patterns for sufferers of the Parkinsonism disorders, also affects the muscles of the bowel wall. This coupled with the fact that people with Parkinsonism do not tend to get much exercise either, due to the lack of mobility and rigidity they experience; means that the bowel does not get stimulated enough to work properly.

This problem can be further exacerbated by the fact that some sufferers of Parkinsonism can find it hard to chew and may experience problems with swallowing - these obstacles make it harder to have a fibre rich diet which would aid their constipation problems.

Constipation problems may result from a person finding it hard to tighten the abdominal muscles enough to aid the emptying of the bowel. Further, if the anal sphincter hasn't relaxed properly at the right time, this will make it harder to pass the stool easily. In fact, in some people the opposite happens. The anus will tighten up when they think they are actually relaxing it.

Whilst constipation is an annoyance it tends not to lead to serious problems. Older people especially may become restless and slightly confused during the night time if they are constipated.

In severe cases, impaction can occur. This is when the bowel becomes full of very hard stools (stools become very hard the longer they stay in the rectum) and it becomes almost impossible to pass anything. When this happens, the bowel tends to overflow resulting in some accidental leakage which may pass through mucus that looks like diarrhoea (but it isn't) or stool lumps. In rare cases where impaction occurs and completely obstructs the bowel - urgent medical intervention is necessary.

In order to deal as effectively as possible with this problem, having a healthy, active lifestyle will help. Being active, mobile and fit will stimulate the bowel and in doing so will aid in the prevention of constipation as well as helping to get stronger pelvic floor muscles.

Eating a diet full of fruit and vegetables, and ensuring there is plenty of fibre, cereals and wholemeal bread and pasta will help. For those who experience difficulty with chewing and swallowing, your local chemist store should have many varieties of high fibre drinks available.




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