I say this to my wife almost every morning. It’s my way of showing affection because sleep is very important. We are lucky in three ways: 1) Despite our many ups and downs, we have a good marriage, even better over the years. 2) Our sleep clocks are quite similar and 3) We are good sleepers …. most of the time. Every once in a while, because of life stresses, one of us doesn’t sleep well. The result? We’re tired and maybe a bit grumpy. Eating, sleeping, and bowel movements (E-S-BM) are essential. I call […]
Monthly Archives: February 2023
Constipation: Help, I’m stuck
Fecal impaction is when a large amount of poop is stuck inside the rectum. The poop can be soft or hard. Chronic constipation is the most common cause of impaction. Constipation is due to 1) the inability to push stool out 2) the persistent habit of holding bowel movement inside or 3) small stools that pile up. Impaction is often, but not always, uncomfortable. Frail seniors are at higher risk. Sometimes caregivers are surprised to hear that a patient has an impaction. What are signs of impaction? Impaction is likely when a patient feels full […]
Constipation Relief … What’s the Scoop?
Constipation can have an awful impact on quality of life among frail seniors. First of all, it increases urinary tract infections. Then, at its worse, it results in fecal impaction and incontinence. This increases caregiver burden and stress. Ultimately, the person ends up being unable to live at home. What a disaster. That’s why I think it’s so important to avoid constipation. The goal should be a solid, medium-sized, bowel movement with complete evacuation. In addition, at a regular time every day. That’s constipation relief!! Now, what’s the scoop? Step 1: Are medicines causing the […]
Constipation? I Have Two Questions
“There’s Nothing Like a good Bowel Movement” made the point that chronic constipation is all too common and distressing among seniors. In the past, doctors defined constipation as having fewer than 3 bowel movements a week. Anything else was considered “normal”…hmmm…really?? Obviously, the patient was much more uncomfortable than the physician. We now evaluate constipation more broadly, starting with the patient’s perspective. Here are two important questions: Question 1: What bothers the patient the most? Different answers mean different problems. A. It’s very painful to have a bowel movement. Sometimes only small pieces of stool […]