My father’s constipation

My Father, a 70 -year old pensioner has been complaining of constipation for the past two weeks. Even though he was a very active man, the fear of Covid-19 infection had made him to remain indoors. All efforts to make him pass stools regularly have not worked. Kindly let me know what to do to help him.

Aisha (by SMS)

It is not unusual for elderly people especially those that are sedentary to be constipated because at that age, bowel activities are usually sluggish due to inactivity. One of the ways for your father to avoid getting constipated is to increase his intake of fluid such as water, or tea. In addition, he should also increase his intake of fruits, vegetables and fibre. Regular exercises such as daily walks will certainly help his bowel activities. In extreme cases, stool softeners such as liquid paraffin or Castor oil can be taken at bedtime.

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