My mother is constipated

My 65- year- old mom who came over from the village to the city to help me take care of my new born baby, has been constipated for the past one month since her arrival. All efforts to make her pass stools regularly have not worked. Kindly let me know what to do to help her.

Aisha (by SMS)

It is not unusual for elderly people to be constipated because at that age, bowel activities are usually sluggish due to inactivity. In addition, because your mother who was most likely very busy in the village is now living a very sedentary life which will certainly slow down her gut and get her constipated. Apart from increasing her fluid intake such as water, or tea, your mom should also increase her intake of fruits, vegetables and fibre. Regular exercises such as daily walks will certainly help her bowel activities. In extreme cases, stool softeners such as Liquid Paraffin or Castor oil can be taken at bedtime. If with all the above, the constipation still exists, then a visit to your doctor will be necessary to rule out any abnormal underlying factors that may cause the constipation.

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