To prevent constipation, it is important to eat foods rich in fiber, exercise and drink a lot. It's maybe

Sounds simple, but for Parkinson's patients - none of these actions are taken for granted.
Constipation affects about 65% of Parkinson's patients.
18/10/2011
Intestinal problems in general, and reduced movement of the intestines or constipation in particular, are very common in people suffering from Parkinson's disease, as a result of, among other things, slowing down of bowel movements (bradykinesia). This slowing includes movement restrictions and stiffness in the muscles and is a visible symptom of the disease and also affects the muscles that cannot be seen with the eye - including the intestinal muscles - which cause a reduction or slowing down of the bowel movements.
Poor activity of the intestines can be exacerbated if a person has difficulty chewing and swallowing food, which is quite common among Parkinson's disease patients. This may even make it difficult to eat a diet rich in dietary fiber - such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains - which help in the formation of lumps of soft stool and help the functioning of the intestine.

Physical activity may also help the efficient functioning of the intestines, but people suffering from Parkinson's disease may have difficulty maintaining physical activity. This may cause reduced stimulation of the intestines, so the intestines become more sluggish.

There may be people who reduce the amount of fluids they drink because of the fear of tremors and because of the fear of vomiting afterwards. But this has the effect of hardening the fecal lumps and increasing the difficulty of their passage. As the passage time of the fecal lumps increases, they continue to get harder and harder because the body absorbs more water from them. The faecal lumps can even accumulate in the rectal area and thus they may contract and block the anus. Those lumps may also pass as stool lumps or liquid mucus.

 In addition, if a person is anxious about the activity of his intestines as a result of the use of certain drugs, such as levodopa and anticholinergics, then he will also have difficulty relaxing his body and muscles effectively in order to allow the passage of fecal masses and cause a continued condition the stops The same state of anxiety may even reduce the effectiveness of the drugs to treat Parkinson's disease. The disease itself can damage the automatic relaxation of the base of the pelvic area which is necessary to straighten the last part of the intestine and to allow the passage of fecal masses. This happens especially during the "dry" periods.

 Note on the other hand that several drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease may cause side effects such as diarrhea. If you have experienced a phenomenon of diarrhea, it is recommended to contact the treating neurologist to change your medication prescriptions.

____________________________________________________________________________

Translated by: Yoram Bar-Am
Date: 13/08/2011

See link to the original article in English:

http://www.rewritetomorrow.eu.com/pdsymptoms/bowel-problems/how-might-parkinsons-affect-the-bowels/

Thanks to the European Parkinson's Association (EPDA) for the use of the above section and its translation
www.epda.eu.com  

www.rewritetomorrow.eu.com