Diarrhea

Acute diarrhea is often first noticed by an urgent need to go to the bathroom, followed by a bout of watery bowel movement. Other symptoms include:

• Abdominal bloating or cramps
• Thin or loose stools
• Sense of urgency to have a bowel movement
• Nausea and vomiting

Depending on the cause of the diarrhea, a person may have a fever or bloody stools. Contact a doctor immediately if you see more than a tiny amount of blood.

With chronic diarrhea, a more serious condition, a person may experience:

• Blood, mucus or undigested food in the stool
• Weight loss
• Fever

Be sure to see a doctor immediately if any of these symptoms occur.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration, which means the body lacks enough fluid to function properly. Dehydration is dangerous in the elderly. Please contact a doctor immediately if your loved one has signs of dehydration, which include:

• Thirst
• Less frequent urination
• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Dark colored urine

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, you should contact a doctor if:

• You have diarrhea for more than three days.
• You have severe pain in the abdomen or rectum.
• You have a fever of 102 degrees or above.
• You see blood in your stool or have black, tarry stools.
• You have signs of dehydration (thirst, dry skin, less frequent urination, fatigue, dizziness, etc).

Constipation

Symptoms of constipation include a lack of bowel movements over the course of a week (generally fewer than three bowel movements a week would be considered constipation).

Most people with constipation experience the following symptoms:

• Straining during bowel movements
• Feeling that you do not completely empty your bowels
• Hard or pellet-like stools
• Lumpy or hard stool
• Fewer than three bowel movements per week
• Cramping and pain in the rectum (caused by straining)

You may feel pain when going to the bathroom. Other symptoms of constipation include feeling bloated, uncomfortable, and sluggish.

You may also have small amounts of bright red blood on the stool or on the toilet tissue, caused by bleeding hemorrhoids or a slight tearing of the anus (anal fissure) as the stool is pushed through the anus. These tiny bits of blood may be nothing to worry about, but contact your health professional immediately if the blood seems more than a tiny amount.

Bear in mind that “normal bowel movements” may be three times a day for some people, or three times a week for others.  A healthy diet (including increasing your fiber intake), drinking lots of water, and exercising regularly will help prevent bouts of constipation.

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