Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/dealing-with-a-sensitive-gut.aspx
Indigestion and constipation are just two conditions that can become more problematic as you age.
Aging puts the body at higher risk for an assortment of health ailments and conditions, sparking a need for different medications. But the mix of pills, along with changes in your habits and lifestyle, and simply getting older, can affect your digestive tract, causing discomforts such as constipation and indigestion.
Aging and Digestion: Common Problems
With age, many bodily functions slow down, including your digestive tract — it just might not work as efficiently or as quickly as it used to. The muscles in the digestive tract become stiffer, weaker, and less efficient. Your tissues are also more likely to become damaged because new cells aren’t forming as quickly as they once did.
As a result, here are some of the digestive tract problems that can occur as we get older:
- Heartburn
- Peptic ulcers
- Diarrhea
- Constipation and hemorrhoids
- Gas
- Stomach pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome or diverticulitis, an inflammation in the colon
Aging and Digestion: Medical Conditions
The main reason that aging affects the digestive tract is because aging usually brings on other health conditions — and medication to deal with those conditions.
- Diabetes and gastroparesis. “As people age, they get diabetes, and that can cause a lot of [movement] problems in the bowel,” says Francisco J. Marrero, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. “They also get gastroparesis — that’s probably the most significant effect of aging on the bowels.” Gastroparesis is a disorder in which food takes a long time to clear the stomach, resulting in many unpleasant symptoms.
- Artery blockages. Dr. Marrero says that blockages in older people are also very common. Blockages in arteries can affect blood flow to the bowels, a condition called intestinal ischemia during which blood flow to the intestines decreases in a similar fashion to what happens with a heart attack. “More systemic problems that are more common with age are really the reason for digestive tract issues,” he explains.
- Arthritis and hypertension. Many older people also take a variety of medications to manage chronic conditions like arthritis and high blood pressure, and the drugs used to treat both of those conditions can have digestive-tract side effects.
“Older people tend to have more joint problems with arthritis, and therefore may need medication to treat that,” says Marrero. “They are at increased risk of peptic ulcer disease when they take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], a fact often overlooked in people that are prescribed those medications.”
People taking over-the-counter NSAIDs for everyday aches and pains are also at risk of developing ulcers and other digestive tract problems. “They should always be on something to protect their stomachs,” Marrero recommends.
Aging and Digestion: Think Protection
Fortunately, your digestive tract doesn’t have to become a victim of age. Like the rest of your body, it can often be protected with a healthy lifestyle. If you want to keep your digestive tract in good shape and keep uncomfortable symptoms at bay, try these tips that can make digestion a little easier:
- Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water.
- Limit fats in your diet, and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Load your diet with fiber.
- Stick to healthy portion sizes and avoid overeating.
- Get regular exercise.
Now more than ever, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a diet chock-full of fruits and vegetables and with regular exercise is key. Healthy living will not only keep your digestive tract healthy, but also reduce your need for some of those side-effect-causing medications. You’ll feel young, happy, and healthy — both inside and out.
So much of your life centers around the foods and drinks you love. Enjoy them even more with supplements from Pharmanex that help you maintain healthy digestion. These supplements below are highly recommended:
Digestive Formula: Digestive Formula aids healthy digestion of food, prevents and alleviates the symptoms of occasional indigestion, and helps the body recover from over-consumption.
ProBio PCC: ProBio PCC contains a potent probiotic bacteria culture ofLactobacillus fermentum PCC, that helps relieve symptoms associated with occasional gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, occasional bowel irregularity, diarrhea, and other common digestive discomforts.
NutriFi: Nutrifi promotes proper bowel function and regularity for the relief of occasional constipation with a proprietary blend of several soluble and insoluble fibers.
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/dealing-with-a-sensitive-gut.aspx