Anorectal diseases can occur at all ages in a person’s life, especially in old age, due to changes in body functions, more likely to suffer from a variety of anorectal diseases. A domestic survey of 600 middle-aged and elderly people with anorectal diseases showed that there were 546 people (90%) suffering from anorectal diseases, including 350 men and 196 women with a history of 1-40 years, with 499 cases of various hemorrhoids (91.8%), 3 cases of anal fistula (0.5%); 1 case of rectal cancer (0.2%); 6 cases of perianal inflammation (1%); 8 cases of anal papillomegaly (1.5%) 11 cases of anal eczema (2%); 6 cases of rectal polyps (1%); and 12 cases of anal fissures (2.1%).
Older adults are also prone to prolapse, anal incontinence perianal abscess, and other diseases. These diseases can bring a lot of trouble to the body and daily life of the elderly. In order to avoid the occurrence of anal diseases in the elderly, the elderly should pay high attention to anal prevention.
What are the symptoms of anorectal diseases in the elderly?
Common symptoms of anorectal diseases in the elderly include anal and abdominal pain, blood in the stool, prolapse of anal contents, itching, mucus or blood in the anal area, protruding masses, foreign body sensation in the anorectum, diarrhea, constipation, mucus and blood in the stool, difficulty in defecation, and change in stool appearance. When these symptoms and signs are found, a consultation with an anorectal surgeon should be sought in time so that timely diagnosis and treatment can be made.
How should the elderly prevent anorectal diseases in general?
1. Pay attention to anal hygiene
(1) Keep the area around the anus clean: avoid residual feces around the anus, so as not to stimulate itching and inflammation of the skin around the anus. After the stool should be wiped as clean as possible, can use warm water or 1% warm salt water to wash the best sitz bath. To maintain the physiological state of the microenvironment of the skin around the anus, it is best not to use soap or lotion to clean the anus after defecation.
(2) Choose breathable, absorbent, loose, soft underwear to keep the perianal skin dry and comfortable, and avoid damage to the perianal skin due to the rough and hard material of the underwear, which can cause secondary anal disease.
(3) Do not sit in cool, humid places for a long time.
(4) adhere to the anal exercise, if possible, can be combined with Taijiquan and other physical exercise to strengthen the body and prevent anorectal disease.
2.Pay attention to dietary hygiene
(1) Pay attention to eating more fresh vegetables, fruits and coarse grains, etc., and eat as little spicy and stimulating food as possible, so as not to cause anorectal diseases.
(2) scientific drinking water: the elderly drink 300-400 ml of warm water or light salt water every morning on an empty stomach to help lubricate the intestines, stimulate intestinal peristalsis and relieve constipation. Drinking more water in general is good for gastrointestinal function and helps to soften stools and prevent constipation.
(3) Prevent enteritis diarrhea and dry stools, and reduce the triggering factors of anorectal diseases.
3.Create good bowel habits to help prevent anorectal diseases
(1) to develop the habit of regular defecation, defecation is best to be scheduled after breakfast or before bedtime. When defecating, you should concentrate on not reading or reading the newspaper, or talking with others, and should control the time of each defecation within 5-10 minutes.
(2) To do “want to defecate, defecate that is up”, do not develop the habit of “sitting empty toilet” and so on stool, defecation after a long squatting.
(3) do not ignore the intention, once you feel the intention to go to the toilet in time to defecate, many people’s experience is that after the intention, the day or the next few days may not feel the intention, ignore the intention to easily induce constipation.
4, exercise and fitness, is an effective means of preventing anorectal diseases
Exercise is the key to start the function of the various systems of the body, and exercise is no exception to the start and promotion of the function of the digestive tract. Exercise can promote gastrointestinal movement, conducive to appetite and intestinal contents of the transit, to maintain the frequency of stool, conducive to the prevention of constipation and other anorectal diseases.
5, pay attention to the relationship between drugs and anorectal diseases
(1) drugs and constipation: there is evidence in the literature, many drugs used to relieve constipation, is the cause of intractable constipation and colonic melanosis in the elderly. Certain antibiotics and psycho-neurological drugs have side effects that cause constipation. Excessive use of laxatives and side effects of certain drugs can cause diarrhea. Constipation and diarrhea are triggers or aggravating factors for many anorectal diseases.
(2) Drugs can cause intestinal microenvironmental disorders: the application of antibiotics for a long time and improper selection of antibiotics due to surgery and infection can cause gastrointestinal dysfunction in mild cases and flora disorders in severe cases (antimicrobial-associated diarrhea), and inappropriate application of broad-spectrum antimicrobials can also cause mycosis fungoides. Hormones, immunosuppressants, certain antitumor drugs, etc. can cause intestinal microenvironmental disorders, causing or inducing anorectal diseases.
6, pay attention to dietary hygiene
Actively prevent the occurrence of diarrhea and constipation and other digestive system diseases, because constipation and diarrhea are the cause of many anorectal diseases, pay attention to dietary safety and hygiene, can reduce the onset of anorectal diseases factors.
The anus is an important organ of the human digestive system, the elderly should improve their living habits, adhere to a reasonable diet and strengthen the functional exercise of the anus and other methods of anal health care to avoid the occurrence of various anal diseases.