In gastrointestinal surgery clinics, we often encounter middle-aged and elderly people who seek medical attention for these symptoms. First of all, how many bowel movements a day is considered normal? In fact, the number of bowel movements varies greatly among normal people, and the number of bowel movements is related to individual differences, lifestyle habits, and especially dietary habits. Usually, normal people have 1 to 2 bowel movements a day, and about 60% of people have 1 bowel movement a day. However, some people have 3 to 4 bowel movements a day, which is normal if there is no abdominal pain or abnormal stool composition. So what are the common diseases that cause abnormal bowel movements for middle-aged and elderly people? (1) Constipation Constipation is one of the most common diseases among middle-aged and elderly people. Patients with constipation have less than 2 bowel movements per week and have difficulty in defecating, with a small amount of hard and caked stools. Most middle-aged and elderly people suffer from functional constipation due to factors such as intestinal function decline, resulting in inadequate defecation power, resulting in stagnation of food residues in the intestine and excessive water absorption. Constipation not only affects the quality of life, but also can trigger the onset of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly patients. For example, excessive forceful defecation in the elderly can lead to changes in coronary artery and cerebral blood flow resulting in angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. Therefore, the treatment of constipation is very important for middle-aged and elderly people, and should be given joint attention by patients and doctors. Increasing exercise, good bowel habits, consuming more dietary fiber, and taking appropriate laxative medication are all ways to relieve constipation in middle-aged and elderly patients, and patients with severe constipation need to consult a gastroenterologist. (2) Colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, and its overall incidence rate is the fourth highest among malignant tumors in China. Due to the presence of intestinal tumor, colorectal cancer patients can show deformation and thinning of stool, and in serious cases, it can cause intestinal obstruction, which can show the cessation of defecation, abdominal distension and abdominal pain; the tumor of rectum can also show symptoms of stool irritation, such as: more frequent stools, incomplete stools, and the desire to go to the toilet after stooling, and also blood in stool, especially dark red blood in stool, usually accompanied by mucus, these symptoms need to These symptoms need to be taken seriously enough. If these manifestations occur in middle-aged and elderly people, especially those with a family history of tumors, early consultation with the gastrointestinal surgery department should be recommended. (3) Enteritis can occur at any stage of a person’s life, and its clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, diarrhea, loose watery stools or mucopurulent stools. Enteritis is divided into two categories, acute and chronic, depending on the duration of the disease. Chronic enteritis generally lasts more than two months, and is commonly associated with chronic bacterial dysentery and nonspecific ulcerative colitis. Acute enteritis is usually seen in summer and autumn, often with a history of unclean diet, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the main symptoms of acute enteritis. In chronic enteritis, the clinical manifestations are long-term chronic, or recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea and indigestion. In both acute and chronic enteritis, abdominal pain and diarrhea are the most important manifestations and important features that distinguish colorectal cancer, which is usually not accompanied by diarrhea. Patients with enteritis are recommended to visit gastroenterology.