Diet therapy and daily care for diarrhea in the elderly

As we age, our body's immune system gradually decreases, and bacteria can easily take advantage of this weakness to get in. Many elderly people suffer from long-term diarrhea. Today, I will introduce some dietary treatments for long-term diarrhea in the elderly.

Causes of diarrhea in the elderly

Diarrhea is a common phenomenon, and the main reasons are: 1. Age factors. With the gradual passage of age, the immunity of the elderly will gradually decline, and the motility, digestion and absorption functions of the gastrointestinal tract will gradually decrease. When eating some inappropriate food, diarrhea may occur.
2. When the abdomen of an elderly patient is chilled by cold air, diarrhea may occur.
3. Improper diet: If the patient eats some spoiled or cold food, it may cause diarrhea in the elderly.

2. Pathological factors:

1. Allergies. When the elderly have low immunity, they are prone to allergic reactions after contact with allergens in the intestines, which can lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.

2. Enteritis. Due to unclean food, a large number of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens enter the intestines, causing inflammation and damage to the intestinal mucosa. Under the stimulation of inflammation, the intestinal peristalsis will accelerate, and the elderly will suffer from diarrhea.

3. Atrophic gastritis. Atrophic gastritis will affect the digestive tract of the elderly to a certain extent, thereby inducing uncomfortable symptoms of indigestion, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating.

4. Diabetes. If diabetes persists for a long time, it will cause lesions in the intestinal autonomic nerves of the elderly, which can easily lead to a series of problems such as constipation and diarrhea.

| Diarrhea harms the health of the elderly

1. Hypoglycemia. Diarrhea usually leads to decreased appetite and insufficient food intake. Elderly people do not have enough liver glycogen storage and cannot convert it into sugar, which makes them prone to hypoglycemia symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, sweating, palpitations, pale complexion and even fainting.

2. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents. Acute diarrhea can cause dehydration due to loss of water and electrolytes, which can easily lead to reduced blood volume, increased blood viscosity, slower blood flow, and significantly increase the chance of cerebral infarction. Electrolyte disorders can affect nerve conduction function, cause serious arrhythmias, and even induce sudden cardiac death and other accidents. Chronic diarrhea can affect the absorption of protein, fat, carbohydrates and vitamins, leading to malnutrition, anemia, low immune function and secondary infection.

3. Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is an endocrine disease. These two diseases seem to be unrelated, but long-term diarrhea is one of the causes of osteoporosis.

| Diet and nutrition for the elderly with long-term diarrhea

Elderly people with diarrhea can relieve the symptoms of diarrhea through a reasonable diet. In the early stage of diarrhea, it is best to eat some liquid food, such as thick rice soup, thin lotus root powder, almond cream, degreased broth, light tea, filtered juice, etc.; after the condition improves, eat some semi-liquid food, such as noodles, noodles, white rice porridge, steamed egg custard, etc. However, do not drink milk. Although milk does not contain dietary fiber, it can increase residues in the intestines and make the condition worse.

In addition, you should also pay attention to eating small and frequent meals. The temperature of food should not be too cold, otherwise it will cause intestinal peristalsis. If it is chronic diarrhea, it will last for a long time and cause certain nutritional losses in the body. Therefore, it is best to choose foods that can supplement nutrition and have little irritation to the intestines. What to eat for diarrhea? Common cereals include porridge, rice porridge, steamed food with leavened dough, bread, soft noodles, noodles, etc. Eggs: Except for fried eggs, other methods are acceptable.
Meat: tender lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimp, preferably cooked soft and rotten; beans: soy milk, tofu; vegetables: vegetables with low fiber content, such as peeled carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, winter melon, eggplant, loofah, etc., but remember, they must be cooked before eating. Some vegetables, such as celery, leeks, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, etc., will aggravate the condition. Onions, raw radishes, etc. are easy to cause flatulence, so eat less. Don't eat pineapples and strawberries among fruits.

| Diarrhea treatment recipes for the elderly

For the elderly with long-term diarrhea, dietary adjustment is undoubtedly the most important part, which can reduce or relieve diarrhea. Even if the cause of diarrhea is clear, dietary adjustment also plays a pivotal role.

1. Crucian carp soup

Remove the scales, gills and internal organs of 250-500g crucian carp, wash it, put it in a pot, add 500-800ml of water, boil it quickly, then simmer it for 10-15 minutes, then pour out a small bowl of soup, add appropriate amount of refined salt and rice vinegar, drink it on an empty stomach in the morning, once a day. Add appropriate amount of water to the remaining soup, and repeat the soup once the next day. Repeat the cooking 5-7 times. If the diarrhea is severe, take it once every night before going to bed. The diarrhea will improve significantly after 3-5 days. Keep taking it until it is cured, and you don't need to avoid eating during this period.

2. Ginseng, lotus and jujube porridge

10g each of Codonopsis pilosula and dried lotus seeds, 10 jujubes, and 30g of polished rice. Grind Codonopsis pilosula and lotus seeds into fine powder for later use. Boil jujubes briefly in water, peel and remove the core, and chop the jujube flesh. Use the jujube water to cook rice, jujube flesh, Codonopsis pilosula powder, and lotus seed powder into porridge. Take it warm in the morning and evening.

3. Job's tears porridge

40g of coix seed, 50g of polished rice, appropriate amount of honey, add appropriate amount of water to cook porridge, take twice a day. Coix seed is rich in carbohydrates and protein, can strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness, and is suitable for chronic diarrhea.

4. Codonopsis, Poria, Ginger Porridge

6 grams each of Codonopsis pilosula and Poria cocos, 5 slices of ginger, add water to boil the juice, take the juice and add 50 grams of polished rice to cook porridge for consumption. It is suitable for middle-aged and elderly people with diarrhea caused by spleen and stomach deficiency and cold.

5. Ganmai Dazao Congee

50 grams of red dates, 6 grams of licorice, 20 grams of white sugar, and an appropriate amount of wheat, add water and cook into porridge, which can replenish qi and nourish blood. It is suitable for diarrhea and abdominal distension in middle-aged and elderly people.

6. Hawthorn porridge

20 grams of hawthorn, 6 grams of costus root, 15 grams of white sugar, 50 grams of polished rice, and an appropriate amount of water are used to cook porridge. It is suitable for diarrhea caused by spleen and stomach deficiency and gastrointestinal dysfunction.

7. Yam and Lamb Porridge

250g mutton and 500g fresh yam, cook the two ingredients together until soft, add appropriate amount of water and 250g glutinous rice to make porridge. Take it warm once in the morning and evening. Mutton warms the spleen and kidneys; yam nourishes the spleen and stops diarrhea, benefits the kidneys and consolidates the essence; glutinous rice replenishes the middle qi and warms the stomach. Eating this porridge for a long time is beneficial for chronic diarrhea, elderly people with kidney deficiency and poor appetite, and people with insufficient qi and blood.

| Nursing measures for diarrhea in the elderly

The body functions of the elderly are declining, and the functions of the digestive system and immunity have also declined. Therefore, you must be careful when taking care of diarrhea, and you should do the following:

1. Keep the skin around the anus clean. Once fecal contamination is found, wipe it with soft toilet paper and then wash the local skin with warm water, dry it with a towel, and apply ointment to the skin around the anus to prevent rashes or pressure sores.

2. Use soft and breathable diaper pads or disposable diapers to place under the buttocks of the elderly. Once contaminated, they should be replaced immediately. If conditions permit, the elderly can lie on a bed with holes to reduce mattress contamination. Contaminated clothing and sheets should be replaced at any time.

3. Keep the indoor air fresh and ventilate frequently.

4. If possible, consult with the doctor to use laxatives or enemas for the elderly on a regular basis every day to help establish a defecation reflex. (Picture from the Internet)

Author | Li Aiping was born in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province. She graduated from Fuzhou Medical University and has 20 years of nursing experience. She is a national second-level nurse. She is an expert in food hygiene and nutrition, has a national nutritionist qualification, and is a science enthusiast.