Does Parkinson's Disease Cause Constipation?

There is a definite link between PD and constipation. Why is this? That's exactly what we are going to be discussing in this blog post. First of all, Parkinson's Disease has a whole host of non-motor symptoms associated with it. Constipation happens to be one of them and it is quite common. 

Something about PD that you may not know is that it directly damages the autonomic nervous system. This is the part of your nervous system that basically runs on autopilot. Your breathing, saliva production, tear formation, blood pressure regulation, heart rate and rhythm, digestion, etc are all controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Think fight or flight or resting and digesting and there you have it. When eating food and then digesting the smooth muscles in the gut rhythmically contract in a function called peristalsis. However, in a person with Parkinson's the muscles of the gut are inhibited and therefore do not contract efficiently. This slows down the flow of fecal matter in the small intestine and hence the colon. The stool then becomes dried out and harder, resulting in constipation. There are other factors that can directly make this worse or be secondary causes to constipation when associated with PD and that is what we will list next: 

•  Parkinson's medications can also slow down peristalsis contraction
  
• Dulled sense of smell and taste can result in people craving sweets that do not contain enough fiber
• Dehydration directly results in constipation due to water being pulled out of the gut by the body to use it in more critical areas for survival. ​

What can be done? 

• Increase dietary foods such as vegetables, beans, lentils, etc. Fiber absorbs water and bulks up the stool making it easier to pass.
• Drink. More. Water. Water helps to keep the stool moving and stops it from becoming hard and dry.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise. Getting up and down frequently, moving, and standing up help to keep the gut moving through abdominal muscle contractions and gravity aiding things along as they move down and out. 
• Consult your physician on a regimen of daily laxitives that is appropriate for you.

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