![]() ![]() Resisting the urge to have a bowel movement.Medications for PD, including levodopa and dopamine agonists, as well as amantadine and trihexyphenidyl, may also cause or contribute to constipation. If this system is not working properly, the intestinal tract may slow down, causing constipation. In some people with PD, constipation may occur due to the improper functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating smooth muscle activity of the gut. In one study, researchers found that having a bowel movement less often than once a day indicated a four times higher risk of developing Parkinson’s. Studies have shown that constipation often begins before motor symptoms. ConstipationĬonstipation, defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week and frequently accompanied by straining, hard stools, or a sensation of incomplete emptying, is perhaps the most widely recognized gastrointestinal symptom of Parkinson’s. This suggests cell damage in the gut may signal the beginning of PD and cell death in the brain is a relatively late stage of disease. In particular, researchers have found Lewy bodies in neurons lining the intestines of people with PD. The same brain changes in PD that cause stiffness and slow movement also affect the muscles involved in swallowing and in pushing food through the digestive system.Īdditionally, Parkinson’s can affect the nerves that line the digestive tract, called the enteric nervous system. Scientists point to two explanations for these difficulties. Difficulty swallowing, feelings of nausea and constipation are all common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
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