Chandigarh, September 26, 2010: The Coordination Committee of Central Government Pensioners’ Associations and the Railways Senior Citizens Welfare Society today organised a Seminar on the health problems faced by senior citizens especially of the stomach, intestines, renal and rectum at Hotel Chandigarh Beckons, Chandigarh. Maj Gen(Retd) M S Kandal was the Chief Guest while Dr. Atul Joshi, Sr Consultant General surgery, Fortis Hospital, Mohali was the keynote speaker. Over 250 senior citizens participated in the Seminar.
“Do not get embarrassed to talk about your problems of rectum or the anus,” advised Dr. Atul Joshi to the senior citizens, “as some conditions can become very serious and even life-threatening if not taken care of in the initial stage itself.
According to Dr. Joshi, “Problems with rectum and anus are getting more common. They include hemorrhoids, abscesses, incontinence and cancer of the rectum or anus. It is imperative to see your doctor about problems in this area, especially if you have pain or bleeding. Treatments vary widely depending on the particular problem. These diseases arise from problems of changing lifestyle, diet patterns and increased life expectancy in the population.”
“It is a myth that every bleeding from the rectum is indicative of piles. This myth is all pervasive and some physicians also think in the same way. It needs to be emphasized that such patients need to be diagnosed before initiating the treatment. It is possible that such problems may not be piles alone but a complication and patient may end up as a cancer case,” he stated.
Talking about the precautions the senior citizens shouuld take, Dr. Joshi said, “All of us need to maintain a healthy lifestyle with normal bowel movements and patterns. The stool pattern should be regular and well formed to avoid constipation by taking dietary precautions. One should report to a specialist immediately in case of alteration of bowel habits, rectal discharge, bleeding or a sense of incomplete bowel evacuation.”