Enema means injecting a liquid, such as water, oil or saline, into your rectum. Your rectum is the last portion of the digestive tract. It is the site for which waste is accumulated and then propelled out of your body.
The primary benefits of using enemas for constipation is softening your stool and stimulating bowel activity for movement of feces. However, this treatment for constipation should not be routinely used because an evacuation dependence can result, potentially causing severe constipation problems whenever your rectal process is left to work naturally. Therefore, never rely on enemas for treating chronic constipation.
Other recognized enema benefits include cleanse for medical purposes or to administer medication. And a barium enema is a test used to help diagnose various digestive related problems. Using an enema for the benefit of cleansing toxins out of your body, sometimes referred to as colon therapy, does not have scientific evidence backing at this time.
A major health concern with using repeated enemas is it can cause an overload of fluid and electrolytes to be absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a dangerous imbalance. Also, an allergic reaction can occur because any substance in the fluid of your enema may be absorbed through the colon’s wall.
Prior to the use of enemas for constipation or any other theorized benefits, always discuss this form of self treatment with your health care provider if you suffer from kidney failure, heart failure, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, severe hemorrhoids, lower digestive system tumors or recently had some type of bowel surgery.