Common Health Benefits and Risks Associated with Enema

Enema is an alternative medicine/procedure used to stimulate the bowel movement and ease constipation or just to cleanse the digestive tract. The practice of enema is not new and this technique has been prevalent since the ancient Egyptian era not just to ease constipation but also to treat other ailments such as intestinal worms and fever. Before you decide onto the fact that if an enema is good or bad for you, please read on to know about the health benefits and risks associated with it. 

What is an enema?

The process of enema involves the introduction of a saline solution or a medicated enema solution into the colon via the rectum. Once the enema solution is injected, it is meant to be retained for the stipulated time which is most of the times a few minutes. The liquid can then be expelled in the toilet along with any fecal matter. This method helps with pushing the accumulated waste out of the body to relieve constipation and along with that cleanse the digestive tract. 

Enemas are more likely to be used as the last option to treat constipation only after you have made all the necessary changes to your diet and tried laxatives. 

Benefits 

The cleansing claims of enema are still a matter of discussion and are yet to be proven scientifically. But even after that, there are people who swear by the cleansing nature of the procedure. For instance, coffee enema is one of the favorites of people who love to perform an enema regularly. For them, a coffee enema is one of the favorites. For them, coffee enema is very crucial as it increases the energy level, helps with depression, lightens up the mood, etc. 

And these are not the only benefits which enema has. It is also believed that regular enemas also help with excess weight loss as the accumulated excess unprocessed waste is removed from the body. 

Risks

The procedure has amazing benefits but there are also some risks associated with it especially when you are performing an enema session at home in the absence of a professional healthcare expert using an at home enema kit. Some people may experience common side effects of enema such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. There are also chances that you might hurt the anal cavity while inserting the nozzle. 

Enemas are less likely to cause any serious damage but performing the procedure too often may disturb the natural capability of the body to expel wastes and it may lead to dependency on frequent enemas for regular bowel movements. 

Disadvantages of performing an Enema

When talking about enemas, people would always talk about the positives, the benefits that it has on the human health. But no one really talks about the drawbacks that this procedure has on your health. Today I am going to discuss four main disadvantages of enemas when used on a regular basis. 

• It may lead to muscles loss- Though enemas have an established and fairly long history of use, some medical professionals do not recommend this treatment to their patients for a long time. This is because it may result in the loss of muscle tissue and tone. The tissue is accountable for shaping as well as promoting the normal bowel movement and too many enemas may damage your colon in the long run. Most doctors do not recommend more than three consecutive enemas to their patients. 

• Risk of infections- Regular colon cleaning sessions may leave you exposed to infections from various pathological microorganisms which may enter you via unsanitary equipment. While performing an enema it is important to use enema equipment which is sterile and has not been used by someone in the past. This is the only way to reduce your chances of getting an infection. Cleaning your equipment with disinfectants and antiseptics reduce your chances of getting infections. 

• Enemas treat only a part of the digestive tract- One of the drawbacks of enema is that it only reaches up to a certain portion of the colon. As compared to a full-blown colonic an enema clears only a restricted part of the colon. To put it better, one colonic is equal to 30 enemas. This means that even after performing an enema several parts of the colon would still have the remains of fecal matter encrusted. 

 

• Risk of carcinogenic chemicals- If you use unfiltered water for performing colon cleanses or enema it might be dangerous for your health. Use of unfiltered tap water may hike up your risk of chromium-6, which is a cancer-causing chemical commonly found in tap water. It is recommended to use only filtered water for the process of enema or colonic irrigation.