Cleansing enemas are water-based and meant to be held in the rectum for a short time to flush your colon. Once injected, they’re retained for a few minutes until your body rids itself of the fluid, along with loose matter and impacted stool in your bowel. Sodium phosphate. This is a common over-the-counter enema that works by irritating your rectum, causing it to expand and release waste. But enemas and colon cleanses in general can result in symptoms like nausea, dehydration, and throwing off your natural electrolyte balance. Don’t attempt an enema unless you’ve talked to a doctor first. Large volume enema. It is an effective treatment for constipation as it cleanses a large part of the colon. The fluid amount used in this type is 500-1,000 ml. The doctors may ask you to hold the fluid in your anal opening for a long time to release the stool completely.

Electrolyte disturbances have been observed with various types of enemas, such as large-volume soap suds enemas and those containing minerals. If you self-administer an enema at home, it’s critical to make sure that the tools you use are sterile, meaning they’re free of harmful germs. The use of dirty tools increases your risk of contracting a potentially dangerous infection.

What is an enema?

Storage: Sterilise nozzle, hose and enema bag after every use and dry thoroughly before storing in a dry place. Pull the catheter slowly until you feel resistance. Keep pulling the catheter with gentle hands to prevent the leakage of the enema.

Teekachunhatean S, et al. (2013). Pharmacokinetics of caffeine following a single administration of coffee enema versus oral coffee consumption in healthy male subjects. Use the recommended amount of room temperature liquid, and do not use an enema too frequently. Things to remember Constipation is a severe condition that slows down the movement of your stool. It also makes the stool hard and difficult to excrete. It can become a chronic problem for many people and requires treatment, such as enema. For instance, there have been reports of Epsom salt enemas causing death from magnesium overdose. In another case, an older man died from severe electrolyte disruption caused by taking two sodium phosphate enemas ( 3, 15, 16).

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Enema Nozzles, Syringes, Clamps and Connectors that will help you build your own customized enema kit. Similarly, there are reports of children being given acidic hydrogen peroxide enemas, which resulted in an inflamed colon, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and long-term complications ( 18). Small volume enema. It is used to clean the lower part of the colon. The fluid amount used is less than 500 ml. It is recommended to people who are not constipated from the upper part of the colon. Lay a towel on the floor and lie on the left side of the body if right-handed or on the right side of the body if left-handed. Open the clamp and let a few drops of fluid out. Now, re-clamp the tube and squeeze the drip chamber until the fluid fills the tube halfway.

Constipation is a condition in which the natural movement of your stool slows down, making them hard, dry, and difficult to excrete. For many people, this can be a chronic problem that requires an intervention like an enema — or a laxative inserted rectally. Collect all the necessary supplies. These include any type of solution, enema bag, silicone catheter with a balloon, two slip-tip syringes, a catheter-tip syringe, towels, and lubricant. Your doctor will tell you how much solution to use. People can administer medication using an enema. This can especially help with treating health problems affecting the colon, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Cirocchi R, Randolph J, Panata L, et al. The tip of the iceberg of colorectal perforation from enema: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Tech Coloproctol. 2020 Nov;24(11):1109-1119. doi:10.1007/s10151-020-02294-7 Enemas can also treat fecal incontinence, a condition in which the stool leaks from the rectum unexpectedly.

How to self-administer an enema: 7 steps

Coffee. Coffee enemas are a mixture of brewed, caffeinated coffee and water thought to promote bile removal from the colon. They were popularized by Max Gerson, a physician who used them to help treat people with cancer. Anyone with rectal prolapse, in which the very end of the lower intestine comes out of the body, should avoid using an enema. If a person has hemorrhoids, they should take extra care to avoid further discomfort. Mineral oil. This type of enema works primarily by lubricating waste inside of your colon, sealing it with water, and promoting its removal. Wait for the enema to take effect. This can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 1 hour, and the kit’s instructions should give a more specific estimate. What’s more, the evidence shows that their acidity and makeup can harm your bowel and lead to rectal burns, inflammation, infections, and even death ( 1).

Using an enema as a regular treatment for constipation can cause health problems. The body can become reliant on enemas to pass stool, and the muscles in the gut may weaken over time. It may become difficult to pass stool naturally, and in some cases, enema overuse could cause incontinence. Furthermore, in some people, herbal enemas have caused internal bleeding that required a blood transfusion and removal of the colon ( 1). Dirty or improperly used tools can cause infection and damage A 2017 case report found that two children developed colon inflammation ( colitis) and experienced bloody diarrhea and vomiting after receiving a homemade hydrogen peroxide enema. It can take up to eight months to fully recover from this kind of reaction. Improper or dirty tool use can lead to dangerous complicationsYang Y, Xiao Y, Zhang L, Lv J, Huang Q. Effects of different intervention methods on intestinal cleanliness in children undergoing colonoscopy. J Healthc Eng. 2022 Apr 16;2022:1898610. doi: 10.1155/2022/1898610 There is no scientific evidence that an enema benefits general health, and using an enema to detox can be harmful. Inserting substances such as coffee or oil into the body can also introduce harmful bacteria. Slowly squeeze the liquid from the container until it is empty, then gently remove the nozzle from the rectum.