Unlike cleansing enemas, barium enemas are typically performed by your doctor or radiologist for imaging studies. Your provider will insert a metallic liquid solution barium sulfate mixed in water into your rectum. After the barium has had time to sit inside and coat your distal colon, your doctor will perform a series of X-rays.
The metal shows up as bright contrast on the X-ray images. A cleansing enema can be done as a do-it-yourself procedure. You can purchase everything you need for an enema over the counter OTC in a drugstore or pharmacy.
A colonic is also known as colonic hydrotherapy or colon irrigation. They use specialized equipment to irrigate your colon.
A cleansing enema is intended to reach only your lower colon, usually just to the point of constipated stool near the rectum. A colonic may be able to affect more of the colon, as a colon irrigation typically uses a much higher volume of water than a cleansing enema. You should always follow the directions provided with your enema kit. Try listening to calming music, practicing deep breathing , or first soaking in a hot bath to ease your muscles and your mind.
Breathe deeply. Focus on your breath. Exhale for a slow count of 10 after the tube is in place. While the fluid is going into your rectum, you may keep practicing these breathing beats to keep you distracted and focused. Bear down. If you have difficulty inserting the tube, bear down, as if you were trying to pass a bowel movement. This may relax the muscles and allow the tube to slide further into your rectum.
Discomfort may happen. Pain should not. Pain may be the result of hemorrhoids or tears in the rectal lining. If you experience pain when inserting the enema tube or pushing the fluid into your colon, stop the enema immediately and call your healthcare provider or local medical services. If you know that you have hemorrhoids, tears, or other sores, wait for them to heal before administering an enema. Once the bag is emptied and the tube is removed, continue lying on your side until you feel the need to use the restroom.
This typically takes a few minutes, but you should carefully get up and go to the toilet as soon as you feel the urge. For this reason, some medications for ulcerative colitis, such as 5-ASAs and corticosteroids, are available in enema form to deliver the medication directly to the inflamed area for more effective treatment.
Enemas can be useful for those with severe constipation. When other treatments, such as dietary intervention, fibre supplements, or laxatives are ineffective, enemas containing salt solutions can help initiate a bowel movement. Your physician might recommend using an enema before a procedure or surgery that requires an empty intestine, such as colonoscopy. However, it is more likely that they will give you an oral preparation that clears out the colon than recommend an enema. If your physician wants to see the outline of your large intestine for diagnostic purposes, they might use a barium enema.
This involves administration of a solution containing barium, followed by a series of X-rays. The barium coats the intestinal walls and allows the shape of your digestive tract to show up in X-rays. A strange type of enema found throughout Europe, especially London, in the 18 th century involved blowing tobacco smoke into the anus of individuals who had drowned. Physicians at the time believed that this procedure would help resuscitate these individuals, and it was a regular occurrence along the River Thames.
The theory behind this procedure was that the tobacco smoke would irritate the bowels, which would cause the stomach to contract so strongly that it would force the lungs to cough. You might also hear claims that at any given time, a large amount of waste stays in your colon. Even then, whenever you have a bowel movement, it pushes things out roughly in the order it went in. Any waste that you eliminate during an enema is from recent meals and would have been eliminated during normal bowel movements in due time.
While enemas can be a useful tool in medicine, giving yourself enemas at home can have many complications. When a person uses an enema incorrectly, it can cause internal tissue damage and infection.
There are various medical uses of an enema. For example:. Also, some people regularly use enemas to purify their bodies, because they believe that toxins build up in the lower part of the bowel. However, as the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research point out, this buildup only occurs in people who are severely constipated. Pregnant women sometimes use enemas when they go into labor, believing that an enema reduces the duration of childbirth.
However, the World Health Organisation WHO do not recommend this, due to a lack of evidence and because having an enema may contribute to discomfort during labor. In addition, some people use enemas for sexual stimulation, which is called klismaphilia. Enemas containing coffee are popular in some countries, such as Thailand, where they play a role in treatment programs for various conditions.
For example, some people use enemas to help treat :. However, the evidence for these uses is limited or lacking. After using the enema and passing stool, it is best to remain near the bathroom for the remainder of the hour, as multiple bowel movements may be necessary, and the feeling may be urgent.
The effects of the enema should wear off after 1 hour , though some discomfort may last longer. Some people may mistake an enema for a colonic. Other names for a colonic include colon hydrotherapy and colon irrigation.
Also, an enema can contain various fluids, but a colonic only uses warm water. During a colonic, roughly 60 liters of water circulates through the bowel.
More severe side effects can include:. A person can expect that they may feel some discomfort due to an enema. Adverse effects, such as stomach cramping and anal irritation, should go away on their own.
However, if any adverse effect is severe or persistent, see a doctor. The complications of an enema can be severe and include serious rectal bleeding or a condition called hemorrhagic colitis. Some people require blood transfusions or surgery to remove their colons, as a result. An enema can serve many medical purposes, and some people use them as part of a regular cleansing routine.
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