Enema can be given to a person for various reasons. Along with treating constipation, it can also be used for other reasons.
The uses of enema are given below:
1. Constipation
Commonly, an enema is given to relieve constipation. For constipation, at first, your doctor may recommend non-invasive treatments such as eating high-fibrous diets, increasing water intake, avoiding processed grains and gluten-containing foods, laxatives, or stool softeners.
But if your constipation remains ineffective by these treatments and your stool appears very hard and dry, an enema may be the second option. Enema helps to clear out the bowel and effectively treats chronic constipation. There are several types of enema used for different purposes, which we will discuss later in this article.
2. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Enema is also used for Inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC). Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease that produces inflammation in your colon. Enema helps to ease the symptoms of colon inflammation.
3. Colon Cleansing
Colon cleansing clears the colon to prepare it for any surgery or colon imaging tests such as colonoscopy. This makes your colon free from any stool material or contamination to make the surgical procedure or imaging easier, giving a clear view of the colon.
4. Medication
Enema can also be used to give medications for treating health problems related to the colon or other parts of the GIT.
The Effect Of Repeated Enema Use
As we discussed above, regular use of enema can be harmful. So, don’t use an enema regularly or make yourself habitual to enema as it can lead to:
1. Dependency
You must be well aware that the repeated use of anything can harm a person and cause dependency. This cannot be more true, especially in the case of drugs. Hence, if you use an enema regularly or at frequent intervals, the normal mechanism of your bowel movement may gradually diminish.
2. Water Intoxication
Excessive administration of enema can cause water intoxication, increasing the amount of water in the blood. Too much water can dilute the electrolytes in your body, especially sodium. This can lead to hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the body). In severe cases, water intoxication may cause seizures, coma, and confusion.
3. Weakening Of The Intestinal Muscles
Using an enema regularly or too frequently can weaken the muscles of your intestine and make you dependent on the enema.
