Constipation is not uncommon. To avoid them, you need to lead an active lifestyle and follow a diet. But sometimes these methods do not help, and constipation can last for a long time. In this case, only an enema can help stabilize the situation. Such manipulations have been used for centuries; they are not difficult to do, but there are nuances that are worth paying attention to. How often can you give an enema?
Features of oil enemas
This type is carried out using oil. Use vegetable oil (for example, regular sunflower oil) or Vaseline. The essence of this procedure is to make the surface of the stool slippery. This reduces friction and allows stool to move out more easily.
Before entering the intestine, the oil must be heated to a temperature of 37 ° C. The heat relieves tension in the internal muscles and also helps move the contents to the exit. If constipation is caused by diseases of the anorectal area, heat will significantly improve the condition.
This type of enema is done before going to bed. After all, it acts quite slowly. You have to wait about 10 hours, so after the evening enema the morning relief passes. If you can’t wait that long, you need a hypertensive enema.
How often can you do an enema?
An enema is an unpleasant and sometimes painful procedure. When deciding whether to give an enema to a newborn or find another, less radical way of helping, remember your feelings if you have had experience using this method. If it was not there, then take into account that
Frequent use of enema:
- Removes beneficial microflora from the intestines;
- Overstretches the rectum and weakens its muscles;
- It disrupts the natural rhythm of the intestines - in order to empty them, it begins to require additional stimulation.
Based on this, we can conclude that the less frequently an enema is used, the better. There is no allowed number of treatments for a specific time. An enema is done only when it is really necessary.
Features of hypertensive enema
Pear for cleansing enema
A saline solution is used to perform a hypertonic enema. To prepare it, sodium chloride is added to water. A 10 percent solution is needed. A similar effect can be obtained from a 20% magnesium solution. The composition is injected into the anus.
After this, osmotic pressure begins to rise. This process helps to attract moisture from the tissues in the affected area.
Cleansing enema
CLEANSING ENEMA is the safest, although technically it is not always simple, as it requires the help of relatives. Before seeing a proctologist, it is better to cleanse the intestines with a cleansing enema. Let’s make a reservation right away that if you have severe pain in the anus (it hurts to give yourself an enema) or severe bleeding from the anus, then you DO NOT NEED to give an enema before the initial examination! A coloproctologist will carefully conduct an examination without this preparation. If necessary, treatment will be prescribed to relieve pain or stop bleeding, and after that the necessary instrumental examinations will be prescribed.
How many and when to do enemas? If the doctor’s appointment is scheduled for the first half of the day, then on the eve of the study two cleansing enemas with a volume of 1.5 - 2.0 liters are given with an interval of 1 hour. The best time for this is from 20.00 to 22.00. In the morning of the day of admission, two more of the same cleansing enemas are done with an interval of 1 hour. The best time is from 6.00 to 8.00. If the appointment is scheduled after lunch, then three enemas are given at intervals of
1 hour at 11.00, 12.00 and 13.00. The main thing is that the last enema should be done no later than 2 hours before the test, so that the intestines are completely cleared of water.
How to do an enema? An Esmarch mug is used to perform a cleansing enema. Esmarch's mug is a rubber heating pad with a capacity of 1.5 - 2 liters with a hose and a plastic tip. It can be bought at almost any pharmacy. The length of the tube is about 1.5 m, the diameter is 1 cm. The tube ends with a removable tip 8 - 10 cm long. The tip must be intact, with smooth edges. After use, the tip is washed well with soap under running warm water and boiled. Next to the tip on the tube there is a tap that regulates the flow of fluid into the intestines.
For enemas, use only water from proven sources. The water temperature is about 37 - 38 degrees. Colder water can cause intestinal colic. Using water with a temperature of more than 40 degrees for an enema is dangerous to health!
How to do an enema yourself?
- Pour 1 - 1.5 liters of water at room temperature into Esmarch's mug, lift it with the neck down to a height of 1 - 1.5 m and lower the tip down to release a small amount of water and along with it air from the tube. Having filled the tube with water in this way, without lowering the mug, close the tap on the rubber tube.
- Ask someone from your family to hold Esmarch's mug at a height of 1 - 1.5 m from the bed on which you will lie. If you are doing the procedure without assistants, you can hang it on something (there is a special hole in the enema for this). Lie on the bed close to the edge on your left side with your legs bent and pulled towards your stomach. Place oilcloth (plastic film) under your buttocks in case you are unable to retain water.
- Lubricate the tip with Vaseline (vegetable oil) and, spreading the buttocks, slowly insert the tip into the anus with light rotational movements. For the first 3 - 4 cm, insert the tip towards the navel, then towards the sacrum. If there are obstacles and the tube rests against the intestinal wall or hard feces, pull it back 1 - 2 cm and open the tap.
- Water under pressure will begin to flow into the intestines. Almost immediately there will be a feeling of “fullness” in the intestines and an urge to stool. At these moments, you can reduce the rate of fluid supply or temporarily stop it by turning off the tap on the tube or squeezing it. Gentle circular stroking of the abdomen will help reduce discomfort.
- Esmarch's mug does not need to be completely emptied. Leaving a little water at the bottom to prevent air from entering the intestines, close the valve that regulates the flow of liquid and remove the tip.
- After removing the tip, it is advisable to lie in the same position for a few minutes, and then you can go to the toilet. Along with the water, feces will come out abundantly.
You can find out more details and make an appointment with a coloproctologist in Ufa:
Address: Ufa, st. Revolutionary, 70
Phones: +7 (347) 294-15-94
Mobile: (WhatsApp)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 09:00 - 21:00; Sat 10:00 – 15:00
There are contraindications, it is necessary to consult a specialist.
Features of a cleansing enema
Cleansing enema gives a quick effect
This is the most reliable option. They resort to it when the previously described means do not produce a positive effect. This enema simply helps flush out feces from the intestinal cavity. It is considered more harmful to the body than the previous ones.
After all, the first two enemas stimulate the independent functioning of the intestines. And in this case, nothing is required from the body itself. Therefore, frequent use of cleansing enema threatens to reduce intestinal function.
A cleansing enema is recommended for use in cases where there are serious disruptions in the formation of feces and the movement of feces. It is also a good remedy for diseases of the anorectal area. To carry out the procedure, prepare water and Esmarch's mug. It is difficult to do such an enema on your own.
At the same time, you need to hold the mug at the right angle, while monitoring the amount of incoming water. When the contents enter the rectum, the device is removed and the patient continues to lie down for at least 10 minutes. It is advisable to lie there for 20 minutes. It is necessary for as much stool as possible to soften. Then they will leave the body as completely as possible.
Enema for constipation
How does an enema work? Liquid is injected into the rectum under a certain pressure in a volume permitted for the baby’s age. It softens stool, irritates the intestinal walls and enhances peristalsis. Soon the patient feels the urge to defecate and can go to the toilet on his own.
It is important!
You need to understand that an enema does not cure constipation, but helps to mechanically cleanse the intestines. If you do not find out the cause of constipation and do not eliminate it, then the problem will soon return.
Enema. Basics of technology
Esmarch mug: for giving an enema
At the preparatory stage, all the devices that may be needed are collected, and all components that will be introduced inside are diluted and heated. It is necessary to take care of cleanliness. To do this, the place is covered with oilcloth.
For an oil enema, prepare the oil itself and a rubber bulb. You can administer from 50 to 10 ml; the bulb must correspond to the volume of the intended contents. For a hypertensive enema, prepare 100 ml of a 10% sodium chloride solution. To obtain a solution of this concentration, add 2 teaspoons of salt to a glass of water. If dry magnesia is used, then take 20–30 g of powder per glass of water. About 50 g of solution can be administered at a time.
For a cleansing enema, you need to get an Esmarch mug - a special device shaped like a rubber heating pad. It is equipped with a rubber tube with a clamp on it. The hose is equipped with a plastic or glass tip. It is this part that is intended for insertion into the rectum. To carry out cleaning procedures, you need to close the clamp and then fill the mug with warm water (approximately 37 ° C).
An enema can be a lifesaver for a baby!
You need to pour in about 2 liters. The mug should be attached near the place where the procedure is planned, 1 meter above the patient’s level. This height must be maintained to ensure a jet of sufficient strength. A hose lubricated with Vaseline is inserted into the patient. Once the clamp is opened, water will flow into the intestines.
Is it possible to give a newborn an enema?
An enema can be given to a newborn, but in exceptional cases and only as prescribed by a pediatrician (there is a strict list of indications when an enema cannot be avoided, but there is an even longer list of contraindications when it cannot be done independently and without the consent of a pediatrician (children after surgical interventions on the digestive organs , with malformations of the gastrointestinal tract).An enema for constipation is prescribed to a newborn if he has dense stools, and he cannot empty his bowels on his own for a long time (normally, breastfeeding stools from 1-2 to 5-7 times a day, In bottle-fed children, stools are denser and darker; as a rule, they occur less frequently: 1-3 times a day).
An enema may also be needed before certain medical tests and manipulations, or in case of acute poisoning, in order to quickly cleanse the intestines.
What are the dangers of an enema?
The following diseases are contraindications for the procedure: colitis, proctitis and some others. Any violations of the mucous membrane, the inner surface of the gastrointestinal tract, neoplasms, cracks are also reasons why you cannot do an enema.
Pain during constipation can indicate that there are intestinal diseases. It is prohibited to carry out such procedures during exacerbation of hemorrhoids. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a specialist before using enemas.
About the causes of constipation without hesitation
You may be surprised, but about people who are kind, cheerful, with a good complexion and an easy attitude to life, you can definitely say that they do not have this problem.
But for those who walk around looking dissatisfied or unhappy, with problem skin and excess weight, the doctor would like to ask if everything is in order with the functioning of the digestive tract?
Today we are talking about constipation, which is one of the leading modern diseases of civilization. This problem faces most of us.
Test yourself for predisposition
to constipation: – sedentary behavior due to sedentary work; – eating “on the run” - fast food, fatty and high-calorie foods; – frequent nervous overstrain, irregular working hours.
Checked two or more boxes? Prepare for health problems, including constipation. After all, we are moving further and further from physical work to an office chair in front of a computer, from movement in the fresh air to travel by transport, from simple healthy food to surrogates of artificial food additives, often eaten “on the run.” As a result, humanity is getting new health problems: excess weight, osteochondrosis, weak muscles and digestive disorders.
Definition of constipation
First, let's clarify what is considered constipation.
Constipation is defined as irregular bowel movements, less than once every 3-4 days, for more than 10 days. In other words, the normal frequency of bowel movements is considered to be defecation at least 2-3 times a week. The frequency of stool varies and depends both on the quality and quantity of food and on the state of the nervous system.
Other signs of constipation are difficulty experiencing bowel movements due to dense, dry stool, which injures the walls of the rectum, sometimes causing bleeding. If you have to strain for a long time and forcefully to have a bowel movement, this is also called constipation.
What should be normal?
During night sleep, all the food eaten during the day, digested in the stomach and small intestine, is transported to the large intestine with the help of smooth muscles. When a person wakes up in the morning, he gets out of bed, which in an upright position creates pressure from feces on the ampulla of the rectum, causing irritation of the nerve endings in the mucous membrane, which leads to the formation of the urge to defecate. Breakfast also contributes to this, since the entry of food into the stomach increases intestinal peristalsis. And this is another reason to have breakfast! If you do not ignore the urge, then a timely normal bowel movement will occur, bringing lightness for the entire coming day.
In this regard, it is important for young people to know that, according to the observations of doctors, a person who was not used to defecating before 12 o’clock in the morning in his youth, who ignored the urge to defecate, for example, due to the rush to work or waking up late, has Over time, the sensitivity of rectal receptors decreases and the likelihood of suffering from constipation increases with age.
Features of performing an enema for children
If your baby suffers from constipation, it is quite possible to give him an enema. Only hypertensive enema is prohibited. You can do either cleansing or oil. The volume of water for cleaning procedures varies depending on the age of the child. For infants, 30 ml is enough. Older children are given 100 ml. For younger schoolchildren, 300 ml can be administered.
There is no need to heat the enema composition. The temperature should be between 25 - 27° C. A syringe with a rubber tip is used as a device for introducing liquid. Other details coincide with the procedure in adults.
How to give an enema to a newborn
To give an enema to a newborn, you will need:
- a pre-boiled syringe (rubber bulb) of the smallest size;
- 20-30 ml of water with a temperature slightly cooler than body temperature - 27-30 degrees (cold water can cause intestinal spasms and increase pain, warmer water will be quickly absorbed and will not give the desired result);
- baby cream or Vaseline oil;
- diaper, diaper.
Lay down the diaper and place the baby on his back. Lubricate the tip of the syringe and the area around the baby's anus with baby cream. Squeeze the syringe to release air and fill it with water. Insert the tip of the syringe into the rectum about 1.5 cm and gently, slowly and gradually apply pressure to the bulb until it is empty. Squeeze the child's buttocks and gently remove the instrument. Keep them compressed for a few more minutes, then put on a diaper for your baby and wait for the result. He shouldn't linger.
