Is enema really effective in Piles treatment?

Enema is a popular practice in which some liquid is injected through rectum. This frees the bowel movements and the stool passes freely. It is commonly practiced before medical examinations so that the doctor can observe the rectum and inner areas more clearly. It is now being used in some alternative health therapies also.

Adverse effects

• Enema has to be practiced cautiously. If one practices this regularly, it may cause electrolyte imbalance. This may lead to difficulties in passing stools without enema.
• Frequent enemas can damage rectal tissues and this may lead to bleeding while passing stools. Though the cases of internal bleeding caused by frequent enemas are rare, one can’t completely rule out the possibility.
• In case of elder adults who are practicing enema, these ruptures are more common and they can even lead to bacterial infections also.
• The solution present in the enema tube contains a stimulant which affects the working of vagus nerve. Arrhythmia like bradycardia, a medical condition in which heart beats per minute drops below normal can also occur.
• In case of undiagnosed stomachache or abdominal pain, enema should not be given. It may lead to appendix rupture and complicate the matter further.
• In some cases, ozone water is used as an enema solution and this can lead to chronic watery diarrhea.
• It is better not to perform enema soon after bowel surgery.
• Patients suffering from heart diseases should not prefer this method for emptying bowels.

Apart from these complex side effects, bloating and nausea is also observed in several patients. People may vomit also and some users report abdominal pain after performing enema. Most of the disposable enema packets come with sodium phosphate solutions. Even in diluted concentrations, it can cause some side effects which are listed below.

• Blood in urine.
• Burning sensations. Some users even reported tingling sensations also.
• Confusion in taking decisions.
• Drastic fall in overall urine output per day.
• Difficulties in breathing.
• Pain and burning sensation while passing urine.
• Headache and body pains.
• Skin turning into red color. Rashes and itching sensation.
• Swelling can also be observed in some body parts.

If the sodium phosphate is not suitable for you, the side effects are more severe and one needs to consult the doctor immediately in such cases. Some of the severe side effects of sodium phosphate used in enema solutions are

• Stomach cramps which are really painful.
• Vision getting disturbed.
• Chest pain and difficulties in regular breathing.
• Thirsty feeling and dry mouth.
• Unusual increase/decrease in heart rate.
• No mood to eat food. Loss of appetite.
• Muscle cramps and severe body pains.
• Restlessness and weakness.
• Excessive sweating and wrinkles on skin.
• Increase in pulse as well as breathing rate.

Home enemas

The practice of home enemas is increasing as several bands are coming up with disposable enema packets. Though performing enema is easy and legal in most of the countries, it is better not to administer this practice as it can lead to severe health problems. In Japan, disposable enemas even contain glycerin also which can increase the side effects list further.

Enema for Piles patients

The arguments for and against the use of enema in piles patients can be seen even in doctor’s forums also. Even doctors find it difficult to come to a unanimous conclusion. To be frank, the preference differs from person to person. If the piles patient is given enema and he is not facing any problem, then that procedure suited hm. If the enema given is causing more pain in the anus area and is increasing the ruptures, then enema is not suitable in that case. In practical experiences, most of the piles patients won’t prefer performing enema.

Piles Treatment

Diagnosing piles plays a key role in the treatment. In the initial stages, piles can be treated easily and doctors usually recommended applying hemorrhoid cream frequently. In the first two stages there is no need to admit the patient in hospital and it won’t cause any problems in day to day activities. In the third stage, the condition becomes severe and the pain while passing stools is unbearable. Banding is the most preferred method in these cases. The final and last stage is the fourth stage and the doctors prefer surgery or injecting phenol injections. Most of the piles patients consult doctors in the third or fourth stages only as they don’t want to go to hospital to diagnose piles and most of the patients feel it embarrassing to discuss these problems with doctors.

Enema is being performed in the piles patients from long back but this practice is slowly coming down as several other reliable treatment methods are available for piles treatment. Some of them are listed below.

Venotonic drugs: This treatment method is very popular in Europe and is slowly expanding to other regions of the world. Even medical researchers are not able to come to a conclusion on the usage of flavonoid chemicals as all the researches are flawed in one or other way. Most of the patents are satisfied with the results and the doctors (esp. in France) are also preferring this method. More valid researches need to be performed to check the real validity of the Venotonic drugs.

Banding: This procedure is being followed in several parts of the world including the European and American regions. A small rubber band like structure is pinned along the anal walls. This blocks the blood and nutrients supply to the excess grown regions and they die and usually fall off. This is most effective procedure but patients need to suffer from some pain and itching sensation will be there which needs to be controlled psychologically. In more than 78% of cases, this procedure is proven to be effective.

As there are several effective and reliable methods available, doctors opting for enema to relieve pain are reducing day by day. The long list of side effects is one more reason for discouraging this practice. However, enema is performed before banding so that doctors can clearly separate the excess grown regions.

References

https://www.embarrassingproblems.com/problem/piles

https://www.hemorrhoid.net/medication.php

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/fleet-enema-side-effects