Hydrocolonic Cleansing

Colonic hydrotherapy is a method of cleansing the colon using a gentle flushing of water, pushed through the colon repeatedly to wash away waste materials like dead cells, impacted feces and parasites. It is believed that these materials poison the body, making people sick without them knowing the cause. Colonics are more popular than ever, with associations springing up heralding their benefits, as well as plenty of media attention.

Process

• Hyrdo colonics are applied to the body through the use of a sterilized hose and pump system, that pushes water through the colon, using low pressure encouragement from the pump. The water washes through the colon, releasing debris and material from the colon, as well as breaking apart food that has not digested. Usually, those performing the hydrocolonic have sterilized the water. The end of the hose, called the speculum, should be a disposable piece to ensure all parts put inside the body are clean. There will be two tubes, one in the anus, and one which will go into the upper digestive track. One tube will flush the water through your system, and the other will drain the fluid from your body. After the cleanse is done, it is likely that your bowels will need to move, so generally the cleanse is done in a room with a bathroom attached.

Number of Treatments

• If you choose to do a colon cleanse, you should get a series of four colonic irrigation treatments within a 2 week period. A colon cleanse is meant to get the right balance of bacteria in the body, so after the initial four treatments, regular cleanses are recommended. A cleansing session will generally take around 45 minutes. After you have your initial series of cleanses, you should follow up every 6 to 12 months.

Dangers

• Be aware of the dangers of colon cleansing before having one performed. While hollistic practitioners say a hydrocolonic cleansing is essential to keeping a healthy immune system, some doctors say that a colon cleansing does nothing at all. It is thought that cleansing the colon ruins the natural balance of bacteria in the digestive tract, leaving your body open to serious infection. If the tools used to cleanse the colon are not sterile, you may be exposed to further infection. Another inherent danger of the hydrocolonic cleanse is the possibility that the body may absorb too much water during the procedure. This could eventually lead to water poisoning, an imbalance of electrolytes in the body. Symptoms of water poisoning include vomiting, intense headaches, dizziness and possible heart failure or shut down of brain activity. One final danger is the possibility of a rupture in the colon from equipment being used for the cleanse.