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Should I Use an Enema Bag?

Enema bags are used to deliver liquid into the rectum for cleansing before rectal examinations, personal hygienic cleansing before intimate activity, and for the treatment of constipation. Enema bags are more flexible than prepackaged enema solutions, and more effective than small-volume methods for administering an enema. While small-volume enemas can be used to cleanse the colon for many of the same purposes, the larger capacity of the enema bag has been shown to be more effective in providing more thorough cleansing of hardened fecal matter and fecal residue from the colon and the rectum.

  1. Constipation

    • Use an enema bag for the treatment of moderately severe constipation as well as the treatment of chronic constipation. Using an enema bag to treat constipation provides for more flexibility in determining which solution is better to use for an enema, depending on the severity of an episode of constipation. Use tap water enemas for cases of moderate constipation. Use enema solutions consisting of mild hand soap and a teaspoon of either Epsom salt or table salt for more severe cases. Enema bags hold a larger capacity of liquid and therefore have the ability to relieve constipation more effectively than smaller-volume enemas such as disposable enemas or enema bulbs.

    Gastrointestinal Examinations

    • Cleansing the digestive tract before medical examinations helps the test to better indicate problems in the digestive tract. Using oral laxatives will clean out the digestive tract within a matter of hours while using a two-quart enema bag will cleanse the lower portion of the colon within a matter of minutes. Employ a variety of enema administration positions, including the knee-chest position, the left- and right-side positions, and the on-the-back position, when you use enemas for cleansing prior to medical examinations.

    Personal Needs

    • Using enemas for cleansing prior to intimate activity can alleviate an embarrassing situation. Use a warm tap water enema from an enema bag to cleanse the anus and rectum of fecal residue even if you are using a condom during intimate activity involving the anus and rectum. One enema bag filled with tap water, retained for five to 10 minutes, and then expelled, will cleanse the rectum so that you can enjoy intimate anal activity with little worry of an embarrassing and messy situation. Expel the enema thoroughly when you are using it for this type of cleansing to avoid leakage of enema solution and fecal matter.

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