For those who have constipation or other health conditions, you may be thinking about performing an enema at home with a bidet. However, an enema is not exactly a walk in the park and it is a medical procedure. You need to be careful.
Is bidet enema safe for your? How to use a bidet as an enema? I will cover every bit of information about this subject in this post to make your own decision. Always consult your doctor before trying to give yourself an enema.
What is an enema?
So, first things first. What is an enema? Enema is a medical procedure that injects the liquid into the rectum to stimulate bowel movement.
It is often used to treat severe constipation if exercise and diet don’t work. It could soften the stool and produce a signal to the brain to push the content out of the rectum. Doctors may also ask you to do an enema before a medical examination of the colon or for medicine delivery purposes.
Can a bidet give you an enema?
Yes, a bidet can give you an enema. The water stream props out from the nozzles or enema kit could help to clean the inside of the rectum, which helps to relieve constipation for you.
If you already have a bidet, then you could have it try if your doctor allows you to DIY an enema at home or you know how to do it properly.
However, not every type of bidet could serve this purpose, and we will cover more on this in the next section.
Which type of bidet can perform enema?
If you are new to the world of bidets, I want to introduce different types of bidets shortly.
Standalone bidet: this is what we often see in the hotels of European countries. It has been existed for hundreds of years and looks like a lower sink that sits next to the toilet. It often consists of a basin, a faucet, a drain, and the water will go out from the faucet, and you have to ride on it to get yourself cleaned.
Electric bidet seat: Many people will refer to the electric bidet seat when it comes to the bidet. Powered by electricity, it would heat the water, control the water pressure, and offer many advanced features. The water stream from the nozzles would move differently to bring you various experiences.
Non-electric bidet: to make things simpler, I put the non-electric bidet seat, handheld sprayer, and bidet attachment into the same category. They don’t use electricity and get the water (both hot water and cold water) from a household water supply.
As I said, some types of bidets can’t be used to perform an enema. So, which one can do the trick?
Most commonly, the handheld bidet sprayer is a suitable option for enema. I want to explain why it is a good choice by analyzing our rectum construction first.
There are two sphincters located at the end of the rectum. The external sphincter can be clenched voluntarily, and we can decide when to poop to some extent. The inner sphincter can’t be controlled by ourselves. It will only relax when the pressure on the rectum wall is high enough.
If you want to open the inner sphincter manually, you have to give it enough pressure, which a probe often comes in handy.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying you can directly use the sprayer head as a probe. That is too big for your anus. But you can buy an extra enema kit to replace the original bidet sprayer head, or the enema kit comes with everything you need so that it can penetrate the sphincters and push water into your rectum.
I highly recommend getting it done in the shower as it is likely to make a mess, especially when you learn to use it. If you don’t perform enema often, you can move the enema to hook on the toilet, and then you can continue to use it as a regular bidet sprayer.
You can find some electric bidets with “enema mode” or “vortex mode.” These modes feature a narrow and strong water stream to stimulate the sphincters, relieve anus pressure, and help treat constipation.
However, it would be challenging for the water stream to get into the colon as the enema kit does. Hence, I don’t think it is an actual bidet enema as you expect. You can have a try, and this mode helps to treat constipation somewhat.
There is some portable bidet with a probe that could do an enema. The downside of these bidets is that you have to fill the water a few times to get the job done.
Is it safe to use a bidet as an enema?
Once you make sure the proper bidet to use for an enema, a question that may haunt you for a while is the bidet enema danger.
Even though going to the hospital is always the best way to perform an enema at home is generally safe as long as you use the right enema solution and clean, sterilized tools. Therefore you should ensure the bidet enema kit you get is made with high-quality FDA-approved material, and the water quality is fit for drinking.
On top of it, there are a few risks associated with home enema. I suggest you keep it in mind.
If the bidet enema kit is not sterilized, it may cause infections. If you do bidet enema too often, it could lead to electrolyte imbalances in the body and take away both good and bad bacterias.
It may also result in hypothermia if the bidet water is too cold or nausea if you inject the water too quickly.
Anyway, if you feel uncomfortable during or after an enema, you should call your doctor immediately.
One thing worth mentioning is that several people can’t do an enema. For instance, people who have a low amount of calcium in the blood or have acute kidney failure can’t take enema generally. More information is available here.
How to perform a bidet enema?
If you have got permission from your doctor, then the next step is learning how to perform a bidet enema in the right way. Don’t be agitated! The learning curve is pretty short.
Step 1: Set a proper bidet water temperature
Water that is too cold or too hot results in adverse effects of enema. Hot water could damage the tissue inside the rectum, and cold water could cause hypothermia.
Water temperature that equals body temperature or slightly above should do the trick, and you can test it with your hand before injecting any enema probe into the sphincters.
If you have a cold water bidet sprayer, you can turn it into a dual-temp model by installing some valves and getting hot water from a sink nearby. It wouldn’t be a big issue for those who live in a hot area since bidet water is unheated, not cold.
Step 2: Clean the nozzle
Using a dirty nozzle for bidet enema may cause infections. Therefore, you should sterilize it before and after each use.
Step 3: Penetrate the nozzle.
Before starting the bidet enema, you should turn it off first. Choose a probe that is likely to meet your needs and slowly penetrate it into the anus. The length inserted should not be over one inch. Take your time, especially when it is your first time doing it.
Step 4: Turn the bidet on and inject water slowly
Once you feel the nozzle is in the correct position, you can gradually let the water in. Usually, a 10-second enema session is good enough to relieve constipation.
If your rectum still can’t start to eliminate the stool, you can repeat the process.
Bottom line
Using a bidet as an enema is possible and safe in general. But there are a few dangers you should keep in mind. Please don’t do it often, and make sure the bidet enema kit is clean. Most importantly, you should ask permission from your doctor.
Not every type of bidet can perform a bidet enema. Usually, a handheld bidet sprayer is your best bet. Follow our instructions in this post to perform a safe and smoothing enema at home.