Colon cleansing is dangerous – experts
Gastroenterology experts revealed yesterday that colon cleansing is dangerous and could lead to complications and worse, death.
“We are urging the public not to undergo colon cleansing because there is no benefit (in it),” Dr. Frederick Dy, gastrointestinal oncologist said yesterday during the colon cancer awareness forum held in Manila.
Colon cleansing is a therapy claimed to remove non-specific toxins from the colon and intestinal tract.
“We do not advocate it, it is not something that can help you prevent colon cancer. We do not want you guys doing it,” Dra. Judith Gapasin Tongco also said.
According to Tongco, undergoing colon cleansing cannot lead to other diseases but it could lead to complications such as bleeding, gastrointestinal perforation, infection, electrolyte imbalance, and worse death.
Tongco explained that during colon cleansing, which aims to clean the intestines, all sorts of bacteria including the good bacteria that helps with the immune system and provides certain nutrients to the body, can be washed out.
Those good bacteria are helpful in preventing bleeding, Tongco said.
“So si good bacteria that it is there for a purpose, tinanggal mo. May consequences ‘yun. Bukod pa do’n, the act itself of inserting an instrument sa bituka, na blindly, wala namang camera yun e, pwede kang makabutas, pwedeng magdugo ‘yun (it can cause perforation that leads to bleeding,)” Tongco said.
“’Pag nagdugo at hindi nila mapahinto pwedeng maospital ang pasyente (If there’s continuous bleeding, the patient can be hospitalized),” Tongco added.
Aside from that, Tongco stressed, that what’s more scary is it can increase the risk of infection due to the instruments that were inserted into your body, which can be unsanitized.
Colon cleansing defeats its purpose and “it is not a safe practice,” both Tongco and Dy, who are officials of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, said.
“We do not advocate it because the risk outweighs the benefits,” Dy said.
‘Undergo colonoscopy’ In line with the Colon Cancer Awareness Month, the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology further urged the public to get themselves screened to prevent colon cancer as it has been revealed that the country is fastest in the world to increase in mortality rate due to colon cancer.
“We want to express that colon cancer can be detected and prevented. Get yourselves screened so it does not progress to more dangerous matter,” Dy, president of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, said.
Colonoscopy is the process of screening where a tube with a camera is inserted into the digestion tract to look for abnormal tissue or tumors.
Dy further said that colon cancer does not begin as cancer immediately; it starts with preliminary precursors called polyps.
“If left attended, these polyps grow over time, eventually becoming cancer. The occurrence is generally uncommon, bit if someone has symptoms referable to colorectal cancer, no matter the age, they need to see their doctor or better if they consult a gastroenterologist,” Dy said.