While most natural health methods are purely natural and it is a rare occurrence for anyone to come to harm using such methods, however, there has been a move towards the individual or a non-professional using an anal speculum in the process of colonic irrigation. The use of a surgical instrument in such delicate areas is really inadvisable for someone who is a non-professional and who has not had training in the use of surgical instruments. While colonic irrigation may be a legitimate and worthwhile process in many cases, it is unwise for someone to undertake this procedure using an anal speculum unless they have been properly trained to do so.

The rise of the internet and widespread, what may have been regarded as perverse sexual practices has meant that an increasing number of people either pull hair or tear delicate skin the vaginal or anal area through the improper use of an anal speculum. While such instruments may be used by doctors or midwives for examination or to determine the level of dilation of a mother in labour, their use for personal, sexual gratification should be avoided.

Anal Speculum as a sexual toy

Some people see an anal speculum as another form of sexual toy and don’t realise that its indiscriminate use can result in severe and possibly permanent injuries to the anus and rectal area and especially to the labia of a woman’s vagina. An anal speculum is not a sexual toy, it is a surgical instrument and should be handled as such. When an untrained person involves themselves in the use surgical instruments for personal pleasure it is possible that they could cause themselves or their partner some significant damage. Some health professionals have said that men and women should use an anal speculum or vaginal speculum to learn more about their bodies but this well meaning advice has often resulted in skin tears and other accidents.

The anal speculum was first devised hundreds of years ago, most sources say in Ancient Greece. The instrument was designed to help the physician learn more about the human body so that they could diagnose and possibly prevent potential problems and it should be used with care.

Uses of the Speculum

• The speculum is used to diagnose various conditions including haemorrhoids or piles, anal fissure, polyps, Crown’s disease and cancer of the bowel. There are different types of specula depending on what is being investigated and which part of the rectal area the doctor needs to see.

Different types of Anal Speculum

The most commonly used anal speculum is a tubular shape with a bullet nosed insert. The top is covered in water soluble jelly and inserted in the anus and up into the rectum before the tubes or blades are opened out to dilate the area, The tubular speculum is the oldest type of speculum, sometimes referred to as the anoscope it is one of the earliest types of surgical instrument. Other types of speculum include the following:

• Czemy – the czemy is a single bladed anal speculum
• Two bladed anal specula include the following types, many of which are designed for specific purposes.
• Smith Suie – Pratt – Killian – Sims – Roschke – Bodenhammer – Barr – Ricord
• Three bladed specula allow the doctor a better view of the rectum and include the following different types.
• Cook – Mathieu – Alan Park

The many different types of anal speculum are used for different purposes, for example, if a patient is suffering from haemorrhoids, which are swollen veins, the tubular speculum will give the doctor ample sight for the job of tying off the veins so that they eventually wither and drop off. The tying method is preferable to surgery because there is less chance of infection or post operation blood clots occurring.

Double and triple bladed specula may be needed to explore the rectum and for the insertion of another surgical instrument if required. A doctor may wish to take a biopsy to see whether a polyp or tumour is cancerous. A biopsy involves a local anaesthetic so that the doctor can insert a scalpel and take off a piece of the tissue that needs to be sent for analysis. Doctors may also take a biopsy if there is an anal fissure and Crohn’s disease os sis[acted. Some natural health practitioners suggest that the personal use of an anal or vaginal speculum can help individuals to better understand their bodies, but there are dangers to non-professional use of a anal speculum.

The first recorded use of the speculum is from Ancient Greece and its use was later taken up by the Romans, mostly for vaginal examinations, speculum artifacts have been found by archeologists in Pompeii. The first actual vaginal speculum was developed from the original instrument design by Manon Sims, it was a cylindrical device with a rounded end divided into two by a hinged device. The speculum is inserted into the vagina or in this case the anus and is used to dilate the area so that the doctor can identify what the problem might be.

Stainless Steel Anal Speculum

The original speculum would have been made from stainless steel and this continued up until recently, stainless steel was easy to sterilise. Modern hospitals tend to use plastic specula, which are sterile, disposable instruments that are only intended to be used once, cutting the risk of transferring infection, which was a real problem in the early days of the device. However, the speculum that is used in the operating theatre, though sterile, is often made of stainless steel as in the past,

Types of Specula

Whereas the ancient world had only one type of speculum, nowadays there are different types, depending on what they are being used for. The tube/tubes or what are often called the blades of the device are the things that allow the doctor to see the area under investigation. The anus is dilated to the point where, if necessary, other surgical instruments can be introduced into the area. This type of procedure is necessary when the doctor takes a biopsy, a portion of the area under investigation, so that it can be sent for analysis to determine whether cancer or something such as Crohn’s disease is present.

An anal speculum may have one, two or three, tubes or blades, depending on the type of investigation. The different types of blades are then further sub-divided to enable various procedures.

The speculum is widely used to diagnose vaginal as well as anal and rectal problems. Most people will have their initial appointment with their family doctor, unless they have already been referred to a specialist because the doctor suspects that the patient may have a serious problem. The use of an anal speculum is actually less prevalent than the use of a vaginal speculum. Many women nowadays attend their doctor’s surgery at least once every five years for a vaginal smear test, which is undertaken with a speculum.

The most common type of anal spectrum, the anoscope, is a tubular shaped device with a bullet nosed insert that is removed once the anoscope is in place, this particular design of spectrum is one that has been in use for hundreds of years.

The anal speculum is a bladed instrument that dilates the vagina or the anus. A speculum was designed to allow the physician to see into the anal cavity and up into the rectum to determine whether there is a problem and what that might be. The bullet shaped part of an anal speculum is covered in water soluble jelly, once the speculum is in the bullet shaped insert is removed and the doctor can open the blades to make the anal opening wide enough for him to see the problem.

There are many conditions where an anal speculum is needed, if a patient has unexplained discomfort in or bleeding from that area there is usually a problem that needs medical investigation. Specula are often made of steel but in modern hospital emergency departments may be made from a heat resistant plastic. Specula come in tubular, one, two and three bladed types depending on what the doctor is investigating.

Anal Speculum Conditions

Conditions may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Hemorrhoids or piles – swollen veins that often protrude from the anus or opening to the rectum. Piles are seen as a bit of a joke but it can be an extremely painful condition. Using an anal speculum the doctor can easily reach the veins, the most common treatment is to place a rubber band around the pile so that it eventually shrivels and drops off, avoiding excessive bleeding or dangerous blood clots..

• Anal fissure – a tear or split in the anal area that may or may not include part of the rectum. The most problematic thing about anal fissures is keeping them clean. A course of antibiotics is usually prescribed and sometimes a stitch may be needed, in some cases the anal fissure may be a symptom of another, underlying condition

• Biopsy – If a patient has a swelling or lump in the area that has not been diagnosed as piles, a doctor will usually take a small piece of tissue from the affected area, the biopsy, and have it analysed to see whether or not it is malignant or cancerous. This can help in the diagnosis of bowel cancer and in other conditions such as Crohn;s disease, which is an immune system disorder affecting the lower intestine and the bowel.

• Polyps – a polyp is often a non-malignant lump that will still need testing and is often removed as it can cause unnatural bleeding.

Be Careful When Using an Anal Speculum