All some people want, when they suffer from hemorrhoids, is a quick fix to end the pain and discomfort. Over the counter medications are pretty good at doing that though other remedies and lifestyle changes will provide better long-term benefits (and a potential cure for hemorrhoids) rather than short term fixes. However, in this article, we’ll look at some of the other medications that are available for alleviating “piles” (the correct term for the condition of inflamed hemorrhoids).
Anyone who’s ever suffered with the discomfort and painful symptoms of hemorrhoids, will know very well that, if at all possible, this condition is one to avoid in the future.
The Benefits of Myrrh
Powdered Myrrh and water can make a paste that will reduce hemorrhoid pain. Use equal parts pure water and Myrrh. About a teaspoon of each should be enough. Put this on your hemorrhoids (assuming they’re not too internal) and leave it there for 30 minutes. You can get powdered Myrrh at beauty stores and health food stores.
While the cause of anal discomfort is most likely hemorrhoids, you should always consult with your doctor for verification, especially if you discover any bleeding. Other serious conditions, such as cancer, can cause this as well. For peace of mind, have your symptoms checked by a professional. Don’t be embarrassed. Hemorrhoids are extremely common and your physician will be well acquainted with the condition and its symptoms. If it does turn out to be hemorrhoids, the doctor will be able to give you your best treatment options.
Maintaining Proper Hygiene
Keeping the rectal cavity free of dirt is important if you have hemorrhoids. After each bowel movement, use pre-moistened towelettes (wet-wipes) instead of plain toilet paper.
Another way to relieve symptoms os to take a warm Sitz bath. Give yourself a 20 minute soak.
Add Fiber To Your Diet
Increase your fiber intake. This is best done by adding more fruit and vegetables to your diet (and is a recommended lifetime diet change if you want to control your hemorrhoids rather than letting them control your life!).
If you don’t have a taste for vegetables (particularly) or fruit, then try taking some high-fiber supplements. Don’t take the supplements all in one go; instead, spread them throughout the day. Make sure that you drink plenty of water as well as being properly hydrated is important to your health.
How to Cure Your Internal Hemorrhoids
Witch Hazel is a natural treatment for hemorrhoids. It’s an astringent – a substance that shrinks body tissue and can be bought in pretty much any pharmacy or super center. You should apply the compound sparingly to your hemorrhoids. It’s astringent property will reduce swelling and relieve bleeding.
Occasionally, internal hemorrhoids can be pushed out of the anal opening resulting in what are called prolapsed (or external) hemorrhoids. You can try pushing them back in, but be gentle. You don’t want to inflame them any further! Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands beforehand to reduce the likelihood if introducing any infection.
This is only a temporary measure and serves to protect your hemorrhoids from further irritation and should only be done if they aren’t too swollen. The next thing to do is make an appointment to see your doctor. You’ve reached a stage where you need some medical intervention.
Loosening Your Stools
One reason bowel movements may be uncomfortable is if your stools are very hard. These press more on hemorrhoids as they pass, leading to a lot more discomfort. One way to mitigate this is to have softer stools.
Drinking Aloe Vera juice can loosen stools and make them easier to pass. If you don’t like the taste of Aloe Vera, then mix it with a fruit juice. Apple juice is good.
Before drinking the juice, however, you should carefully read the directions and drink only the recommended dosage. Drinking Aloe Vera juice in excess can cause you to have an upset stomach. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing in this instance.
Using Grape Seed Oil To Reduce Swelling
You can reduce the swelling and pain that hemorrhoids cause by consuming grape seed oil. Any bleeding can be halted as your increased immune response attacks infections that may have contributed to the buildup of hemorrhoids.
Home Enemas
An enema can take away the pain of hemorrhoids. You can make your own enema solution by dicing up two garlic cloves, adding them into two cups of water and boiling the mixture for 30 minutes. Let the water cool to room temperature and then give the enema to yourself with the mixture. You should only do this once per day.
Don’t Further Inflame Your Hemorrhoids – Things To Avoid
- Avoid caffeinated drinks – that includes soft drinks like colas along with coffee and tea.
- Avoid eating spicy or “hot” foods. These foods can hurt your intestines and this result in your hemorrhoids becoming inflamed. Spicy food in particular can exacerbate your hemorrhoids to such an extent that you can feel burning sensations even outside the restroom.
- Don’t delay your bowel movements. When a stool sits in the large intestine, your body continues to absorb water, which can then make it difficult to defecate.
- Straining during a bowel movement is one of the leading cause of hemorrhoids, so never try to force a movement. Adding more fiber to your diet will reduce the likelihood that you’ll need to strain at all.
- As with chicken pox and other skin irritations, hemorrhoids can drive you nuts due to how itchy they can be. No matter how driven you are to scratch, don’t! You could open a wound, suffer even greater pain and you increase the chances that you’ll actually get an infection.
- No matter how much they might itch, never scratch hemorrhoids. The itchiness can be absolutely unbearable, but scratching will only make your condition worse. Although scratching can make a person feel better in the short term, it can also aggravate the hemorrhoids, leading to a delayed healing time. Use treatments to actually cure the itch instead of just placating the itch.
While the actual underlying cause of hemorrhoids is still not understood, straining during bowel movements is a believed to be a major cause of the condition, and will certainly make existing piles worse.
One tip to reduce straining during a bowel movement is to place your feet on a step stool when you’re sitting on the toilet. A properly positioned stool repositions your body from the customary sitting position into more of a squat. This can be of tremendous help in having a pain-free bowel movement.
Squatting is the natural position when defecating. Western-style toilets place the body in an un-natural position and a bit more straining may be required to move a stool. The toilets that we all have in our homes may well be part of the “hemorrhoid” problem.
When Sitting Is A Problem
Inflamed hemorrhoids can make sitting uncomfortable. Any pressure on them will make them even more uncomfortable. Ring cushions can reduce pain by reducing pressure around the anal region and moving it to the buttocks instead.. While you may feel ridiculous sitting on such a cushion, a little embarrassment is worth the physical relief you’ll feel. These cushions are very effective in cars or anywhere you sit in one position for prolonged periods.
The Importance of Water
One simple way to solve hemorrhoid problems is simply to drink more water. Being well hydrated is necessary for your digestive system to function properly, including your ability to have regular bowel movements. When there is an inadequate amount of water in your system, stools can become hard and existing hemorrhoids can then be irritated, and new ones might even erupt. Drink at least ten glasses of water each day and stools will be softer and easier to pass.
Lemon can alleviate hemorrhoid symptoms, so try adding lemon juice to your water.
Conclusion
Gaining a solid understanding of how to treat hemorrhoids should help you in the future if the problem should ever occur again. The above treatments will provide short-term solutions but if you want to know how to cure hemorrhoids permanently, then you need to look at changing your lifestyle.
That would involve permanently increasing the amount of fiber in your diet (more fruit and vegetables). Do some regular exercise – you don’t have to join a gym; a daily half-hour walk will boost your blood flow. This will both aid in digestion and in healing if hemorrhoids should reappear.
If you like hot and spicy food, dial it back. Your intestines and everything below will thank you for it.
And drink a lot. Many people either forget to drink during the day or don’t feel the need to because they don’t feel thirsty. Drink water or flavored water (e.g. with lemon juice) rather than processed drinks like tea, coffee or soft drinks.
Start enjoying your life again and don’t let hemorrhoids dictate how you live it!
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