Best At Home Treatment For Hemorrhoids

How Can I Treat My Hemorrhoids

You can most often treat your hemorrhoids at home by

• taking a stool softener or a fiber supplement such as psyllium or methylcellulose
• drinking water or other nonalcoholic liquids each day as recommended by your health care professional
• not straining during bowel movements
• not sitting on the toilet for long periods of time
• taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin
• sitting in a tub of warm water, called a sitz bath, several times a day to help relieve pain

Applying over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams or ointments or using suppositoriesa medicine you insert into your rectummay relieve mild pain, swelling, and itching of external hemorrhoids. Most often, doctors recommend using over-the-counter products for 1 week. You should follow up with your doctor if the products

• do not relieve your symptoms after 1 week

Most prolapsed internal hemorrhoids go away without at-home treatment. However, severely prolapsed or bleeding internal hemorrhoids may need medical treatment.

Best Overall: Doctor Butler’s Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment

Courtesy of Amazon

• Includes herbs and amino acids

• May not be effective for fissures

Who else recommends it? BestReviews and Health.com both picked Doctor Butler’s Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment.

What do buyers say? 81% of 17,300+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.

We recommend Doctor Butler’s Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment and it’s our top overall choice because it treats a variety of symptoms. It contains lidocaine to numb the pain, phenylephrine to shrink the enlarged veins, and a handful of soothing ingredients like aloe vera and horse chestnut to calm itching and inflammation.

We also like that Doctor Butler’s is formulated as an ointment to help moisturize and protect the painful fissures that often occur with hemorrhoids. Plus, the package includes “finger cots” for easy and mess-free applications.

Active Ingredients: Lidocaine USP , Phenylephrine HCl | Dose: Apply to affected area up to three times daily | Uses: Treats hemorrhoids and fissures while offering pain and itching relief

What Are Some Common Home Remedies For Hemorrhoids

There are plenty of home remedies that can help treat hemorrhoids, but they might not all work for you equally well. These home remedies for hemorrhoids may help soothe your discomfort and pain.

Some home remedies include:

Also Check: What Kind Of Doctor Do You Go To For Hemorrhoids

Think About What You Will Use It For Before Buying The For Hemorrhoid Treatment

A new product has just hit the market, and you are looking to buy it. Before buying it, think about what you will use this product for. It is important because if this best product does not suit your needs, it may be a waste of money!

Do you need something that can carry heavy loads? If so, maybe look at another option. Is space an issue? Then this might not be the right choice. Think about what you need before purchasing anything, so you don’t end up with something useless or too good for its intended purpose!

Have a look at them now and see if any apply to you-and. Don’t forget these questions as well! Make sure that whichever device or tool you buy gets used regularly otherwise, it might be better off in someone else’s hand.

Best Soak: Thena Natural Wellness Organic Sitz Bath Soak

Courtesy of Amazon

• Made with soothing, natural oils

• Safe to use during pregnancy

• May irritate sensitive skin

A sitz bath can be an incredibly soothing treatment for hemorrhoids and postpartum care, with both the warm water and the Epsom salts content working wonders for irritated, delicate skin.

This sitz bath made by Thena, which includes Epsom salts and dead sea salt as well as nourishing coconut and magnesium oils, is both soothing and healing, reducing inflammation while repairing tissue damage. It can be dissolved into a special sitz device or simply blended into a warm bath within your tub.

Active Ingredients: 100% pure natural Epsom salts, 100% pure natural dead sea salt, organic coconut oil, and other natural oils | Dose: 1/2 cup for a sitz bath | Uses: Hemorrhoid relief during a sitz bath

• Offers itch and pain relief

• Can stain clothing

While the first line of defense for most people with hemorrhoids is medicated creams and ointments, pregnant women have to take a pause before running to the pharmacy for an OTC drug.

“The topical hemorrhoidal agents have not been fully assessed for safety in pregnancy,” says Matthew Bechtold, MD, a University of Missouri Health Care gastroenterologist. “Even though it’s unlikely that the ingredients in topical hemorrhoidal agents will harm the third-trimester infant, a discussion needs to be had between you and your obstetrician regarding therapy.”

Recommended Reading: What To Do If You Are Constipated And Have Hemorrhoids

Best Treatment For Hemorrhoids At Home

As adults, most people who are diagnosed with hemorrhoids will have a persistent complaint over their life and would be actively looking for best treatment for hemorrhoids at home.

Typically, by middle age, half of the population is suffering from at least one of the typical symptoms, including rectal itching, hemorrhoid bleeding, and even prolapsed hemorrhoids.

Some people choose to purchase creams, suppositories and suppository sprays over-the-counter as well as prescription medications and topical anesthetic ointments to treat hemorrhoids swelling.

This is because these over-the-counter treatments are less expensive and because they can be purchased at a local drug store. The downside of purchasing over-the-counter over-medication is that they dont address the underlying causes of hemorrhoids, so they are only temporary relief. These medications can also lead to side effects that may not only affect your daily activities, but can also lead to more serious conditions.

Six Ways To Treat Hemorrhoids From Home

Having a hemorrhoid flare-up can be more of a minor annoyance than a major medical event, but its still just that annoying. The good news is that hemorrhoids arent a condition that you just have to live with.

The National Institutes of Health report that about half of people over the age of 50 have hemorrhoids. Fortunately, according to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons most of these can be treated without surgery.

Common causes of hemorrhoids include straining while having a bowel movement, frequent bowel movements, chronic diarrhea or constipation, a low-fiber diet, obesity and pregnancy. Sitting for long periods of time on the toilet can also contribute toward hemorrhoids so its best to avoid extended time on the commode with a cell phone or other reading material!

Hemorrhoids are actually fairly common but usually go away within a week with proper care at home, said Brittany Houston, DO, a resident physician at Samaritan Internal Medicine Corvallis. The key is not to ignore the symptoms and start self-care right away. First-line treatments like changing your diet, fluid intake and bowel habits are especially important. Houston recommends the following tactics to try at home.

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Ronald Hsu Md Facg Facp Dds

Sutter Roseville Medical Center

Its impossible to ignore the painful, itchy and sometimes alarming symptoms that accompany hemorrhoids. If you struggle with this common problem, youre not alone. The National Institutes of Health estimates 75 percent of adults ages 45 and older have dealt with hemorrhoids at some point in their lives.

Hemorrhoids are rectal veins that become swollen and distended, sometimes turning into an engorged hemorrhoid containing a blood clot. Most of the time, people discover a hemorrhoid by feeling a lump or protrusion when wiping after a bowel movement. Anything that increases pressure inside the abdomen can inflame rectal veins. Straining during a bowel movement, particularly if you constantly strain due to chronic constipation, is a common culprit.

Its aggravating to deal with hemorrhoids, but fortunately, you can often manage the condition with simple home treatments, says Ronald Hsu, M.D., a gastroenterologist with Sutters Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

If you have a sedentary lifestyle and eat a low-fiber diet, its time to make some changes so you wont have to deal with hemorrhoids again, Dr. Hsu says.

Can You Use Home Remedies To Treat Hemorrhoids Without A Doctor

There are few effective home remedies for hemorrhoids to help you get relief from pain and discomfort. While its possible to get relief from hemorrhoids with these home remedies, it’s also important to remember to see your doctor if you have bleeding during bowel movements or your hemorrhoids dont improve after a week of home care.1 Some other conditions can cause rectal bleeding, so it’s vital to check with your doctor if that’s the case. If your condition worsens or you experience large amounts of bleeding, light headedness or dizziness, seek emergency care.1

Recommended Reading: Why Do Hemorrhoids Itch So Much

Medical Procedures For Hemorrhoids That Wont Go Away

If hemorrhoids dont go away with home treatments, medical procedures may be necessary.

Doctors office procedures for internal hemorrhoids those located inside the rectum may include:

Rubber Band Ligation This is the most commonly performed hemorrhoid procedure in the United States. In this procedure, which can be used for grades 1, 2, and 3 internal hemorrhoids , the doctor places a small rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid, which can be done when your doctor performs an anoscopy examination to better visualize the hemorrhoids. The rubber band cuts off the hemorrhoids blood supply.

The procedure typically causes the hemorrhoid to shrink and fall off within about a week, though several short visits to your doctor may be necessary to completely get rid of the hemorrhoid. Minor bleeding and a feeling of pressure may occur, but this can usually be alleviated with OTC pain relievers. This procedure is not associated with significant recovery time.

Sclerotherapy In this quick, often painless procedure, the doctor injects a chemical into the hemorrhoidal blood vessel, causing scar tissue to form in order to shrink the hemorrhoid. The principle behind this is the same as rubber band ligation, though its not always as effective. This procedure can be used in patients taking blood thinners, for whom rubber band ligation may not be recommended.

RELATED: 4 Signs Your Hemorrhoids Warrant a Doctors Visit

Hemorrhoids By The Numbers

• Around 20 million people in the United States suffer from hemorrhoids .
• In 2004, the National Institutes of Health noted that the diagnosis of hemorrhoids was associated with 3.2 million ambulatory care visits, 306,000 hospitalizations and 2 million prescriptions in the United States.
• The peak incidence of hemorrhoids is between the ages of 4565. Development of hemorrhoids before the age of 20 is unusual.
• The risk of developing hemorrhoids is higher in white adults than in black adults, higher in women than in men and higher for women who are pregnant.

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Best Overall: Doctor Butlers Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment

Courtesy of Amazon

• Includes herbs and amino acids

• May not be effective for fissures

We recommend Doctor Butlers Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment and its our top overall choice because it treats a variety of symptoms. It contains lidocaine to numb the pain, phenylephrine to shrink the enlarged veins, and a handful of soothing ingredients like aloe vera and horse chestnut to calm itching and inflammation.

We also like that Doctor Butlers is formulated as an ointment to help moisturize and protect the painful fissures that often occur with hemorrhoids. Plus, the package includes finger cots for easy and mess-free applications.

Active Ingredients: Lidocaine USP , Phenylephrine HCl | Dose: Apply to affected area up to three times daily | Uses: Treats hemorrhoids and fissures while offering pain and itching relief

• By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Mens Health Watch

Hemorrhoids are painful, unpleasant, and, um, well, difficult to talk about. But they actually are quite common: about half of people over age 50 have had them. However, theyre easy to treat and manage.

Hemorrhoids can be troublesome and embarrassing, but they often shrink on their own with simple self-help care and over-the-counter remedies, says Dr. Howard LeWine, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

When To See A Healthcare Provider

See your healthcare provider if:

• You have rectal bleeding, especially if it’s the first time.
• Your symptoms are new or get worse.
• You see more blood than usual.
• You still have symptoms after one week of home treatment.
• You have questions or concerns.

Seek immediate medical attention if:

• You are losing or have lost a lot of blood.
• Your symptoms are accompanied by abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, or fever.
• You feel dizzy, light-headed, or faint, especially with bleeding.
• You think it is an emergency.

Hemorrhoids can’t always be prevented, but some measures that may help include:

• Eating a high-fiber diet
• Getting enough non-caffeinated and nonalcoholic fluids
• Going to the bathroom as soon as you feel the urge to pass a bowel movement
• Avoiding straining during bowel movements
• Avoiding regular heavy lifting

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Surgery And Other Procedures

For cases that do not respond to home treatments, your doctor may recommend other procedures:

• Rubber band ligation. A tiny rubber band is placed around an internal hemorrhoid, which cuts off the blood supply and causes the hemorrhoid to fall off.
• Sclerotherapy. Used to treat varicose veins, in this procedure a chemical solution is injected into the vein, which causes the hemorrhoid to collapse.
• Doppler guided hemorrhoidal artery ligation. A relatively new procedure to help safely treat hemorrhoids.
• Surgery. If other options fail, your doctor may recommend a hemorrhoidectomy.
• Diode laser. This laser surgery requires less operation time, less pain and bleeding, and speeds healing time.

Final Thoughts On How To Get Rid Of Hemorrhoids

• Hemorrhoids are a very common anorectal condition that affects millions of people around the world.
• Enlarged hemorrhoids are often associated with symptoms such as itching, mucus discharge or bleeding. Bleeding happens when hard stool damages the thin walls of the blood vessels in hemorrhoids.
• Avoidance of constipation is key when trying to get rid of hemorrhoids. Its important that you dont strain while using the bathroom, dont sit for an excessive period of time and clean yourself thoroughly when finished.
• Foods and herbal supplements that help relieve constipation can alleviate the symptoms of hemorrhoids. A high-fiber diet and drinking plenty of fluids are the most helpful dietary changes that you can make when it comes to how to get rid of hemorrhoids.
• If non-medical treatments dont work, there are relatively painless procedures that can be done to treat hemorrhoids. For extreme cases, an outpatient surgery called a hemorrhoidectomy may be required.

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Home Remedies For Hemorrhoids

• See your doctor

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When To Seek Medical Attention For Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids usually clear up on their own or with at-home care however, in rare cases, they require medical attention.

If you experience chronic hemorrhoid symptoms and bleed frequently with bowel movements or hemorrhoid irritation, this can increase the risk of anemia.

Internal hemorrhoids, which may not cause some of the common hemorrhoid symptoms, can have the blood supply cut off and lead to extreme pain.

If you have been trying to manage hemorrhoid symptoms at home for more than two weeks, see a medical provider for an evaluation.

If you notice rectal bleeding for the first time, with or without other symptoms of hemorrhoids, speak to a medical provider.

Also Check: How Do I Stop Hemorrhoids From Bleeding

Best Bath Soak: Better Bath Better Body Sitz Bath Soak

Sprinkle this soothing Epsom salt soak right into your sitz bath. Pure juniper essential oil and pure niaouli essential oil combine with Epsom salt, which is one of Dr. Nazarian’s favorite ingredients for hemorrhoid relief, to reduce pain, cleanse, and support blood vessel function, as well as to reduce swelling. This all-star combination is what’s earned this bath soak its 4.7-star rating on Amazon.

“I have very sensitive skin especially in the ‘sitz bath department,’ even psoriasis,” a reviewer shares. “I am reluctant to use any product that has a fragrance. But I needed something desperately for hemorrhoids, so I ordered this and a seat for the toilet. I have had zero irritation from it and it is helping my problem.”