Home Treatments For Hemorrhoids
There are several things you can do to treat your hemorrhoids at home:
- Apply ice. Wrap ice or a cold pack in a cloth and apply for about 10 minutes. If you had a hospital or birth center delivery, you may have been given postnatal ice packs to bring home.
- Ask your doctor about over-the-counter treatments. Topical ointments and suppositories may provide relief. Discuss how long it’s acceptable to use a product . Only use a product approved by your healthcare provider. This is exceptionally important if you’ve had an episiotomy or tear.
- Clean the area gently, but thoroughly. Use a peri-bottle filled with warm water. Rather than using dry toilet paper, pat the area with a wet wipe. Hemorrhoid pads that contain witch hazel are often recommended, as well.
- Lie down as much as you can. Take the pressure off your backside.
- Take Tylenol or Motrin . Both are safe painkillers for breastfeeding mothers in the recommended dosages.
- Try a sitz bath. If you don’t already have one, you can purchase one at the drugstore. Sitz baths can be done several times a day. Alternatively, you could simply soak in the bathtub.
- Use unscented and dye-free hygiene products. This includes toilet paper, menstrual pads, etc.
- Add fiber to your diet. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and other foods with fiber. Fiber helps to increase bowel movements.
If you want to speed things along, there are a few other things you can do in addition to your home treatments:
Drinking Plenty Of Water
Dehydration can lead to constipation because water or fluids are needed for the fiber to flow smoothly through the digestive tract. Numerous studies, including one published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, indicate that fluid loss and fluid restriction can increase constipation, which can aggravate the symptoms of hemorrhoids. To relieve constipation and as a way to get rid of hemorrhoids, drink at least a glass of water with each meal and snack of the day.
How To Sleep With Hemorrhoids
The best cure for insomnia is to sleep a lot. Now its deep! When you have hemorrhoids, even simple things like sleep become difficult. Even the deepest sleeper can have insomnia when there is persistent posterior pain. When your hemorrhoids feel irritated or painful, it can be difficult for you to feel comfortable enough to fall asleep. Here are some sleep positions and tips to help you get a calmer nights rest when your hemorrhoids keep you awake at night:
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Solutions You Can Try At Home
Leigh Raviv, WHNP-BC, is a womens health nurse practitioner serving women in New York City.
Hemorrhoids are veins that have become swollen and engorged with blood . Many women experience them for the first time during pregnancy or the postpartum period for several reasons, including a rush of hormones, internal pressure, and constipation.
They can range from irritating to quite painful, but the good news is that for the most part, hemorrhoids arenât serious. Most tend to go away with attentive home treatment.
Is It A Hemorrhoid Or Something Else
Dr. Pickron: Most of the patients we see for anorectal pain don’t have hemorrhoids, but everybody has hemorrhoids to some degree.
Dr. Miller: Most don’t.
Dr. Pickron: Most don’t, but the real causes of pain are more things like fissures, an abscess, and other things that aren’t hemorrhoids.
Dr. Miller: Fissures can be incredibly painful.
Dr. Pickron: They’re horrible.
Dr. Miller: What causes a fissure?
Dr. Pickron: Usually it’s a tear and it happens directly in the front or directly in the back. Most of the time these things heal up just fine, but if they don’t and they get deep enough to where the anal sphincter gets irritated . . .
Dr. Miller: Ouch.
Dr. Pickron: . . . then you get a spasm of that muscle and that prevents the tear from healing and then you just enter this vicious cycle that just won’t quit.
Dr. Miller: So you use different therapies to try to repair that.
Dr. Pickron: Yeah, generally we focus not so much on the tear but on the muscle itself because if we could make the muscle relax and stop the spasm then the tear generally heals just fine on its own.
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Dont Strain When Using The Bathroom
Constipation and straining arent just reasons for needing to use the restroom in the first place, they can also cause painful hemorrhoids in and of themselves. If you need to go but dont seem to be able to go naturally, try using a stool to place your feet on so that youre in a squatting position. This will help the process along.
Getting sleep with hemorrhoids can be difficult, but its not impossible. By following these tips, you can make the process a bit easier and hopefully reduce some of the pain and discomfort that youre currently experiencing. Good luck!
How To Get Immediate Relief From Painful Hemorrhoids
Are you looking for ways to relieve painful hemorrhoids now?
These practical hemorrhoid relief techniques by Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist Michelle Kenway help you relieve pain fast at home.
This Physiotherapy video and information teaches you:
- 9 ways to relieve hemorrhoids fast
- Typical hemorrhoid symptoms
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How To Make Hemorrhoids And Sleeping More Comfortable
It can be hard to get comfortable when you have hemorrhoids, and sleep can be affected. You can manage hemorrhoids at home with some personal care and lifestyle changes in most cases. There are some simple ways to relieve your symptoms.
Push hemorrhoids back in
Sometimes hemorrhoids will stick out of your anus, especially after a bowel movement. If you pass stool before bed, gently push the hemorrhoid back in. With the vein back inside your rectum, the skin is protected, which can help lower your risk of getting a blood clot or a hemorrhoid trapped outside your rectum.
Take a sitz bath before bed
During a sitz bath, you sit in warm, shallow water. Hemorrhoids tend to have crevasses where stool can get stuck and cause skin irritation and itching. A sitz bath can help gently clean the area without having to rub or irritate your skin. The warm water also relaxes your muscles, promotes blood flow, and can ease pain.
Before bed, take a warm sitz bath, then gently pat the area dry with a towel. Dont rub or wipe.
Topical cream
Once you get out of the bath, apply a soothing hemorrhoid cream. You can buy over-the-counter creams and suppositories at your pharmacy. Creams with aloe vera can soothe the skin. A numbing hemorrhoid cream can help with pain.
Clean underwear and loose pajamas
Pain relievers
Stomach sleeping
Pillow between your legs
Easy Ways To Prevent Hemorrhoids
There are a number of easy, healthy ways to incorporate more fiber into your diet. Fiber-filled foods include fruits such as berries, avocados, and pears . Broccoli, artichokes, and Brussels sprouts are among the vegetables that can up your fiber intake. Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal, are also an important source. Legumes, including lentils, various beans, and green peas, are a great way to get fiber. Nuts and seeds make for a great fiber-filled snack, too.
If youâre having trouble getting enough fiber in your regular diet, consider a fiber supplement.
If you experience chronic constipation and suspect that may be contributing to your hemorrhoids, avoid eating too many foods that contain little or no fiber, such as cheese and fast and processed foods.
Drink plenty of water and other fluids. Recommendations for daily water intake vary and depend on the individual, but the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has set adequate intake levels at 2.7 liters for men and approximately 3.7 liters for women. This can come from beverages and food, but caffeinated beverages and alcohol can be dehydrating and should not be counted in reaching this intake goal.
Exercise regularly. Exercise, especially 20 to 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a day, can help keep bowel movements regular. And regular exercise may help you lose weight, which may be contributing to the formation of hemorrhoids.
Other tips for preventing hemorrhoids include:
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The Best Sleeping Position For Hemorrhoids
Have you have heard that most people sleep on their stomachs when they have hemorrhoids? Its a common misconception that this is the best way forward.
But no, sleeping in a prone position is not better for hemorrhoids or Fissures Sleeping on the back and on your side does not in any way aggravate hemorrhoids. These positions do not increase the pressure on hemorrhoids. Those of the anal and rectal zone do not carry the weight of the hips. Its anatomical nonsense. The hips are part of the pelvis, which in turn is part of the skeleton.
Skeletal muscles support the skeleton, not the rectum and the anus . The idea is unsupported and inaccurate.
Sleeping in a prone position is the worst thing for the health of the spine, but it has no effect on hemorrhoids, so it is not the position to sleep in when you have them. To relieve pressure on hemorrhoids and improve your condition, be sure to include the following in your daily routine: plenty of water, soluble and insoluble fiber, and exercise/activity.
A doctor may also advise the temporary use of a stool softener. Carrying out these simple actions will result in less effort and less time spent sitting on the toilet. This is how to relieve pressure on the inner and outer veins of the lower rectum.
What To Wear How To Sleep And Other Practical Tips For Hemorrhoid Sufferers
From chronic itching to excruciating pain, your hemorrhoids may cause a lot of discomfort that can affect your day-to-day activities, as well as your sleep.
At Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center in Creve Coeur, Missouri, our experienced physician, Dr. Betsy Clemens, has more than two decades of experience helping those suffering with hemorrhoids get relief. We want to share with you some of our best at-home treatments to help you manage your hemorrhoid symptoms.
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How Are Hemorrhoids Diagnosed
You likely already know if you have a hemorrhoid. Its often possible to diagnose hemorrhoids just by looking. But if you have internal hemorrhoids, a doctor can perform a quick exam to confirm it. He or she will use a gloved, lubricated finger to feel in and around your rectum. Your doctor may also order a sigmoidoscopy. During a sigmoidoscopy, he or she will insert a small camera to look into your rectum. They also may perform an anoscopy. A small instrument called an anoscope is inserted a few inches into the anus to examine the anal canal.
Its important to see your doctor if you notice bleeding from your rectum. You need to make sure the cause is hemorrhoids and not some other problem. Bleeding from your rectum or anus or bloody stools may be a sign of something more serious such as cancer.
Avoid Rubber Ring Cushions
Sitting on a rubber ring doesnt alleviate painful hemorrhoids in fact it makes swelling and discomfort worse! Sitting on a rubber ring increases pressure within the anus trapping blood flow within the pelvic floor.
A doughnut shaped cushion is a preferable option for elevating the buttocks when sitting.
A towel roll or foam wedge strip placed length ways under each buttock/upper thigh will elevate the buttocks and avoid loading the pelvic floor. Foam wedges can be readily made from foam cut offs.
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Time For Hemorrhoid Removal
Your doctor can tell you about medical procedures to remove or reduce hemorrhoids. You might consider these options if, despite all the ordinary measures, your hemorrhoids continue to bleed, start to bleed or hurt more, or begin to interfere with bowel movements. In the meantime, self-care will get most men through hemorrhoid flare-ups.
When Youre Laying Down
Does laying down make hemorrhoids worse? No, if you are laying down the right way.When you attempt to sleep, you will need to have a good plan so that it wont make yourhemorrhoids worse.
For 9-5 workers who are working at the desk, the hemorrhoids could become more painful atthe end of the day because of the pressure of sitting and standing for a long time. But youshouldnt worry. As long as you know how to reduce the pain, you can take care of it.
The key to reducing the pain of hemorrhoids is to reduce the pressure from the anal canal andthe load off your abdominal weight. To do this, you can simply add a pillow below your kneeswhen lying down. It will reduce the pressure significantly.
If you want to lie down for relaxing activities such as watching your favorite Netflix show, readingyour romance novel, or just taking a nap, you can make yourself comfortable with the trickexplained below.
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What Can You Do For Relief
If you have hemorrhoids, lifestyle changes may help them heal faster. One cause of hemorrhoids is straining during bowel movements. Adding more high-fiber foods to your diet, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, can help soften your stool and make it easier to pass.
You should also drink plenty of water to help relieve constipation and reduce straining during bowel movements.
Here are some additional things that may help relieve symptoms:
- Minimize the time you sit on the toilet.
- When you feel the urge to move your bowels, go as soon as possible.
- Put your feet on a small stool during bowel movements to change the position of your rectum.
- If youre pregnant, sleep on your side. This will help relieve some of the pressure around your anus.
- Ask your doctor about taking a stool softener or a fiber supplement, such as psyllium or methylcellulose . A tablespoon of mineral oil added to food can also help soften stools.
- Keep the anal area clean. Take regular showers, and use moist wipes to clean the area around your anus after you pass a bowel movement.
- Use a sitz bath or sit in a warm tub for a few minutes to bathe the anal area.
You may also try using over-the-counter topical medications to ease discomfort, such as phenylephrine hemorrhoidal gel . These products are used if the hemorrhoids are bulging and inflamed.
Avoid Long Sittings On The Toilet Seat:
This is one of the major causes of piles and the reason of aggravation. Sitting unnecessarily on the toilet seat and getting engrossed in phone and newspaper is a bad trap. Moreover, it will be a big problem as you will lose track of time and spend more than required time scrolling through various social media apps. This will put a lot of pressure on the blood vessels and aggravate pain and swelling.
Speak with your doctor or pharmacist about appropriate pain relieving medication.
Avoid taking oral codeine-based analgesics where possible as these can cause constipation and straining.
Immediate relief can often be obtained by using hemorrhoid ointments/suppositories.
Some ointments contain local anaesthetic and/or hydrocortisone which can alleviate pain and itching. Glycerine suppositories can help lubricate the anal canal and relieve internal hemorrhoids.
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Sleeping On Your Side With Hemorrhoids
Most folks sleep on their sides. It wont be hard for you. But What side do you lay on when youhave hemorrhoids? Some people prefer the left side to the right side. Although the choice isyour personal preference, sleeping on the left side is most recommended by health experts. Itwill help you to reduce the pressure to minimize the risks of hemorrhoids pain. Not to mentionthat it is also good for your digestion.
Sleeping on the side is also a great option for pregnant women. It will be comfortable for bothmom and her baby. The study showed that sleeping on your left side will boost the blood andnutrients which are distributed to the placenta and your baby.
But sitting on one side for a long time would make your arm go numb. It is because the positionputs pressure on your side. It is a good idea to switch sides if you feel numb on one side.
Easy Ways To Add Fiber
The tips below offer some simple ways to add more high-fiber foods to your meals.
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Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast. Eat a wheat bran cereal along with a sliced banana. Or, try peanut butter on whole-wheat toast.
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Eat carrot sticks for snacks. Theyre easy to prepare, taste great, and are low in calories.
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Use whole-grain breads instead of white bread for sandwiches.
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Eat fruits for treats. Try an apple and some raisins instead of a candy bar.
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Analgesia Ointments & Suppositories
Speak with your doctor or pharmacist about appropriate pain relieving medication.
Avoid taking oral codeine-based analgesics where possible as these can cause constipation and straining.
Immediate relief can often be obtained by using hemorrhoid ointments/suppositories.
Some ointments contain local anaesthetic and/or hydrocortisone which can alleviate pain and itching. Glycerine suppositories can help lubricate the anal canal and relieve internal hemorrhoids.
Gradually Increase Your Fiber Intake
Most of us dont get in enough fiber everyday, but adding more high-fiber foods like beans, broccoli, whole grains, and fresh fruit to your diet can help you avoid constipation and stay regular. This in turn reduces the chances that youll find yourself straining and further irritating your hemorrhoids, says Dr. Thomas. Aim for 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day, and consider taking a fiber supplement that contains psyllium or methylcellulose to help you hit your daily goal. If youre typically low on fiber-rich foods, though, take your timesuddenly upping your intake may make you gassy.
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