Related Conditions And Causes Of Hemorrhoids
Gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and diarrhea can lead to or worsen hemorrhoids. The prolonged sitting or straining that may occur when you’re dealing with these issues puts pressure on the hemorrhoidal tissue.
Hemorrhoids also often develop during pregnancy. This is similarly due to greater pressure in the area but can also be due to an increase in blood volume and as a result of hormonal changes that increase the likelihood of swelling. Constipation during pregnancy is a common cause of hemorrhoids.
Solving The Fiber Puzzle
More fiber and lots of water is a quick answer to what you should include on the menu if youre worried about hemorrhoids. Fiber comes in two types, however, and its the soluble fiber that keeps your stools soft but well-formed and easy to pass.
Found in foods like oats, soluble fiber dissolves into a gel-like substance when mixed with the water thats added during the digestive process. The second type of fiber is insoluble, sometimes called roughage. It adds bulk to your stool and keeps things moving through your system, but it does not dissolve.
Generally, Dr. Clemens recommends that about one-third of your daily fiber intake consist of soluble fiber. Many fiber-rich foods contain both types of fiber. And youll need 8-10 large glasses of water per day to keep all this fiber moving through your system.
Why You Get Hemorrhoids: You Don’t Get Enough Fiber And Water
Anything that limits your time in the bathroom and makes your stools more pliable is a good thing, says Dr. Bernstein. Fiber has been touted endlessly as a make-you-go tool, and for good reason: Fiber adds bulk to your digestive system, shortening the time it takes for waste to travel through the colon.
Water, too, speeds the process by keeping your intestines smooth and flexible.
Ideally, your poop should be soft and easy to pass, Dr. Bernstein says. Check out the Bristol Stool Chart for some insight on how you rate.
Anything that involves having to push is usually an indication that youre not as hydrated as you could be, adds Dr. Bartlett.
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What Do I Do If These Dont Work
If youve been trying these methods for a few weeks and youre still experiencing discomfort, you may want to talk with a colorectal specialist. They may prescribe medication, but if symptoms are severe, you may have a more serious case of hemorrhoids in which case surgery may be necessary.
Usually, women who are pregnant or just gave birth, and lifestyle choices can cause small cases of hemorrhoids, which can be treated with medication and some at-home remedies. But more serious cases tend to be genetic and with an older demographic.
What Natural Home Remedies Soothe Or Cure Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoid symptoms of pain and itching can be treated at home by doing the following.
Warm Sitz Baths
- Sitting in a few inches of warm water three times a day for 15 to 20 minutes may help decrease the inflammation of the hemorrhoids.
- It is important to dry off the anal area completely after each Sitz bath to minimize irritation of the skin surrounding the anus.
Dietary Changes
- Increased fluid intake and dietary fiber will decrease the potential for constipation and lessen the pressure on the rectum and anus during a bowel movement, minimizing further swelling, discomfort, and bleeding. Dietary fiber supplements also may help bulk up the stools
Stool Softeners
- Stool softeners may help. A health-care professional or a pharmacist are good resources to discuss their use.
Exercise
- Individuals with hemorrhoids should not sit for long periods of time and may benefit from sitting on an air or rubber donut available at most local pharmacies.
- Exercise is helpful in relieving constipation and in decreasing pressure on the hemorrhoidal veins. Individuals should be encouraged to have a bowel movement as soon as possible after the urge arises and not sit on the toilet for long periods of time. Once that urge passes, stools can become constipated and straining with a bowel movement may occur.
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Is Vaseline Good For Hemorrhoids
Vaseline can be used as a temporary treatment for hemorrhoids.
As long as Vaseline is not applied to open, irritated skin, its safe for most people. Excessive use of petroleum jelly in the sensitive and delicate anal area may lead to further irritation.
So if you have hemorrhoids or are prone to them, Vaseline should be used with care.
The fact that Vaseline has soothing effects on any kind of soreness makes it an attractive treatment option for the discomfort from hemorrhoids.
However, it is important to remember that abdominal stress can aggravate piles so gentle and soothing application should be sought instead of full-on applications which may worsen rather than alleviate pain in this case.
Find Relief For Your Hemorrhoids
When hemorrhoids dont respond to changes in your diet, it might be time to consider a simple medical procedure to remove your hemorrhoids once and for all. To learn more about hemorrhoid treatment options that can help you find relief, call one of our offices or schedule a visit using our online form.
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Some Home Cures And Remedies For Hemorrhoids
In many cases, proper medicinal treatment needs to be followed in order to cure hemorrhoids. However, small hemorrhoids can be cured by following the below-listed things:
- Eating a fiber-rich diet, including vegetables and fruits
- Application of certain cream in the affected area, after consultation with a doctor
- Soak yourself regularly in warm water for at least 10 minutes
- Take normal pain reliever tablets, if the pain goes in extreme and then consult a doctor
- Avoid eating fast food, cheese, chips, frozen or processed food, because it tends to increase the existing hemorrhoids into severe ones
If your hemorrhoids are leaving you in utter distress and discomfort for a long time, then it is better to consult a doctor. Home remedies can cure hemorrhoids if it is been recognized at the start. However, do not hesitate to visit a doctor, if your situation worsens or you feel the need to consult one. Hemorrhoids are curable and with the proper care and treatment, they can go away. All you need to do is take proper food that is recommended and avoid the ones which can cause more trouble!
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What Are The Causes Of External Hemorrhoids
The most common cause of hemorrhoids is repeated straining while having a bowel movement. This is often caused by severe cases of constipation or diarrhea. Straining gets in the way of blood flow into and out of the area. This results in the pooling of blood and enlargement of the vessels in that area.
Pregnant women may also be at an increased risk of hemorrhoids because of the pressure that the uterus places on these veins.
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Treatment For Hemorrhoid Flares
If these preventive measures fail, you must take action right away! Hemorrhoids are one condition that can be mild in the morning and become intolerable by nightfall.
Most hemorrhoidal flares take several weeks to calm down. These hemorrhoids treatment suggestions can help:
Warm soaks. This helps more than any topical medication. Use up to 8 times a day. Usually sitz baths or sitting in a warm bathtub helps. Sitting on moist warm towels is helpful. Switching to ice packs/cool compresses can be helpful.
Normalize your bowels. Extremes of diarrhea or constipation will make hemorrhoids worse. One soft bowel movement a day is the goal. Fiber can help get your bowels regular.
Wet wipes instead of toilet paper.
Pain control with a NSAID such as ibuprofen or naproxen or acetaminophen . Narcotics are constipating and should be minimized if possible.
Topical creams contain steroids or local anesthetic can help make pain and itching more tolerable.
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Not Managing Your Stress And Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are the bodys natural responses when youre facing danger so it goes into survival mode to help you fight or flee. When your body is in this state, it slows down the non-crucial functions at that moment like digestion. This state is only supposed to last momentarily until you escape danger and then the body resumes its normal functioning.
When youre constantly stressed out or anxious, digestion is interfered with and it results in constipation. Constipation strains the rectum and anus so if you already have hemorrhoids, they flare up.
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Things That Increase Your Risk
- Constipation or diarrhea that does not go away. These conditions may lead to straining with bowel movements.
- Being overweight
- A family history of hemorrhoids. You may inherit the tendency to get them.
- Being age 50 or older. Half of people who are older than 50 seek treatment for hemorrhoids.
- Pregnancy and labor and delivery. As the fetus grows during the last 6 months of pregnancy, blood volume and pressure on pelvic blood vessels increase. The strain of labor also can cause hemorrhoids to start or get worse.
- Liver disease, heart disease, or both. These conditions may cause blood to back up in the pelvis and abdomen.
Effective Treatment Of External Hemorrhoid Symptoms
If you have external hemorrhoidal symptoms, the CRH System can likely help. Most of these external symptoms actually come from the internal hemorrhoids. For those patients whose symptoms include external hemorrhoidal swelling banding of the internal hemorrhoids is typically an effective treatment! Patients will often see a significant decrease in the size of their external hemorrhoids after treatment, along with decreased swelling with straining and bowel movements! Surgery is needed only in the most severe cases in fact, around 90% of patients with external complaints are helped with internal banding.
Some patients with external symptoms will be found to have an anal fissure in addition to their hemorrhoids. These fissures, or tears of the lining of the anus, can cause significant pain and bleeding. Typically patients with anal fissures are given topical medication for this problem, while the CRH System is able to treat the patients associated hemorrhoids.
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Why Do I Get Hemorrhoids
Have you heard that hemorrhoids are caused by sitting on a cold, wet surface? Or that you got them because you ate too much spicy food? Or that its a condition only older populations have to worry about? False, false and false again, Schmaing says.
The truth is that the exact method of hemorrhoid formation is unknown, she explains.
All that said, the experts do have some pretty good hunches about what may be triggering your latest flare-up. The most likely causes are increased pressure in your abdomen and pelvis, as well as a natural weakening of the body tissue surrounding your veins, which allows them to bulge.
Thats why hemorrhoids often occur in pregnant women, people who lift heavy objects like weightlifters and those who repeatedly push or strain to do their business, often due to constipation or diarrhea.
It also explains why many people think that piles are only a concern as you age. While its most common between the ages of 45 and 65, unfortunately, the reality is that you can get hemorrhoids at any age.
Even though what you eat or dont eat doesnt directly cause hemorrhoids, your diet can also play a huge role. For example, if you dont consume enough water or fiber, youre more likely to become constipated. With all that increased straining, well, you see how this all flushes out.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of An External Or Thrombosed Hemorrhoid
Thrombosed external hemorrhoids are a painful condition. These occurs when a blood clot develops in a hemorrhoidal blood vessel causing swelling and inflammation.
- When a blood clot occurs in a hemorrhoid, the hemorrhoid will become even more swollen. This swelling leads to increased pain.
- The pain is usually worse with bowel movements and may increase with sitting.
A thrombosed external hemorrhoid may resolve on its own however, this condition often needs medical care. Bleeding with a bowel movement is never normal and should prompt a visit to a health-care professional. While hemorrhoids are the most common cause of bleeding with a bowel movement, there may be other reasons for bleeding including inflammatory bowel disease, infection, and tumors.
Hemorrhoids are not arteries or veins, but instead are normal blood vessels called sinusoids that are located in the walls that surround the rectum and anus. When the venous pressure within these blood vessels increases, the hemorrhoids swell and dilate, because it is more difficult for blood to empty from them. This leads to the most common symptoms of bleeding and swelling.
Common situations that increase pressure within the hemorrhoidal blood vessels and lead to abnormalities include the following.
- Straining to have a bowel movement. This may be due to constipation or diarrhea.
- Prolonged sitting, including on the toilet
- Lack of exercise
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What Creams Can Be Used
Anti-inflammatory creams and pastes containing ingredients like zinc and panthenol, or herbal substances like witch hazel and aloe vera, are often recommended for the treatment of hemorrhoids. These aim to relieve skin irritations and itching.
Some doctors also prescribe ointments to numb the skin locally, for example with the drug lidocaine. Steroid creams are sometimes used to reduce the inflammation too. These should only be used for a limited amount of time.
How To Deal With Hemorrhoid Flare Ups
by Robert Cutler, D.O. | Dec 5, 2018 | Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids happen to the best of us. They can occur as we get older and can come in two forms: internal and external. If youve had hemorrhoids in the past then you probably know what its like to treat them, especially if they come back frequently. Here are some tips for dealing with aggravated flare ups and how to avoid them. And proper hemorrhoid treatment is available when you have a flare up.
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Who Is At Risk For External Hemorrhoids
If your parents have had hemorrhoids, you may be more likely to have them as well. Hemorrhoids may also be caused by pregnancy.
As we age, hemorrhoids can occur due to increased pressure caused by sitting a lot. And anything that causes you to strain during bowel movements can lead to external hemorrhoids.
If youre not sure what the cause of your hemorrhoids may be, your doctor might be able to determine why.
Consuming Too Much Sugar
The more sugar that you consume, the more likely you may become constipated and have difficulty using the bathroom. If constipation occurs, it significantly increases your risk of receiving hemorrhoids.
Although many things can be tweaked to improve your diet and lifestyle, the routines above are some of our simplest fixes. By changing these daily routines and creating new habits, this will hopefully lessen your chance of developing hemorrhoids in the future.
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Are Suppositories An Option
Some drugs can also be used in the form of normal suppositories, or suppositories with gauze inserts . These are inserted into the anus, where they stay and release the drug unlike normal suppositories that release the drug further up the bowel. It’s not clear whether suppositories can relieve the symptoms of enlarged hemorrhoids.
How Do You Stop Hemorrhoids From Flaring
Here are six self-help tips to ease hemorrhoid pain and promote healing:
Home remedies
- Eat high-fiber foods. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Use topical treatments. Apply an over-the-counter hemorrhoid cream or suppository containing hydrocortisone, or use pads containing witch hazel or a numbing agent.
- Soak regularly in a warm bath or sitz bath.
- Take oral pain relievers.
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How Do You Know If You Have A Hemorrhoid Or Something Else
Any new rectal bleeding or heavy rectal bleeding, especially in someone over age 40, should be evaluated.Hemorrhoid symptoms may include finding bright red blood on your toilet paper or seeing blood in the toilet after a bowel movement. Other common symptoms include rectal pain, pressure, burning, and itching.
How Can You Prevent Constipation
To avoid constipation and straining during bowel movements, people are often advised to change their diet, drink plenty of fluids, and get enough exercise. High-fiber foods like fruits, cereals, vegetables and legumes are generally recommended to try to make stools softer.
Studies suggest that plant fibers such as psyllium husk can reduce the frequency of bleeding. Whether or not they relieve other symptoms too hasnt been well studied. People who use psyllium husk must make sure that they drink enough fluids. But fiber can also cause diarrhea, which in turn leads to hemorrhoids being irritated even more by frequent bowel movements.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Hemorrhoids
Seeing blood in your toilet bowl after a bowel movement is no doubt alarming, but its one of the main symptoms of hemorrhoids. Other symptoms include:
- Bright red blood on toilet paper or in your stool after a bowel movement
- Itching in the anal area
- Pain in the anal area, especially when sitting
- Pain during bowel movements
- One or more hard, painful lumps around the anus
If you experience any of these hemorrhoid symptoms, avoid excess straining, rubbing, or cleaning around the anus, which can make irritation and itching worse, and can even lead to bleeding. In addition, try to pat the area dry instead of wiping it.