Myth: All I Need Is A Fiber Supplement
Fact: Fiber is an important part of your at-home hemorrhoid treatment plan, but not from a pill or powder
Though a fiber supplement may soften your stool and alleviate constipation that causes hemorrhoids, we recommend you focus on food for fiber instead of a supplement. Adding more fiber-rich foods to your diet may help keep things regular, preventing a recurrence of your hemorrhoids. Additionally, many healthy, high-fiber foods contain other nutrients that benefit your health overall.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, and peas are excellent sources of fiber. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says women need 25 grams of fiber a day and men 38 grams.
When adding fiber to your diet, whether from food or a supplement, be sure to drink plenty of water. Upping your fiber intake without enough fluids may exacerbate your constipation and worsen your anal discomfort. For general health, the Mayo Clinic recommends women drink 11.5 cups of water a day and men 15.5 cups.
Vicks Vapor Rub For Hemorrhoids
Normally used as a cough suppressant, Vicks Vapor Rub has been reported to temporarily relieve symptoms caused by hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoid pain and itchiness can be minimized by applying a generous dab of Vicks directly to the problem area. For many patients, this easy-to-find, at-home treatment makes it possible for them to get through the day with reduced pain and itchiness.
Treating And Preventing Hemorrhoids
Dr. Hsu says the best first step is to visit a drugstore to get some creams or suppositories that soothe inflamed rectal veins and speed healing. Look for treatments containing cortisone or lidocaine, which are especially helpful.
Stool softeners also help reduce straining and constipation, but be sure to avoid laxatives. Laxatives can cause diarrhea and further irritate swollen veins, which you definitely dont want, Dr. Hsu says. If your hemorrhoids are especially itchy or you feel a burning sensation, use baby wipes instead of toilet paper and apply witch hazel to the area with a cotton swab.
For more aggressive hemorrhoids, use a sitz bath to relieve itching, irritation and pain. Fill a bathtub with a few inches of warm water and sit in the tub, with knees bent, for 15 to 20 minutes. If getting in a bathtub isnt an option, purchase a plastic sitz bath kit, available at any drugstore, that fits over the toilet. For optimal relief, use a sitz bath several times per day.
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How To Stop Hemorrhoid Itching: Use This Home Remedy
Even though hemorrhoids are common in adults, they can be extremely uncomfortable and bothersome.
Hemorrhoids are veins that have swollen up inside of the anus or lower rectum due to internal pressure, which causes them to become inflamed and irritated.
This is especially true when there is an open wound on the skin around your anus.
Hemorrhoid itching can be so severe that it makes you want to scratch constantly, but this only worsens the problem because scratching breaks down your skins protective barrier, allowing bacteria easy access into your body through broken skin cells.
The following article will show you how to stop hemorrhoid itching today!
Sitz Baths Are One Very Popular Hemorrhoids Home Remedy
Sitz baths help to alleviate hemorrhoid symptoms such as inflammation, itching and swelling. This is one of the most popular home remedies for hemorrhoids.
For immediate relief from either internal or external hemorrhoids, many people find warm, plain water baths to be helpful.
Epsom salts in a warm bath is a common variation of a Sitz bath, as is adding certain aromatherapy essential oils to it.
Draw 2 to 3 inches of water, that is as warm or hot as you can stand it, and sit in it for twenty minutes three times per day.
If you suffer from irritated external hemorrhoids, you may find that adding a bit of oatmeal powder to the bath is soothing, but stay away from harsh cleansers or other additives.
You can also find small sitz baths that fit over the toilet at your local pharmacy, which may make sitz-bath relief more convenient on a daily basis.
Right after the bath, sitting on a towel-wrapped ice pack is often both beneficial and soothing. The alternating of heat and cold gets the blood in the area moving again, which is all to the good when it comes to hemorrhoids.
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Can Hemorrhoids Be Prevented
You can help prevent hemorrhoids by:
- Eating foods that are high in fiber
- Taking a stool softener or a fiber supplement
- Drinking enough fluids every day
- Not straining during bowel movements
- Not sitting on the toilet for long periods of time
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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. Its not clear whether suppositories can relieve the symptoms of enlarged hemorrhoids.
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When To Call A Doctor About Hemorrhoids
If youve never had hemorrhoids, but all of a sudden you experience discomfort, it may well be related to something else. If discomfort is accompanied by itching and youve recently returned from a trip abroad, for example, you might have parasites. You will need medical treatment to get rid of them. Bleeding from the rectum always warrants a trip to the doctor, says Leff. Hemorrhoids can never become cancer, but hemorrhoids can bleed and cancer can bleed. At other times, an enlarged vein in your anus can clot, creating a big, blue, swollen, hard area thats very painful. In most cases, your doctor can easily extract the clot.
Add Fiber To Your Diet
The American Gastroenterological Association suggests that drinking water and eating enough fiber are the two biggest ways to treat hemorrhoid flare-ups. Fiber has a consistent beneficial effect, says Janelle Gurguis-Blake, MD. Increased fiber in your diet can cause stools to soften and makes them easier to pass, reducing the pressure on your hemorrhoids. Boost fiber either by eating high-fiber foods or by taking a fiber supplement , or both. Just make sure that you also drink plenty of fluids. High-fiber foods include broccoli, beans, wheat and oat bran, whole grains, and fruit.
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What If A Hemorrhoid Won’t Go Away
Most people will get relief from at-home treatments. However, sometimes these remedies do not work, or don’t work well enough. In that case, there are treatments that the doctor can provide. These can range from pills to prescription creams to minimally invasive procedures, and even to hemorrhoid removal surgery.
Why Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been a popular folk remedy for many decades. Recently, it has become more and more common online as a home remedy for virtually anything.
Its made by fermenting the sugar with a two-step process that transforms the sugars into acetic acid. Thats the active ingredient.
Acetic acid is astringent. Astringents shrink cells that are organic, such as skin. Apple cider vinegar has also been shown to acquire antibacterial properties, which could help certain skin disorders.
Proponents claim apple cider vinegar may suppress inflammation, too. Thus, theoretically, it may relieve the swelling and irritation of hemorrhoids.
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Home Remedies For The Treatment Of Hemorrhoids
- Sitting in a warm water bath with Epsom salt can help you from that itching and burning sensation.
- Ingredients like witch hazel and aloe vera are known to produce anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the swollen veins size and prevent pain.
- Ice packs can numb swollen hemorrhoids and reduce pain.
- Other home remedies may include applying garlic as a suppository, coconut oil, consuming psyllium seeds also help get rid of hemorrhoids.
Raw garlic has long been used for its medicinal properties in a variety of diseases. The use of raw garlic for hemorrhoids can help ease pain and inflammation associated with it.
It is an extremely simple and effective treatment for hemorrhoids and anyone can easily get rid of their hemorrhoids sitting at home quickly and naturally without having to see a doctor.
Witch Hazel Is A Great Astringent
Witch hazel is a natural astringent and proven home remedy that works. Its healing properties will help ease the pain and discomfort hemorrhoids cause. The astringent property can help reduce the size of inflamed blood vessels, relieving itching, swelling and pain.
Required Ingredients:
- Undistilled witch hazel
Process:
Soak a cotton ball in the witch hazel and apply it to the painful area. Do this at least four times daily.
Note: You can also purchase medicated pads that contain witch hazel. These moist wiping pads can be used with or instead of toilet paper. This is a great way to protect the anus from bacterial infection and irritation.
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When Should I See My Doctor
Hemorrhoids are typically easy to treat and clear up on their own. In very rare cases, a hemorrhoid can cause complications.
Chronic blood loss from a hemorrhoid can cause anemia, a shortage of red blood cells. Internal hemorrhoids can also have their blood supply cut off, resulting in strangulated hemorrhoids that can cause extreme pain.
See a doctor if home treatments havent been effective after more than 2 weeks. Your primary care physician can diagnose and treat hemorrhoids. They can write prescriptions for medicated creams, ointments, and suppositories.
If these treatments dont work, a doctor may recommend treatments like rubber band ligation or surgery to remove the hemorrhoids.
Make an appointment to see a doctor right away if you notice rectal bleeding for the first time or if your rectal bleeding increases.
Are There Home Remedies For Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids, also referred to as piles, are one of the most common problems in the general population. It is estimated that hemorrhoids will affect 75% of American adults at some point in their lifetime. They represent swollen veins in the area of the anus and rectum and can develop inside the rectum or below the skin of the anus . Common symptoms of hemorrhoids may include pain/discomfort, itching/irritation, rectal bleeding, and a swelling or lump near the anus. Embarrassment, fear of pain, and long recovery times are all common worries that prevent many individuals from seeking the treatment they need. As a result, many people with hemorrhoids opt for self-treatment with home remedies. Though the below remedies can help treat hemorrhoids, if you are suffering from this condition it is always better to first make an appointment with your physician!
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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.
Hemorrhoids occur when veins become swollen and inflamed, similar to a varicose vein. Exterior hemorrhoids occur around your anus and interior hemorrhoids occur inside your lower rectum. Hemorrhoids may be painful or itchy and some may bleed.
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.
When To Seek Medical Care For Hemorrhoids
When to call the doctor
- Bleeding from the rectum or anus is never normal and although hemorrhoids are the most common reason to have blood in the stool, it should be discussed with your primary health-care professional. Other causes ofrectal bleeding exist and can be serious. Inflammatory bowel disease and cancers of the colon can present with rectal bleeding. Blood in the stool should never be ignored.
- Medical care should be sought urgently if a person is taking anticoagulation medications such as warfarin , dabigatran , rivaroxiban , apixaban , clopidogrel , prasugrel or enoxaparin .
- Individuals who have associated symptoms such as lightheadedness and weakness may have significant blood loss and may require more urgent care.
- Hemorrhoids do not cause abdominal pain should this pain be present with bleeding, medical care should be sought immediately.
- Prolapsed hemorrhoids that cannot be pushed back through the anus require medical care.
- Thrombosed external hemorrhoids may cause significant pain and medical care may be necessary to remove the clot.
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How Can I Treat Hemorrhoids At Home
You can most often treat your hemorrhoids at home by:
- Eating foods that are high in fiber
- Taking a stool softener or a fiber supplement
- Drinking enough fluids every day
- Not straining during bowel movements
- Not sitting on the toilet for long periods of time
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers
- Taking warm baths several times a day to help relieve pain. This could be a regular bath or a sitz bath. With a sitz bath, you use a special plastic tub that allows you to sit in a few inches of warm water.
- Using over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams, ointments, or suppositories to relieve mild pain, swelling, and itching of external hemorrhoids
Other Ways To Shrink Hemorrhoids
Some of the true and tested techniques for shrinking hemorrhoids include:
There are some foods that you should refrain from eating once you have an onset of hemorrhoids as well.
A list of those foods which should be avoided includes the following:
- Dairy products
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How Can I Prevent Hemorrhoids
Lifestyle and dietary changes are the best way to prevent hemorrhoids. Staying physically active and eating a nutritious, balanced diet help keep your bowel movements regular.
Eat lots of high fiber foods and drink plenty of water to keep the digestive process moving correctly and prevent constipation. Regular exercise and avoiding sitting for long periods of time can also help prevent hemorrhoids.
The most effective way to avoid constipation is to go to the bathroom when you first feel the urge. Delaying a bowel movement allows the bowel to reabsorb water from the stool. This makes stool harder when you finally do go.
Who Removes Hemorrhoids Treatment
Treating enlarged hemorrhoids is important, because they tend to get worse over time. Hemorrhoids are treated with a variety of measures including diet, over-the-counter medicine like
- anti-inflammatory pain killers,
and various treatment options are available, like
- sclerotherapy,
- surgery.
Who Removes Hemorrhoids?
Most hemorrhoid complaints begin with a trip to a family doctor. Your doctor will then refer you to a specialist: either a gastroenterologist or a proctologist . Proctologists specialize in surgical treatments, while gastroenterologists are experts in digestive diseases.
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How To Utilize Apple Cider Vinegar For Hemorrhoids
For the best results, apple cider vinegar is put on the region affected by hemorrhoids two to three times every day. After a couple of weeks, some patients report a noticeable decrease in the size of the hemorrhoids and milder symptoms.
Please be aware that the acidity of this apple cider vinegar can cause a tingling sensation in the beginning, but if subside after a couple of seconds.
Some individuals report a stinging for a moment or 2, followed by pain relief which could last a couple of hours.
Here are some common methods to use Apple Cider Vinegar to migraines for pain relief:
Warm Bath With Epsom Salt
Warm baths can help soothe irritation from hemorrhoids. Try using a sitz bath a small plastic tub that fits over a toilet seat so you can just immerse the affected area or take a bath in a tub, if you can.
Try a warm bath or a sitz bath for 20 minutes after each bowel movement. Adding Epsom salt to the bath can provide further relief by reducing pain.
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When To See Your Physician
If youre convinced hemorrhoids are causing your symptoms, go to your doctor if home remedies dont offer relief after a week. Also, see your doctor if your pain is severe or if your psoriasis bleeds frequently.
While pain and bleeding during bowel movements are the most common symptoms of psoriasis, further severe conditions may also cause these symptoms.
If youre unsure you have got migraines, dont assume that the symptoms are due to hemorrhoids. See your doctor get an investigation.
Seek emergency assistance for excessive rectal bleeding or bleeding thats accompanied by nausea or light-headedness.