What To Use To Treat Hemorrhoids

Can Hemorrhoids Be Prevented Or Avoided

Just about everyone has hemorrhoids at some time. But some things may make you more likely to get them. People whose parents had hemorrhoids may be more likely to get them. Pregnant women often get hemorrhoids because of the;strain;from carrying the baby and from giving birth. Being very overweight or standing or lifting too much can make hemorrhoids worse.

What Else Do You Need To Make Your Decision

Check the facts

• You’re right! Try eating more fibre, drinking more fluids, using a stool softener, and using ointments to help your symptoms.
• Sorry, that’s the wrong answer. Try home treatment first: Eat more fibre, drink more fluids, use a stool softener, and use ointments to help your symptoms.
• It may help to go back and read “Key points to remember.” Home treatments work for most people: Eat more fibre, drink more fluids, use a stool softener, and use ointments to help your symptoms.

• That’s right. Surgery may help hemorrhoids that bulge from the anus or cause symptoms that don’t get better with home treatment.
• Sorry, that’s not right. Surgery may help hemorrhoids that bulge from the anus or cause symptoms that don’t get better with home treatment.
• It may help to go back and read “Get the Facts.” Surgery may help hemorrhoids that bulge from the anus or cause symptoms that don’t get better with home treatment.

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.

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Avoid Making Hemorrhoids Worse

• Blot the anus gently with white toilet paper moistened with water or a cleansing agent after bowel movements. Baby wipes or other pre-moistened towels are also useful for this purpose.
• Avoid rubbing the anal area. You can rinse off in the shower or on a bidet instead of wiping yourself with toilet paper. After cleansing, gently pat the anal area dry with a soft, absorbent towel or cloth.
• Use soaps that contain no perfumes or dyes.

Peppermint Oil To Soothe Hemorrhoid Pain

Peppermint oil has a high menthol content that produces a cooling and refreshing sensation when applied to the hemorrhoids.

The European Journal of Dentistry reported that peppermint essential oil can have a cooling effect on hemorrhoids.11

You can use a blend of peppermint oil and coconut oil to help get rid of hemorrhoid pain fast.

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Testimonials: Warnings About The Side Effects From Using Apple Cider Vinegar To Treat Hemorrhoids

As with any home remedy, its a good idea to approach the use of ACV to treat your hemorrhoids with caution. Youre likely already experiencing considerable discomfort from the hemorrhoids themselves, and want to ensure the remedy you use relieves your symptoms, rather than making them worse.;

Learning about the experience others have had with ACV can help you determine if its the right option for you. Below are some descriptions of the outcomes others have encountered after using ACV.

Finally An Oral Tablet For Hemorrhoid Relief Is Available In Canada

Hemovel is an OTC treatment that helps to reduce the duration and severity of hemorrhoids and relieves hemorrhoid symptoms, such as pain, edema and bleeding.

The oral tablets are discreet and easy to use, eliminating trips to the bathroom to apply messy ointments or suppositories.

Benefits of Hemovel

• The active ingredient in Hemovel is diosmin, which has anti-inflammatory and venotonic properties
• Helps to reduce the duration and severity of;hemorrhoids
• Unique formulation relieves hemorrhoid symptoms, including pain, edema and bleeding

• Convenient & discreet oral tablet
• No added flavour

Simple & convenient dosing

7-day treatment;: 1 tablet three times a day for 4 days, then 1 tablet twice a day for 3 days

Days

Days 5 to 7

Worried about forgetting a pill?

Dont worry, we have you covered. Theres a pill reminder included in every box of Hemovel. If you forget to take a tablet, just take it as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten tablet.

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What Are The Best Home Remedies For Hemorrhoids

If youd prefer to avoid medication, or youd like to complement your treatment with at-home remedies, here are some ways you can alleviate your hemorrhoids at home:

• Sitz baths: A regular sitz bath can relieve itching and irritation. Fill a tub with three to four inches of warm water and sit in it with your knees bent for about 10 to 15 minutes. Gently pat yourself dry with a towel afterwards. For an extra soothing effect, try adding Epsom salts to the bath.
• Fiber supplements: These reduce hemorrhoid bleeding, inflammation, and enlargement by drawing water into your stool to make it easier to pass. A psyllium husk fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or a generic equivalent, is a good choice, although psyllium may cause gas or bloating. In that case, try a supplement containing wheat dextrin or methylcellulose .
• Cold compress: Applying ice packs to the anus for 10-15 minutes can help reduce swelling and reduce discomfort. To avoid ice burns always place ice in a cloth or paper towel, and never apply it directly to the skin.
• Aloe vera: Aloe vera has been used in many cultures for centuries to treat hemorrhoids due to its believed anti-inflammatory properties. Given the sensitivity of the area, only use pure aloe vera to treat hemorrhoids, and perform a patch test 24-48 hours on your inner wrist prior to application to check there is no allergic reaction.

Medical Procedures For Hemorrhoids

If your symptoms are severe or aren’t getting better after a couple of weeks, your doctor may suggest a procedure to shrink or remove the hemorrhoids. Many can be performed in their office.

Injection. Your doctor can inject an internal hemorrhoid with a solution to create a scar and close off the hemorrhoid. The shot hurts only a little.

Rubber band ligation. This procedure is often done on prolapsed hemorrhoids, internal hemorrhoids that can be seen or felt outside. Using a special tool, the doctor puts a tiny rubber band around the hemorrhoid, which shuts off its blood supply almost instantly. Within a week, the hemorrhoid will dry up, shrink, and fall off.

Coagulation or cauterization. With an electric probe, a laser beam, or an infrared light, your doctor will make a tiny burn to remove tissue and painlessly seal the end of the hemorrhoid, causing it to close off and shrink. This works best for prolapsed hemorrhoids.

Surgery. For large internal hemorrhoids or extremely uncomfortable external hemorrhoids, your doctor may recommend surgery.

• Hemorrhoidectomy. The most effective technique is to completely remove the hemorrhoids. But recovery is painful and can take several weeks.
• Hemorrhoid stapling. This technique cuts blood flow to internal hemorrhoids and moves prolapsed tissue back in place. Recovery is easier, but thereâs a greater chance of the hemorrhoids coming back.

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When Should You Call Your Doctor

Common symptoms of hemorrhoids may be a sign of other serious health problems. Colon or rectal cancer and other conditions have many of the same symptoms as hemorrhoids. Call your doctor if you have symptoms like these:

• Stools are black or tarry.
• A lump or bulge that is not tender and does not go away develops at the anal opening.

If you have hemorrhoids, call your doctor if:

• Moderate rectal pain lasts longer than 1 week after home treatment.
• Pain or swelling is severe.
• Tissue from inside the body bulges from the anus and does not return to normal after 3 to 7 days of home treatment.
• A lump inside the anus becomes bigger or more painful.

If rectal bleeding becomes heavy or changes colour , or if stools change size, shape, or colour , be sure to see your doctor.

What Are The Treatment Options

Small hemorrhoids often clear up without treatment or with home treatment and lifestyle changes. If youve continued problems or complications, such as bleeding, you should see your doctor.

Your doctor can rule out other causes of bleeding during bowel movements, such as colon or anal cancer. If your symptoms become severe, your doctor may recommend medical procedures to remove or shrink the hemorrhoids.

Your doctor may recommend a minimally invasive outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatments are treatments that your doctor performs in their office. Some treatments include the following:

• Rubber band ligation is the most common nonsurgical treatment, and it involves your doctor tying a tight band around the base of the hemorrhoid to cut off the blood supply. Eighty percent of people who receive treatment for hemorrhoids have this type of treatment.
• During coagulation, your doctor uses infrared light, heat, or extreme cold to shrink the hemorrhoid.
• During sclerotherapy, your doctor injects a chemical to shrink the hemorrhoid.

If you have severe hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids that dont respond to in-office medical treatments, you may need a doctor to surgically extract them. This has been shown to provide symptom relief and reduce future outbreaks.

The risk factors for hemorrhoids are mostly related to increased pressure on the anal and rectal veins. A family history of hemorrhoids may increase your risk. The risk factors include:

• age

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When should you seek professional help?

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You should see your health care provider if you have severe pain, if home remedies have not helped, if you experience rectal bleeding or if you have any questions or concerns. Most people can tolerate hemorrhoids and learn how to prevent flare-ups. However, definitive treatment requires a procedure to have them removed.

Is surgery the most permanent option, and how successful is it?

Once you develop hemorrhoids, they dont usually go away completely unless you undergo a procedure to have them removed. There are several options for removal. One option is an injection, usually given by a gastroenterologist. The solution in the injection creates a scar and closes off the hemorrhoid. The second option is called banding. Hemorrhoids that are hanging out of the rectum are closed off by using a tiny rubber band. It takes about one week for the hemorrhoid to shrink, and it will eventually fall off. A third option for removal is using either an electric probe, a laser beam or an infrared light to cause a tiny burn that will painlessly seal the end of the hemorrhoid, causing it to close off and shrink. The last option is a surgery called hemorrhoidectomy. This is often reserved for large internal hemorrhoids or extremely uncomfortable external hemorrhoids.

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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.;

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What Is The Best Way To Shrink Hemorrhoids

If you are a sufferer of hemorrhoids, then you may be looking for the best way to shrink hemorrhoids. You need to understand that there are a number of ways for you to treat your hemorrhoids and if you are looking for a permanent solution to shrink hemorrhoids, you should look for methods that will work for you.

The first thing that you need to do is to find out if surgery is really the answer. If you do not want to have surgery done, there are a lot of other methods of treating your hemorrhoids.

One common way of treating your hemorrhoids is by using herbal supplements. You can try to take a few capsules a day or by using the medicine that has been found to work well against hemorrhoids.

Another method of treatment that is used for those who have hemorrhoids is by using herbs and natural remedies. One such example is in the form of tea.

Diet plays an important role when it comes to treating hemorrhoids. You have to make sure that you eat foods that are rich in fiber. Foods like oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice and beans are some of the foods that are very helpful in increasing the amount of fiber in your diet.

There are also a lot of other foods that you should eat that help to shrink hemorrhoids. These foods include foods that

• rich in potassium such as carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and avocados
• rich in vitamin C like oranges, spinach and celery
• rich in magnesium such as beans and lentils
• contain phosphorus like dried figs and beans and whole grains, and many more.

Soak It Off In A Sitz Bath

A sitz bath comes from the German word sitzen, meaning sit, and it refers to a 10 to 15 minute soak in warm water that comes just up to your bottom and hips. Sitz baths can relieve irritation and itching as well as spasm of your anal sphincter muscles, says Dr. Thomas. Take a shallow soak in your bathtub or buy a small plastic tub from your pharmacy to give yourself a portable sitz bath two to three times a day.

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How Long Do External Hemorrhoids Last

It all depends on the type of hemorrhoids youre suffering from. Nevertheless, the condition eases up if you follow at-home and medicated measures. The most common hemorrhoids last about a week, while severe cases might need medical procedures.

If hemorrhoids are caused by pregnancy, then they would disappear soon after childbirth.

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Best Topical Treatments For Hemorrhoids

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What Causes Hemorrhoids

Traditionally, hemorrhoids are associated with chronic constipation, straining during bowel movements, and prolonged sitting on the toilet all of which interfere with blood flow to and from the area, causing it to pool and enlarge the vessels. This also explains why hemorrhoids are common during pregnancy, when the enlarging uterus presses on the veins.

More recent studies show that patients with hemorrhoids tend to have a higher resting anal canal tone that is, the smooth muscle of the anal canal tends to be tighter than average . Constipation adds to these troubles, because straining during a bowel movement increases pressure in the anal canal and pushes the hemorrhoids against the sphincter muscle. Finally, the connective tissues that support and hold hemorrhoids in place can weaken with age, causing hemorrhoids to bulge and prolapse.

Ease Pain And Itching

Take warm baths. Soak in a bathtub filled with a few inches of warm water for about 15 minutes at a time. Do it two or three times a day and after every bowel movement. If you want to wash the area, too, use unscented soap and don’t scrub.

Pat gently afterward to dry. You can even use a blow dryer on a cool setting if that feels better.

There are also special “sitz baths” you can put directly on your toilet seat to make soaking easier.

Rub on relief. Over-the-counter wipes or creams with witch hazel can soothe pain and itch with no side effects. Don’t use one with hydrocortisone for more than a week unless your doctor says it’s OK.

Ice it. Put a small cold pack on the trouble spot several times a day. It can dull pain and bring down the swelling for a little while.

Consider painkillers. An over-the-counter medicine, like acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, could help with soreness.

Don’t scratch. You could damage the skin and make the irritation — and the itching — worse.

Choose cotton. Wear loose, soft underwear. It keeps the area aired out and stops moisture from building up, which can bother your hemorrhoids.

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