Get Rid of Hemorrhoids Naturally

Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins that can be found either externally or internally around the anus. They are caused by increased pressure on the pelvic and rectal veins and are related to constipation, diarrhea and straining to pass a stool. The most common symptom is bleeding during a bowel movement—you may notice blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Hemorrhoids can also be itchy and painful. Hemorrhoids are most often caused by straining during a bowel movement. They can also be caused by obesity, lifting heavy objects, and by pregnancy. In pregnancy, hemorrhoids are due to the extra strain from carrying a baby and the resulting extra pressure on the veins of the lower abdomen.

Steps

Treating Hemorrhoids Naturally

1. Determine whether you have hemorrhoids. You may actually feel an external hemorrhoid when cleaning yourself: it will be a tender swelling around the anal opening. You won’t usually feel internal hemorrhoids, but they can bulge through the anal opening.
2. Take warm baths. If you don’t want to take a full bath, you can take a Sitz bath, where you sit in a few inches of water. Add about 1 cup of Epsom salts to a full bathtub and 2-3 tablespoons of Epsom salts for a few inches of water in the tub. Keep the water warm, but not too hot. Repeat 2-3 times a day. This may seem like a bit of a “chore”, but so are hemorrhoids!
3. Apply a warm compress. Get a clean, cotton wash towel and soak it in warm (not hot) water. Apply the compress directly to the hemorrhoids for about 10-15 minutes. Repeat 4-5 times a day. This should offer some soothing comfort.
4. Shrink the hemorrhoids with an astringent. You can use a cotton pad soaked in witch hazel after a bowel movement. Witch hazel acts as an astringent and may help reduce swelling. Repeat as often as needed--at least 4-5 times a day.
5. Clean yourself thoroughly. After having a bowel movement, be sure that you clean yourself completely to avoid irritation. You might want to use baby wipes or a pre-moistened toilet paper product rather than dry toilet paper to clean yourself.
6. Apply an ice pack to your hemorrhoids. An ice pack may help reduce your hemorrhoidal swelling but it should not be left on for too long; limit the ice pack use to 5-10 minutes at most each time.
7. Sit on a cushion. Find a foam cushion or a doughnut cushion to sit on--this can help relieve some of the pressure associated with hemorrhoids. While this will not aid in "curing" your hemorrhoids, it may help ease your discomfort and make them easier to live with.

Making Lifestyle Changes

1. Avoid excessive strain during bowel movements. Allow gravity to help, but let your bowels do most of the work. If nothing happens, put it off for an hour or so, and try again but most importantly, don’t strain and force a bowel movement that isn’t happening naturally.
2. Stay hydrated. Increase your water consumption to at least 8-10 8 oz glasses each day. Stool (feces) contain significant amounts of water—and the more water a stool contains, the softer it will be, which makes it easier to pass.
3. Consume more fiber in your diet. Fiber helps keep water in the stool and bulks it up so that it passes through the rectum and anus more easily--and in the case of hemorrhoids, with less pain. Good sources of fiber include:
   • Seeds -- One hand full of chia seeds will ensure you will get enough fiber.
   • Whole grains-- include brown rice, barley, corn, rye, bulgur wheat, kasha (buckwheat) and oatmeal
   • Fruits, especially with the rinds
   • Vegetables (especially leafy vegetables like Swiss chard, collard greens, spinach, lettuces, beet greens)
   • Beans and legumes-- be aware that for some, eating beans and legumes can increase intestinal gas
4. Avoid laxatives. Laxatives can be habit forming and can also weaken the bowels, potentially leading to chronic constipation. If you do feel as though you need a laxative, try an herbal laxative instead.
   • Senna and Psyllium are herbal laxative options. Senna is a natural and gentle stool softener. You can take senna as tablets (follow manufacturer’s instructions) or as a nightly tea. You can also try psyllium fiber as found in Metamucil. Psyllium is a natural bulking agent.
5. Exercise regularly. The exercise can be aerobic, endurance, cardiovascular, or even just walking. Excercise makes your heart stronger, thus increasing the efficiency of your cardiovascular system. During excercise, you will also have high circulation thus removing your hemorrhoids (as these are basically blood sacks, caused by sedentary lifestyle and weak cardiovascular system)
6. Pay attention to nature’s call. Don’t wait once you feel the urge to have a bowel movement; go as soon as you can, but don’t sit and try for too long waiting—sitting is also associated with an increased risk of hemorrhoids.
7. Put yourself on a regular schedule. See if you can arrange a regular time to have a bowel movement without interruptions around the same time every day. This tends to make bowel bleeding movements easier, and it turns out that having regular bowel movements is a great predictor of overall good health.

Using Medical Intervention

1. Try baby teething gel. It may sound a bit odd, but if the hemorrhoids are very painful and uncomfortable, use a tiny bit of baby teething gel on the area. The gel contains a local antiseptic that can decrease the pain and discomfort.
2. Try topical pain and itch-relieving gels or lotions. Gently clean your anal area with warm water and carefully pat dry. Then apply a small amount of aloe vera gel or an ointment such as Preparation H to help with hemorrhoidal pain and/or discomfort. Apply as often as needed.
   • Hemorrhoid relief ointments such as Preparation H usually contain petroleum jelly, mineral oil, shark liver oil and phenylephrine, which acts as a decongestant and helps shrink the hemorrhoid.
   • Aloe vera gel contains components that have been shown to inhibit infection and help in healing minor wounds.
   • Avoid steroid creams as they can damage the delicate tissue around a hemorrhoid.
3. Take a pain reliever. If you have persistent discomfort, you may want to consider taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen. These can help you feel more comfortable and may aid in swelling reduction as well. As always, check with your care provider to ensure that it is safe to take a medication that you do not normally take.
4. Seek medical intervention for persistent hemorrhoids. Most hemorrhoids resolve using natural methods within 3-7 days. If they don’t improve, or if they worsen, call your physician. Occasionally for external hemorrhoids and more often for internal hemorrhoids, you may still need some medical intervention. The most common approaches if the described methods don’t help enough are:
   • Ligation: Tying a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid to cut off blood flow
   • Injection of a chemical solution designed to shrink the hemorrhoid
   • Cauterization-- burning the hemorrhoid
   • Hemorrhoid stapling-- blood flow to the hemorrhoid is stopped with a surgical staple.
   • Hemorrhoidectomy-- surgical removal of the hemorrhoid.

Warnings

• If rectal bleeding is not caused by a hemorrhoid, your doctor will likely recommend a more extensive test called a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy because one of the symptoms of colon cancer is rectal bleeding.

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