Simple Home Remedies for Hemorrhoids
Most people's hemorrhoids improve dramatically with simple at home remedies. Here are a few of the most tried and tested remedies for hemorrhoids:
Exercise
Believe it or not adding moderate aerobic exercise, such as a brisk 10-15 minute walk, to your daily routine will help to stimulate bowel movements and therefore help to ease the discomfort of hemorrhoids.
Add more fiber to your diet
Adding more fiber to your diet from food, a fiber supplement (such as Metamucil, Citrucel, or Fiber Con), or both can calm the symptoms of hemorrhoids. As well as adequate fluid, the fiber softens stools and makes them easier to pass, reducing pressure on hemorrhoids. High-fiber foods include broccoli, beans, wheat and oat bran, whole-grain foods, and fresh fruit. Fiber supplements can help to decrease hemorrhoidal bleeding, inflammation, and enlargement. They may also reduce irritation from small bits of stool that can get trapped around the blood vessels. Some women find that boosting fiber can cause bloating or gas. The best way to avoid this is to start slowly, and gradually increase your intake to 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Also, increase your fluid intake.
Take a warm sitz bath
A sitz bath is a localized bath in which the pelvic region is immersed in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes, either in the bathtub or in a special basin that is placed on top of the toilet, it can provide a quick relief from the swelling and pain of hemorrhoids. The bath water should be warm or hot, but not burning hot. Also, do not add soap, Epsom salt, bath oil, or anything else as these can irritate the hemorrhoids.
Use a cold or warm compress
In the last months of pregnancy, a sitz bath is not recommended as water can seep into the vagina. Instead, a cold or warm compress should be used.
Use a moist wipe
Instead of toilet paper, try a moistened wipe to clean yourself after going to the bathroom. Some commercially available wipes are medicated with witch hazel, a natural astringent that can reduce the swelling and ease the pain of hemorrhoids.
Use a bidet
If available, you can use a bidet or stream of warm water to clean yourself after bowel movement.
Use stool softener and lubricant
A hard, dry stool can be difficult to pass, and may irritate the hemorrhoids to cause bleeding. A fiber-based stool softener can be used to create a stool that is bulkier, moister, and easier to pass.
Another way to make it easier to pass stool is to use your finger to lubricate the anal opening and canal with petroleum jelly or other lubricants such as K-Y Jelly. Make sure you lubricate the inside of the anal canal, and don't forget to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Look out for topical relief
Topical hemorrhoid creams and suppositories work as lubricants to reduce friction and ease the irritation of hemorrhoids. They usually contain ingredients such as cocoa butter, lanolin, glycerin, cod-liver oil, and vegetable oil.
Some have additional ingredients that deaden pain sensation, to give a potent but temporary relief. Usually, these analgesics contain benzocaine, lidocaine, or other -caine derivatives.
Other creams may contain astringents such as tannic acid, bismuth, and witch hazel to reduce swelling. Medicated creams, available with your doctor's prescription, may contain steroids to reduce inflammation.
Note that some people are allergic to the ingredients in these analgesics and astringents. Using them may actually worsen hemorrhoids.
Take time
When you feel the urge for a bowel movement, go to the bathroom immediately; don't wait until a more convenient time. Stool can back up, leading to increased pressure and straining. Also, set aside a particular time each day, such as after a meal, to sit on the toilet for a few minutes. This can help you establish a regular bowel habit.
Sit on a cushion
Sitting on a cushion rather than on a hard surface can help to reduce the swelling of hemorrhoids, and will also prevent the formation of new ones.
Bear in mind, though, that none of these home remedies are a cure and they will only ease the symptoms of hemorrhoids for a short while.
Exercise
Believe it or not adding moderate aerobic exercise, such as a brisk 10-15 minute walk, to your daily routine will help to stimulate bowel movements and therefore help to ease the discomfort of hemorrhoids.
Add more fiber to your diet
Adding more fiber to your diet from food, a fiber supplement (such as Metamucil, Citrucel, or Fiber Con), or both can calm the symptoms of hemorrhoids. As well as adequate fluid, the fiber softens stools and makes them easier to pass, reducing pressure on hemorrhoids. High-fiber foods include broccoli, beans, wheat and oat bran, whole-grain foods, and fresh fruit. Fiber supplements can help to decrease hemorrhoidal bleeding, inflammation, and enlargement. They may also reduce irritation from small bits of stool that can get trapped around the blood vessels. Some women find that boosting fiber can cause bloating or gas. The best way to avoid this is to start slowly, and gradually increase your intake to 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Also, increase your fluid intake.
Take a warm sitz bath
A sitz bath is a localized bath in which the pelvic region is immersed in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes, either in the bathtub or in a special basin that is placed on top of the toilet, it can provide a quick relief from the swelling and pain of hemorrhoids. The bath water should be warm or hot, but not burning hot. Also, do not add soap, Epsom salt, bath oil, or anything else as these can irritate the hemorrhoids.
Use a cold or warm compress
In the last months of pregnancy, a sitz bath is not recommended as water can seep into the vagina. Instead, a cold or warm compress should be used.
Use a moist wipe
Instead of toilet paper, try a moistened wipe to clean yourself after going to the bathroom. Some commercially available wipes are medicated with witch hazel, a natural astringent that can reduce the swelling and ease the pain of hemorrhoids.
Use a bidet
If available, you can use a bidet or stream of warm water to clean yourself after bowel movement.
Use stool softener and lubricant
A hard, dry stool can be difficult to pass, and may irritate the hemorrhoids to cause bleeding. A fiber-based stool softener can be used to create a stool that is bulkier, moister, and easier to pass.
Another way to make it easier to pass stool is to use your finger to lubricate the anal opening and canal with petroleum jelly or other lubricants such as K-Y Jelly. Make sure you lubricate the inside of the anal canal, and don't forget to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Look out for topical relief
Topical hemorrhoid creams and suppositories work as lubricants to reduce friction and ease the irritation of hemorrhoids. They usually contain ingredients such as cocoa butter, lanolin, glycerin, cod-liver oil, and vegetable oil.
Some have additional ingredients that deaden pain sensation, to give a potent but temporary relief. Usually, these analgesics contain benzocaine, lidocaine, or other -caine derivatives.
Other creams may contain astringents such as tannic acid, bismuth, and witch hazel to reduce swelling. Medicated creams, available with your doctor's prescription, may contain steroids to reduce inflammation.
Note that some people are allergic to the ingredients in these analgesics and astringents. Using them may actually worsen hemorrhoids.
Take time
When you feel the urge for a bowel movement, go to the bathroom immediately; don't wait until a more convenient time. Stool can back up, leading to increased pressure and straining. Also, set aside a particular time each day, such as after a meal, to sit on the toilet for a few minutes. This can help you establish a regular bowel habit.
Sit on a cushion
Sitting on a cushion rather than on a hard surface can help to reduce the swelling of hemorrhoids, and will also prevent the formation of new ones.
Bear in mind, though, that none of these home remedies are a cure and they will only ease the symptoms of hemorrhoids for a short while.
Source...