Helpful Articles

Hemorrhoids are veins in the lower rectum and anus that can become swollen and slide down the anal canal. Often they are caused by a laxness in the ligaments that are meant to hold the cushion-like anal pads in place, and this can run in families.

In other cases, hemorrhoids can occur in pregnant women whose pelvic veins experience pressure from the development of the fetus. Also, people who spend a long time on their bowel movements because of constipation tend to strain, increase pressure on the anal canal, and cause the hemorrhoids to bulge and be pushed out.

Home remedies
While some patients would be advised to undergo a specific procedure to treat the condition, others can easily and dramatically improve their hemorrhoid symptoms with a few simple measures that they can perform at home. Here are examples of what you can do to experience hemorrhoid relief and prevent flare-ups:

Make time to go to the bathroom. Head to the toilet right away when you feel the urge to defecate, so that you can release right away. If you wait, thinking that you still have time, the stools can back up, and when you finally decide to go to the bathroom you’ll need to strain to release. It’s best to establish a bathroom routine so you can have sufficient time for your bowel habit.

Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, wheat and others help soften stools and make them easier to release. This will keep you from having to strain during your bowel movements. Fiber also works to decrease inflammation, bleeding and enlargement of hemorrhoids. But because fiber can cause gas or bloating in some individuals, aim to increase your fiber intake gradually, and increase the amount of water you drink as well.

Try topical treatments. There are over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams that you can buy. They contain local anesthetics to soothe pain temporarily, or hydrocortisone which is also effective in providing pain and irritation relief, but make sure not to use them excessively as they can cause skin to atrophy. If there is pain and swelling, a small ice pack held against the anal area can also work. And make it a habit to sit on soft cushions rather than hard surfaces to reduce the swelling of hemorrhoids that you already have, or to prevent the formation of new ones.

Get into a workout routine. You can adopt a regular workout routine, like going for a brisk walk for at least 20 to 30 minutes each day, to help stimulate and promote better bowel function.

Try a sitz bath. A 20-minute sitz bath is recommended by most health experts after each bowel movement (as well as two or three more times per day) for people with hemorrhoids. It is meant to relieve irritation and itching, along with sphincter muscle spasms. A sitz bath is generally a warm water bath for the hips and buttocks; you can set this up by sitting in a regular bathtub with a few inches of warm water, or you can purchase small plastic tubs from the pharmacy that fit over toilet seats, which you can then fill with warm water and sit down on.