Hemorrhoids can be explained as swollen veins in the anal canal or a swollen vein situated around the anus or in the lower rectum .It is a common problem that can be painful, but it’s usually not serious as people thought of.
Veins can swell inside the anal canal (anus) to form internal haemorrhoids. Or they can swell near the opening of the anus to form what is call external haemorrhoids. It is possible to experience both at the same time. The symptoms and the type of treatment depend on which type you have or experience.
In addition, too much pressure on the rectal area and in the veins in the pelvic causes hemorrhoids.
How to Get Rid of Hemorrhoids
Generally, tissue inside the anus fills with blood to aid and help control bowel movements. If you sit on the toilet for a long time to move stool, the increased pressure make the veins in the tissue to swell and stretch which lead to haemorrhoids.
Constipation and Diarrhoea also may lead to straining and can raise pressure on veins in the anal canal.
Pregnant women can also experience haemorrhoids during the last 5-6 months of pregnancy due to the increased in pressure on the blood vessels in the pelvic area. Straining to push the baby out during labour can make haemorrhoids worse.
Weight gain or being overweight can also lead to haemorrhoids.
There are common symptoms of both internal and external haemorrhoids such as follow:
- Bleeding may occur during bowel movements. You might seen streaks of bright red blood on toilet paper after you strain to have a bowel movement.
- Itching within the area of anus.
- Rectal pain. It may be very painful to clean the anal area.
With internal haemorrhoids, you may experience bright red streaks of blood on toilet paper or red blood in the toilet bowl when you have a normal bowel movement. You may see blood on the surface of the stool; these are the sign of internal haemorrhoids.
Internal haemorrhoids are small, swollen veins in the wall of the anal canal but it can be large. Internal haemorrhoids can be painful if they bulge out and are squeezed or press by the anal muscles. It may be very painful if the blood move to the haemorrhoid is cut off.
The external haemorrhoids can get annoyed and clot under the skin, causing a very painful lump. This is also known as clotted haemorrhoid.
Of the two forms of haemorrhoids, external haemorrhoids are the most common and the most difficult. Haemorrhoids cause pain, severe itching, and difficulty sitting. The good news is that they are treatable.
Causes of haemorrhoids: How Do haemorrhoids Develop?
It has been known that the causes of haemorrhoids are not even discover, and experts are not sure what causes haemorrhoids but there are several factors could be blame, including:
- Straining during a bowel movement
- Complications from chronic constipation
- Sitting on the toilet for a long time
- Pregnancy (bulge)
Signs and Symptoms of haemorrhoids
Below are the sign and symptoms of haemorrhoids:
- Serious itching around the anus
- Pain around the anus
- Itchy lump found near your anus
- Painful bowel movement
- Blood on your tissue after having a bowel movement
Though haemorrhoids are very painful but they are not life threatening and often go away on their own without any treatment. If you have haemorrhoids often, you may likely to develop symptoms of anemia , though it is very rare.
Diagnose haemorrhoids.
It is very important to contact your doctor for haemorrhoids diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis, your physician may wish to do a different examination to check for any abnormalities within the anus. During this process, your doctor uses a gloved and lubricated finger into your rectum. If he or she feels anything abnormal, he or she may order an additional test to really confirm the haemorrhoids .
Here is Video That Shows You How to Eliminate Hemorrhoids In 48 Hours
How to Treat Haemorrhoids
There are different ways to treat haemorrhoids and this will be explaining one after the other.
Pain Relief
To reduce and minimize the pain, soak in a warm tub of water for at least 12 minutes every day. If it is external haemorrhoid you can also sit on a warm water bottle to relieve the pain of external. If you experience too much pain and difficult to bear, you can use an over-the-counter medicated suppository, ointment, or cream to get relieve the burning and itching.
Dietary Fiber Intake
Dietary fiber Intake is very important when it comes to home treatment. You need to consume foods that are high in dietary fiber which can minimize the risk of developing haemorrhoids in the nearest future.
There are many good dietary fiber sources, here are few of them:
Buckwheat
Whole wheat
Brown rice
Carrots
Oatmeal
Pears
Bran
Dietary fiber aids create bulk in the intestines, which softens the stool and making it easier to pass.
If you are constipated, an over-the-counter fiber supplement can be used to help soften your stool.
How Can I Prevent haemorrhoids?
Haemorrhoids can be prevented by avoid straining during a bowel movement. Also, make sure to increase your water intake. Drinking sufficient water can keep your stool from hardening.
The risk of haemorrhoids can also be reduced by eating a very high fiber diet, engage in regular exercise, and trying to get a bowel movement quickly after the urge arises.
Possible Complications from Hemorrhoids
Below are the possible complications you can experience from haemorrhoids, though they are rare may include:
Bleeding
Blood clots in the swollen vein
May cause iron-deficiency anemia (due to the blood loss)
When to Call a Doctor about Hemorrhoids
Common signs of haemorrhoids may be an indication of other serious health problems. Colon or rectal cancer and other conditions have many of the same symptoms as haemorrhoids. Inform your doctor if you are experiencing the following symptoms:
- Adequate rectal pain lasts longer than 1 week after home treatment.
- Severe swelling and pain.
- Tissue from inside the body bulges from the anus and does not return to normal after 3 to 6 days of home treatment.
- A lump inside the anus becomes bigger and cause more painful.
- If rectal bleeding becomes heavy or changes colour from bright red to dark red, or if stools change size, shape, or colour may be from brown to maroon or black, be sure to see your medical doctor.
Medical care should be required immediately if a person is taking anticoagulation medication such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix) etc.
Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. And in some cases, bleeding caused by haemorrhoids should stop after 2 to 4 days. Continue home treatment to stop and prevent bleeding from starting again. Call your health care or doctor if bleeding:
Occurs for more than one week without any improvement
Happens when there is no reason to expect it
If your age is within 50 and above or have a family history of colon cancer, it is necessary to tell your doctor any time you experience rectal bleeding, discover blood on your stools, have changes in bowel habits, or have anal pain. All these symptoms may be signs of colon cancer or other conditions. Your consultant may recommend screening tests to know if you have a more severe problem.
The List of professionals That Can Evaluate and Treat Haemorrhoids:
Medical doctor
Internist
Gynaecologist
Nurse practitioner
Physician assistant
Obstetrician
Gastroenterologist
Gynaecologist
Surgeon
Hemorrhoids – Home Treatment
Haemorrhoids home treatment, which mainly involves the establishing healthy bowel habits, may keep your haemorrhoids from getting worse.
The following suggestions can help you keep haemorrhoids from getting worse or to relieve the symptoms.
How to Prevent Hemorrhoids from getting worse
Blot the anus gently with a clean white toilet paper moistened with pure water or a cleansing agent like Balneol after bowel movements.
Do not rub 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 absorbent cloth or towel.
Make use soaps that contain no dyes or perfume.
How to relieve and reduce pain and itching
Take non-prescription pain relievers. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help to reduce the pain. Drugs such as Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) can relief pain and swelling.
Also apply ice a number of times a day for 10 minutes at a time. Follow by placing a warm compress on the anal area for another 12 to 20 minutes.
Take a sits bath. Fill your bathtub with enough warm water in order to cover the anal area. Do this up to four or five times a day, especially after you have had a bowel movement.
Soak for about 12 minutes at a time. Be careful! If the water is too hot, it can burn you; make sure to test the water to know how hot it is before using it.
Use non-prescription medicines as suggested and prescribe by your medical doctor or pharmacist.
Other comfort measures on how to get rid of hemorrhoids
In some cases you may need one or two days for bed rest to take pressure off inflamed, irritated veins. If you are pregnancy woman, you may find it helpful to lie on your side. If you are not pregnant, resting on your stomach with a pillow under your hips will help to reduce swelling of haemorrhoids.
Do not sit or stand for a long period when haemorrhoids are irritated, if conditions required to site for a long period, sit on pillow. Avoid heavy lifting objects.
Always wear cotton underwear to prevent moisture build-up, which can irritate haemorrhoids. Wear loose cloth to allow free movement and to reduce pressure on the anal area.
Five Natural Treatments to Help you on how to get rid of hemorrhoids
1) Fiber
Fiber displays a consistent beneficial effect in get rid of haemorrhoid symptoms and bleeding. It can easily soften stool and increase its bulk, which helps to reduce straining. According to research 7 randomized trials with a total of 378 participants found that fiber improved and enhance symptoms including itching, pain and discomfort.
There are many ways to get more fiber. Eating foods high in fiber such as fresh fruit, beans, vegetables and whole grains increase fiber gradually to avoid bloating and gas. Regularly increase intake to 24-30 grams of fiber every day.
Liquid intake should also be increased with added fiber in order to reduce constipation.
Fiber supplements have also been found to reduce bleeding, pain and irritation from haemorrhoids. Example of fiber supplements such as flaxseed, acacia fiber, carob and psyllium (Metamucil).
2) Bioflavonoids
Bioflavonoids are found naturally in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, apples, tomatoes, carrots and onions. The major bioflavonoids are Diosmin, hesperidin, and oxerutins. Clinical trials have revealed that bioflavonoids can reduce bleeding, pain and discomfort during severe haemorrhoid flare-ups and also relief symptoms in between flare-ups.
Medical studies on oral bioflavonoid supplements have often used a supplement containing 450mg of diosmin and 50mg hesperidin.
For acute and severe haemorrhoids, the amount is usually been 4 to 6 tablets daily for 4 days followed by a lower dose for 3 days. To prevent bleeding from recurring, two tablets daily have typically been taken for 1-3 months.
Hesperidin and probably other citrus bioflavonoids have the potential to interact with many medications such as anticoagulants, antiplatelet, high blood pressure medication, so it should be taken with caution, and it is very important to consult your health care or practitioner before taken it.
Another best natural food cure for haemorrhoids is eating a banana on an empty stomach every single day. For bleeding haemorrhoids, eat 3 bananas daily, or you can try steamed dried persimmons.
3) Witch Hazel Compress or Ointment
Witch Hazel Compress or ointment is made from the leaves and bark of a plant called Hamamelis virginiana, also known as witch hazel. The drug is not taken internally but only applied topically to the anal area in the form of witch hazel distilled liquid, ointment or medicated pads such as Tucks.
Witch hazel helps to decrease the bleeding of haemorrhoids due to its action as an astringent. It may also reduce problem associated with haemorrhoids such as pain, itching and swelling.
4) Butcher’s Broom
The plant butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus), is also known as knee holly, box holly, and sweet broom. Butcher’s broom has a long history of traditional treatment for haemorrhoids and varicose veins. It is frequently used when there is poor circulation in the veins.
There is no enough of evidence on the effectiveness of butcher’s broom for haemorrhoids. The studies which include a review of 124 cases of patients with haemorrhoids, found that about 75% of reporting medical doctor rated butcher’s broom extract as having good and excellent effectiveness in reducing haemorrhoids.
Butcher is usually recommended in capsule or in form of tea. The tea has a slightly bitter taste but can be made by steeping 1 teaspoon of the herb in a cup of warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. A natural sweetener such as stevia can be used to sweeten it.
Butcher’s broom may react or interact with medication for high blood pressure, alpha blockers and anti-depressants.
Other Natural Tips and Home Remedies For Hemorrhoids
Home remedies for hemorrhoids such as creams and ointments can protect the skin in the area, reduce itching, prevent and stop further injury. Zinc oxide cream and ointment is often recommended. While petroleum jelly is commonly recommended but coconut oil can also be used and also work perfectly. Vitamin E oil can be applied to the affected area by breaking the vitamin E capsule.
A small pack of ice placed within the area for several minutes at a time can reduce pain and swelling.
Aerobic exercise for 25-30 minutes per day can aid and help to stimulate bowel function.
To help reduce swelling, try to sit on a cushion rather than a hard surface.
Triphala is another compound of three fruits that is used in Ayurvedic medicine, as a bowel tonic that lightly relieves constipation without being a harsh and severe stimulant.
Other herbs are Chamomile or calendula that can be applied topically as a compressor ointment.
However most natural methods may reduce the symptoms of haemorrhoids, you may need to consult your medical doctor before attempting any natural cure.
The above points mention on how to get rid of hemorrhoids has helped many people, so make sure you follow the steps and hope you will get quick solution to hemorrhoids problem .
Here is Video That Shows You How to Eliminate Hemorrhoids In 48 Hours
Conclusion
Having read the various ways to treat haemorrhoids and how to get rid of hemorrhoids, it is wise to contact your medical doctor for every step you want to take in order to ensure proper health care without any problem.