Hemorrhoids or piles, is a common ailment affecting many people today. This is a condition of varicose and often inflamed veins in the rectal region. Hemorrhoids can be external or internal. In case of external hemorrhoids, there is a lot of pain but no bleeding, but in internal hemorrhoids, there is some bleeding and in some rare cases veins may burst. Symptoms of piles include discomfort and pain while passing stools, a feeling of soreness, irritation or even itching in the rectal region and slight bleeding in case of internal piles. The main causes for piles are chronic constipation, bowel disorders, obesity, and prolonged periods of sitting, pregnancy and even heredity.
You should increase the amount of fiber in your diet to stimulate regular bowel movements and drink plenty of water to keep your body well hydrated and ease the passing of stools. It is also crucial to cleanse yourself properly and gently using gentler, softer toilet paper or even facial tissues with moisturizing cream. Avoid scratching because that can worsen the situation by damaging the walls of the already inflamed rectal veins. Soaking yourself in a sitz bath, with your knees raised in around 4 inches of warm water not only helps to ease the pain from the inflamed veins but also increases the blood flow in the region, thus helping to shrink the swollen veins. Applying some witch hazel to the rectum with a ball of cotton is an excellent remedy for external hemorrhoids since it causes the rectal veins to shrink down and contract. It is also recommended to watch your weight since overweight people are found to have more trouble with piles due to the increased pressure on the lower regions of the body. Pregnant women are advised to take the pressure off their bowels by lying on their left side for 20 minutes after every 4 to 6 hours in order to decrease the pressure on the main veins.
Apart from this, it is important to watch your diet and avoid excess salt in your diet since salt retain water in the circulatory system, causing bulging of the veins in the rectal region. Consuming excess of alcohol, coffee, colas and spices can also increase the irritation in the bowels and should thus be avoided. A popular home remedy for hemorrhoids involves soaking three to four figs overnight in water and consuming the figs and the water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The seeds in the figs have the quality of stimulating and easing the passing of stools, relieving the pressure on the anus and allowing the rectal veins to contract. Mango seeds, collected, dried and powdered can be stored and used as an effective herbal medicine for bleeding hemorrhoids. 1 to 2 grams of powder should be consumed with some honey twice a day for instant relief. The Indian blackberry fruit eaten with some salt in the morning, through out the season of the fruit, not only cures hemorrhoids but also keep it at bay if this practice is followed every year. 150 ml of juice extracted from fresh turnip leaves along with a diet of raw fruits and vegetables is also beneficial for curing hemorrhoids. The juice of fresh biter gourd leaves (3 tsps), mixed with a glass of butter-milk and consumed every morning helps to cure hemorrhoids. You can also apply a paste of the leaves on the external hemorrhoids for instant relief from the discomfort.
answered by G R