We may hesitate to speak about it openly, but nearly 75 percent of adults will have hemorrhoids at least once in their life. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your anus and rectum, which may be accompanied by unpleasant symptoms like itching, bleeding and pain.
Hemorrhoids can have many causes, such as straining to pass bowel movements, obesity, extended periods of sitting on a toilet, pregnancy, anal intercourse and a low-fiber diet. They are rarely dangerous, but always visit your doctor to confirm if you have hemorrhoids and rule out anything more serious.
Whatever the reason for your hemorrhoids, the following natural remedies can help to quickly heal a flair-up and prevent a relapse.
1. EAT ENOUGH FIBER
Research has shown that increasing your fiber intake will help lessen bleeding, pain and itching from hemorrhoids. Fiber helps to soften stool and increase its bulk, which makes it easier to pass and reduces straining.
For adults younger than 50 years old, the Institute of Medicine recommends your daily intake of fiber should be 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. If you’re over 50, it drops to 30 grams for men and 21 grams for women.
Considering that the average American eats only 15 grams of fiber per day, this is something we could all use more of in our diet. Try some of these easy ways to fit more fiber into your day.
- Choose whole grains. Look for whole-grain pastas, breads and crackers. You can also steam whole grains like rice, millet or sorghum to eat for breakfast, or with a pasta sauce or a stir-fry for dinner.
- Eat lots of fruit and veggies. Consider options like a fruit smoothie for breakfast, a salad with lunch, an apple for an afternoon snack or a side of mashed cauliflower with dinner.
- Sprinkle psyllium husk on your meals. Psyllium husk, or psyllium fiber, is made from the husks of Plantago psyllium seeds. You can buy plain psyllium husks or the ground powder at most natural foods stores. Both contain around 3.5 grams of fiber per teaspoon. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends starting with half a teaspoon of psyllium per day, and working your way up to one teaspoon three times per day.
- Break out the beans. A half-cup serving of legumes like beans, peas and lentils has about 7 to 8 grams of fiber. You can add beans to salads, chilis and soups, or try a hummus or black bean dip with whole-grain chips for a snack.
If you currently have a very low fiber intake, only gradually add more fibrous foods to your diet. Too much at once can overwhelm your digestion and cause temporary bloating, gas or other discomfort.
2. LOAD UP ON CITRUS FRUITS AND BUCKWHEAT
Flavonoids are a type of compound found in plants. Three flavonoids in particular are shown to help with hemorrhoids.
A study published in the British Journal of Surgery discovered that a formulation of the flavonoids diosmin and hesperidin stopped acute bleeding of internal hemorrhoids faster than doing nothing. They also prevented a relapse in bleeding. Researchers believe these flavonoids work by strengthening the walls of your veins.
Citrus fruits are the best source of both diosmin and hesperidin. The peels and membranes have the highest concentrations, so try to include the peel and membranes when you juice lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits or tangerines. And leave on some of the white membranes when you peel them to eat fresh.
Rutin is another flavonoid shown to help heal hemorrhoids. Buckwheat is the primary source of rutin. It’s also found in many other foods, such as citrus fruits, apples and most other fruit and berries, as well as capers, olives, black and green teas, amaranth leaves, asparagus and unfermented rooibos tea.
3. HAVE A SITZ BATH
A sitz bath is simply a shallow, warm bath to soak your hips and bum. The warm water helps to soothe and relax the anal sphincter, which reduces pressure to that region. A sitz bath can help relieve itching and other discomfort.
The easiest way to take a sitz bath is to buy a kit. These are plastic basins you can fit on top of your regular toilet seat. They’re fairly inexpensive and can be found at most pharmacies or home care stores. You can also fill your bathtub with a few inches of water to sit in.
Sitz baths are typically filled with plain, warm water that you soak in for 10 to 20 minutes one or more times per day. Some people also report that adding half a cup of apple cider vinegar to your sitz bath is beneficial. For more detailed instructions, check out how to use a sitz bath.
4. WATCH YOUR TOILET HABITS
Many of our normal routines when we go to the bathroom can actually make hemorrhoids worse. Try the following tips to ease your trips to the toilet.
- Wait until you’re ready. Don’t ever forcefully strain or push a bowel movement, wait until you naturally feel the urge to go to the bathroom. Straining will only put more pressure on the veins in your lower rectum.
- Get good toilet paper or wipes. Use extra-soft toilet paper or unscented wipes after a bowel movement. Rough toilet paper or cleaning with too much pressure can further irritate the area. Also look for medicated pads that contain witch hazel, which is commonly used to help hemorrhoids. Or you can soak a cotton ball with a liquid witch hazel solution and apply it to the area for a few minutes.
- Squat instead of sitting. This may be one of the most important things you can do to prevent hemorrhoids. Humans are naturally designed to squat to pass a bowel movement. Sitting on a conventional toilet actually puts tremendous strain on your rectum. Whereas, squatting straightens your rectum and relaxes the surrounding muscles. The easiest way to improve your position while on the toilet is to get a squatting stool, such as the squatty potty.
5. STAY HYDRATED, INSIDE AND OUT
Dietary fiber absorbs water as it moves through your system, so drinking plenty of water will help to soften stool and keep you regular.
How much should you drink, exactly? The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined the daily recommended intake of fluid is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women. This includes fluids from water, other beverages and food. In general, about 20 percent of your daily fluid comes from food and the rest is from drinks.
You can also apply various gels or oils directly to your hemorrhoids and anus to keep them hydrated. This can reduce uncomfortable symptoms and help them heal. Try applying aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil, olive oil or coconut oil.
6. KEEP ACTIVE
Regular activity will help to lessen many of the risk factors for hemorrhoids. It can keep your weight down, get your blood flowing to prevent excess pressure in your rectal veins and disrupt long periods of sitting.
If you sit a lot at work or at home, get in the habit of standing up about every half hour to stretch a bit or take a short walk around the room.
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