Painful, itchy, bleeding piles can be stressful, not to mention embarrassing for a lot of people. It can occur all of a sudden and create discomfort within no time. Hemorrhoids come in two varieties. The internal types sprout from within the rectum. External hemorrhoids develop on the anus itself. Either way, stools passing by them can cause pain and bleeding. Although hemorrhoids are rarely dangerous, they can be a painful recurrent bother.
But simple self-help measures can ease the ordeal of most hemorrhoids and allow healing. You should be visiting a doctor if the pain is unbearable; if your problem is in the initial stages you can try these tips to get some relief.
Consume more fibre-rich foods: the most important thing is to add fiber to your diet; this is best done with foods that help hemorrhoids. Fibre helps to relieve constipation and avoid straining, which both are major risk factors for developing hemorrhoids. Oatmeal, barley, whole-grain cereals, beans, leafy vegetables like spinach (palak) and fenugreek (methi) and citrus fruits like oranges are a few fibre-rich sources that can be included.
Abstain from straining: Visit the toilet only when you feel the urge to defecate. Avoid other unrelated activities like reading newspapers while sitting on the toilet and waiting eagerly for the stool to arrive.
Don’t delay: When you feel the urge, go to the bathroom immediately; don’t wait for a more convenient time. Putting off bowel movements can worsen constipation, which then aggravates hemorrhoids
Hydrotherapy: sitz bath can be very effective in proving symptomatic relief for itchy, inflamed and painful piles. Taking a sitz bath is nothing but soaking your anal area in a tub with slightly warm water with salt for about 10-15 minutes, two to three times a day. The warm water and salt relieves congestion, improves anal circulation and reduces inflammation.
Ice pack/cold compress: Ice is the most effective treatment for inflammation and swelling. If you can’t use an ice pack, crush some ice cubes and wrap it in a plastic bag or sheet. Use a wash cloth to cover the plastic bag. Lie on your back in a comfortable position and apply on the anal opening for about 10 minutes.
Take flavonoid rich foods: Flavonoid rich foods like blackberries, blueberries, cherries and citrus fruits increase the strength in the vein structures, thereby improving circulation around the anus. A meta-analysis has shown that flavonoids help to reduce persistent symptoms of piles by about 58 per cent with a fair reduction in the risk of bleeding, persistent pain, itching and recurrence.
Drink plenty of water: Apart from fibre that helps in moving the digested food smoothly through the intestine, water helps to determine the consistency of your stools. When you drink less water, your intestinal walls absorb water from your stools to make them hard. And, hard stools cause constipation and straining which leads to piles. Hence, you should drink a lot of water so as to maintain stool consistency and preventing constipation and dehydration.
Apply petroleum jelly: People suffering from hemorrhoids/piles often spend time straining during their bowel movement. A lubricating agent like petroleum jelly can help you to avoid straining if you use it just before passing a bowel movement.
Care during pregnancy: Pregnant women should be extra care while using any natural remedy for treating piles. Consult your doctor before taking any laxative medication or cream. Eat healthy, avoid spicy foods and do mild exercise regularly. Do not sit or stand for a long period of time.
Try elevation: Elevating your feet a bit with a step stool as you sit on the toilet changes the position of the rectum in a way that may allow for easier passage of stools.
Do Yoga Ashvini Mudra: Yoga Ashwini is the age old physical medicine for Piles that helps cure permanently by improving blood circulation and tensile strength of anal pads. Simply put. Ashwini Mudra is to contract the anus. Squeeze it for 5-10 seconds. Repeat this 10 times. It takes just a minute. Do it as often as you can. At least 6-10 times a day. While you sit in office, in a bus, watch TV, cook or walk on the road. No one will know.
Author:
Dr Nirav Joshi, Ayurvedacharya
