Home Remedies and Relief for Hemorrhoids, Constipation and Anal Itching
- What are Home Remedies?
- Proper Anal Hygiene
- Proper Bowel Movement
- Anti-Anal Itch Diet
- Diet to Prevent Constipation
- Hemorrhoid Relief
- Medication Disclaimer
What are Home Remedies?
Home remedies provide relief and sometimes a cure for a disease or condition by using common household items or even certain foods. Home remedies may have actual medicinal properties that serve to treat or cure the disease or ailment in question.
Proper Anal Hygiene
Hemorrhoids and the skin surrounding them can become aggravated and painful if you are using toilet paper. To clean this area, it is best to take a bath or shower whenever possible. Also, soap is an irritant and should be avoided. Plain water or natural cleansing products are usually OK. Be sure to rinse the area well. Then gently dry the area by blotting it with a towel, or use a blow dryer set to light warm or cool. Thick-quilted disposable baby wipes can be a suitable substitute for toilet paper when bathing is impractical. Be sure to wipe slowly and gently, and never scrub the area.
Proper Bowel Movement
Use the toilet whenever you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, even if it is several times throughout the day. Try to go as soon as you feel the urge to go; if you delay this urge by more than a few minutes, you might get a reflex constipation and loose the urge to go again for several hours. Prolonged sitting or excessive straining while on the toilet, allows the hemorrhoidal venous cushions to expand unnecessarily, causing hemorrhoid disease to develop or worsen. Avoid excessive straining with any bowel movement. A gentle pressure or straining of the abdominal and pelvic muscles is OK, but not for more than 30-consecutive seconds. Limit your time on the toilet from 3-5 minutes for any one sitting; if you have not completed an entire bowel movement, that’s OK; get off the toilet, walk around for a bit, and wait for the urge to have a bowel movement return. Don’t read, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play video games while sitting on the toilet, or else you might extend your time sitting on the toilet by more than a few minutes.
Anti-Itch Diet
This diet is perfect for Pruritus Ani sufferers and for relief from itching caused by hemorrhoids. Lower the acid ph balance of your stools by avoiding:
1) soda beverages
2) citrus fruits and juices
3) beer and wine
In addition, avoid caffeinated products, especially coffee, because this lowers the anal sphincter pressure, promotes flatulence, and generally heightens anal skin sensitivity.
Diet to Prevent Constipation
Constipation is a leading cause of hemorrhoids. In most cases dietary and lifestyle changes will help relieve symptoms and help prevent constipation. A High Fiber Diet helps to form soft, bulky stools. A doctor or dietitian can help plan an appropriate diet. High-fiber foods include beans; whole grains and bran cereals; fresh fruits; and vegetables such as asparagus, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and carrots. For people prone to constipation, limiting foods that have little or no fiber such as ice cream, cheese, meat, and processed foods is also important. Other changes that can help treat and prevent constipation include drinking enough water and other liquids such as fruit and vegetable juices and clear soup, engaging in daily exercise, and reserving enough time to have a bowel movement. In addition, the urge to have a bowel movement should not be ignored.
Enemas
Enemas may be used to relieve constipation and fecal impaction. To keep the bowels clean, plain warm water enemas can be effective. As a bowel stimulant, enemas are administered directly into the rectum, and thereafter, into the colon. When the enema is complete, and after a set “holding time,” (usually about 5-10 minutes) the patient expels feces along with the enema in the toilet. A licensed Doctor or Certified Colon Hydro Therapist should be consulted when using enemas containing chemicals, or when enema usage exceeds more than one quart of water per day.
Hemorrhoid Relief
Ice Packs Acutely inflamed hemorrhoids respond well to icing the area. Apply an ice pack to the anal area on and off for 10-15 minutes, 5-times a day. Usually, Ice in a small zip lock bag works well. For the application of ice internally, try freezing some water in commercially available ice-pop molds.
Keep the Anus Dry A moist anal area is prone to irritation and infection of the skin. Sprinkle the anus with cornstarch or baby powder to absorb any moisture. A large cotton fluff, torn from a commercially available “roll of cotton,” should be placed between the buttocks to absorb excessive moisture. A physician should evaluate excessive moisture, especially if it is tinged with blood.
Sitz Bath A “sitz bath” is a bath in which the hips and buttocks are immersed in warm water for the therapeutic effect of moist heat in the perineal and anal regions. It is one of the best treatments a person can use to get relief from hemorrhoids. Nothing should be added to the water while soaking. Fill up your bathtub with warm water and sit in it for 10-15 minutes as often as you want for relief. Hot water is not recommended and may injure the tissues that you want to heal.
Topical Ointments and Creams A coating of petroleum jelly, and some commercially available “diaper rash” creams and prednisone ointments can be applied directly to the anal area to soothe irritated skin surfaces. Skin surfaces that are cracked and dry, will immediately feel improvement. Also, applying lubrication to the anal passage with an ointment just prior to a bowel movement can help alleviate pain caused by the passage of a hard or difficult stool.
