The treatment of hemorrhoids and the corresponding natural remedies serve the therapy of exceptional dilation of the veins of the rectum (rectum) immediately above the anus.Hemorrhoids can occur internally and externally. If they are external, you can feel and see them, but it is not enough to push them back inwards, as they immediately step out again.
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Natural remedies for hemorrhoids
Some lifestyle adjustments may be used to relieve symptoms of hemorrhoids, including:
- Drink at least 2 liters of water or other soft drinks daily.
- Sit in a tub of cool water several times a day for 10 minutes. Cold water has a vasoconstrictive effect and therefore helps to reduce blood flow and the diameter of blood vessels.
- On the other hand, hot water causes an increased blood fullness and is therefore contraindicated.
- Be careful when using ice, because although it numbs the anus, it can also cause burns if not used correctly.
- Regular physical exercise to prevent constipation. To do this, it is enough to go for a walk for an hour three times a week. If possible, you should walk in nature, in the park or in the countryside, because this relaxes and distracts.
- Strong pressing during bowel movements should be avoided.
- A bath in the sea of at least 15 minutes a day helps in the treatment of hemorrhoids, also swimming in a swimming pool is good.
- Over-the-counter creams and suppositories can temporarily relieve pain and itching in hemorrhoids. However, these treatments must only be used for a short period of time, because in the long term they can damage the skin. The most commonly used creams are based on horse chestnut extract or aloe vera. In case of pain during bowel movements, petroleum jelly can be used. However, it is only applied in the area of the anus and should not be introduced too much into the interior of the rectum.
Medicines for hemorrhoids: creams, ointments and suppositories
Over-the-counter creams, oils, and suppositories can be used to relieve swelling and inflammation on the anus.
However, these products only treat the symptoms and not the hemorrhoids.
This type of medication should only be used for five to six days at a time; prolonged use could irritate the skin around the anus.
Any medication that is used should be combined with appropriate nutrition and advice on self-treatment.
One should not take several medications at the same time, because they could contain similar ingredients.
Cortisone cream
With a high degree of inflammation on the anus, the doctor may prescribe a cream containing cortisone. This cream contains highly effective hormones called steroids.
You should not use creams with corticosteroids for more than a week, because they can make the skin around the anus thinner.
Painkiller
Painkillers such as acetaminophen can relieve pain caused by hemorrhoids.
Products containing a local anesthetic (painkiller) may be prescribed to treat painful hemorrhoids. They should only be used for a few days because they can make the skin around the anus very sensitive.
laxatives (laxatives)
The doctor may prescribe a laxative if the patient suffers from constipation.
This is a drug that helps to empty the intestines.
Laxatives have different principles of action:
- Shaping – the remedies contain fiber, which makes the stool heavier and softer. This improves the muscular activity of the intestine (peristalsis).
- Osmotic – the amount of water in the intestine is increased to soften the stool.
Vasoprotectors
With fragility of the capillaries, the doctor prescribes vasoprotectors such as Venoruton.
Natural products and diet for hemorrhoids
Nutrition is the most important part in the treatment and prevention of hemorrhoids.
A good diet is the basis of maintaining the health of the intestine.
According to conventional medicine, the main problem can be constipation, in addition:
- Alcohol
- Fried
- spicy food,
- Excess of nuts or almonds.
These can be helpful hints, but usually they are not sufficient to solve the problem; The fact is that even with diarrhea, the patient can have inflamed hemorrhoids and rhagades.
As a result, the patient often resorts to medication or undergoes surgery.
Many patients were able to solve the problem of hemorrhoids with another type of diet, such as the blood type diet or the vegan diet/raw food diet.
According to these nutritional theories, the main culprits for inflamed hemorrhoids are pastries and cereals.
The difference between the two diets lies in the recommended and avoided foods.
1) Fiber
Fiber has a positive effect on symptoms in hemorrhoids.
You can keep the stool soft and increase its mass, reducing tension on the walls of the intestine.
Seven randomized clinical trials involving a total of 378 subjects have shown that fiber improves symptoms, including pain, discomfort and itching.
There are many ways to get in more fiber.
One can eat high-fiber foods such as whole grains and vegetables. Psyllium is an inexpensive dietary supplement in powder form and is also available in supermarkets.
Another option is flaxseed. Whatever the source of fiber, in any case, you should drink plenty of water. Otherwise, you risk aggravating the constipation.
2) Bioflavonoids Bioflavonoids
are substances found in fruits that stabilize and strengthen the walls of blood vessels and reduce inflammation.
They reduce discomfort, pain and blood loss in an acute flare-up of hemorrhoids.
Side effects are mild and rare with bioflavonoids. This also allows the treatment of hemorrhoids in pregnant women (however, the flavonoid tangaretine should not be used by people taking tamoxifen for breast cancer).
The most important flavonoids, hesperidin and diosmin, are found in citrus fruits.
Daflon is a product made from citrus bioflavonoids and has been shown to improve symptoms in pregnant women after just four days of use; have been reduced:
- Ache
- Heaviness
- Loss of blood
- Itch.
3) Witch hazel, compresses or cream
This product is extracted from the leaves and bark of the Hamamelis virginiana plant, also known as witch hazel. No ingestion is required, but local application in the area in the form of distilled witch hazel solution, oil or tablets.
Witch hazel serves to reduce hemorrhoid bleeding because it has an astringent effect.
It can also relieve pain, itching, and swelling associated with hemorrhoids.
4) Butcher’s
broom Stinging butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) has a long tradition of use in hemorrhoids and varicose veins. It is often used for poor blood circulation in the veins.
How does butcher’s broom work?
Although scientists have not yet confirmed the effectiveness of butcher’s broom in hemorrhoids, butcher’s broom extract has an anti-inflammatory effect and is a vasoconstrictive agent (vasoconstrictor). It is therefore believed to improve tone and vein condition and reduce tissue swelling.
The active substance is called ruscogenin.
Pungent butcher’s broom can be taken in the form of capsules or as a tea.
The tea is prepared by boiling a teaspoon of the herb in a cup of water for 10-15 minutes.
Butcher’s broom must not be used in the following cases:
- in case of high blood pressure or benign prostatic hypertrophy,
- during pregnancy and lactation,
- when taking alpha-blockers or MAO inhibitors.
5) Horse chestnut
The horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is often recommended when there is weak venous circulation or chronic venous insufficiency.
In physiotherapy, it is often used together with tiger grass to relieve swelling and inflammation and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
The active substance is aescin.
Horse chestnut can be taken as a tea or in the form of capsules. It can also be applied externally as a cream.
Anyone who has an allergy to the horse chestnut family or takes blood thinning medication should not use the horse chestnut.
Only products from the seeds or young bark should be used, because other parts of the plant are poisonous. Although side effects are very rare, they are possible:
- kidney damage,
- severe bleeding,
- ecchymoses,
- Liver damage.
Operation for hemorrhoids
Minimally invasive procedures
If a blood clot forms in external hemorrhoids, the doctor can remove the coagel through a simple incision, which brings rapid relief.
If bleeding persists or painful hemorrhoids, the doctor may recommend further outpatient treatments, including:
Rubber band ligation
The doctor applies one or two rubber bands to the foot of the internal hemorrhoids to prevent blood flow.
To treat inside the anus, the doctor uses an anoscope, a thin and flexible tube that provides vision and allows the insertion of the instruments for the procedure.
In about a week, the hemorrhoids become necrotic and fall off along with the rubber bands.
This procedure is effective and still up-to-date.
Healing occurs in less than a month.
Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis and after which the patient can return home.
Complications include bleeding 2 to 4 days after ligation, rarely these are severe.
After the crust of the hemorrhoids has fallen off, more extensive traces of blood may be observed on toilet paper and underwear.
In case of recurrence, the ligation can be repeated.
Injection (sclerotherapy)
In this procedure, the doctor injects a chemical into the tissue to sclerode the hemorrhoids.
The injection causes less or no pain and is not as effective as the rubber band ligation.
Coagulation (bipolar or infrared laser)
coagulation techniques using a laser, infrared light, or heat. The goal is to harden and shrink internal small and bleeding hemorrhoids.
Even if coagulation has few side effects, the recurrence rate is higher compared to rubber band treatment.
Surgical intervention for the treatment of hemorrhoids
Some hemorrhoids cannot be treated on an outpatient basis or with natural remedies because the symptoms persist or the internal hemorrhoids have prolapsed (subsided). Fortunately, there are a number of minimally invasive treatment options available that are less painful than the traditional removal of hemorrhoids (hemorrhoidectomy) and allow for a speedy recovery.
These procedures are usually performed in a surgical practice or as an outpatient operation in a hospital.
Hemorrhoidectomy
Surgery may be required if the hemorrhoids are large and prominent, if external hemorrhoids cause persistent symptoms, or if there are internal hemorrhoids that recur despite rubber band ligation.
In a traditional hemorrhoid operation, the surgeon makes a narrow incision around the tissue of the external hemorrhoids and removes the hemorrhoidal tissue.
This operation is successful in 95% of cases and the complication rate is low.
The problem is that patients complain of severe postoperative pain.
The operation does not require an overnight stay in the hospital, but is performed under general anesthesia and most patients require painkillers (analgesics) or anesthetics (narcotics) because of the severe pain.
Patients can usually resume work after 7-10 days.
Despite the inconvenience, many people are satisfied to have found a definitive solution to the hemorrhoids.
Treatment of hemorrhoids with the Longo method
Hemorrhoidopexy with mechanical staples or the Longo method is a relatively new way to treat hemorrhoids, however, it quickly became one of the most commonly chosen treatments for third- or fourth-degree hemorrhoids.
The Longo method does not remove the hemorrhoids, but the weak and elongated tissue that is supposed to support the hemorrhoids, but has led to the prolapse of the hemorrhoids downwards.
This surgical technique is performed on prolapsed hemorrhoids of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree and is also used to correct prolapse.
The advantages of this surgical technique are:
- The procedure is performed in layers of tissue through which no nerve pathways run, as a result of which patients suffer from very little postoperative pain.
- The anesthesia is performed locally, even if regional or total anesthesia would be possible.
- Patients can return to their daily lives after one week.
Description of the procedure
- A dilator is inserted into the canal, which allows to reduce the prolapse of hemorrhoids.
- An anoscope is inserted via the dilator, which allows the insertion of surgical forceps.
- Now the tissue to be removed inside the rectum must be isolated or merged.
- The surgeon applies a circular suture around the mucous membrane to be removed and submucosa, which is located above the prolapsed hemorrhoids. This creates a round tissue cuff (ring).
- A round staple seam device (stacker) is inserted via the dilator. Threads can be inserted through the two openings of the truck.
- The device with the cone-shaped head penetrates deeper than the suture mucous membrane to be removed and incorporates it.
- By pulling on the threads, the mucosa is brought into the interior of the suture device.
- The stacker:
cuts and removes the previously prepared and seamed fabric;
2. At the same time, attaches metal clamps to attach the mucosa.
The hemorrhoids thus return to their original position from the anus to the rectum.
The staples loosen over time and are excreted by the body through the stool.
The procedure takes about 30 minutes.
How long do hemorrhoids persist?
The prognosis is subjective, it strongly depends on the extent of hemorrhoids and on the change in lifestyle habits.
If the hemorrhoids are mild, surgery can be avoided.
If you eat French fries and Nutella every day, you can hardly heal spontaneously. If, on the other hand, you follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly, these complaints can be eliminated without a scalpel.
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