Preventative Hemorrhoid Treatment
The best way to treat hemorrhoids is to avoid getting them. Of course, this is easier said than done. Still, a few simple lifestyle adjustments can decrease your likelihood of getting hemorrhoids. These preventative tips are helpful even if you already have hemorrhoids.The first step is to examine your diet. Certain foods, such as spicy dishes, caffeine or alcohol, can inflame hemorrhoids. While a high fiber diet, on the other hand, helps inhibit hemorrhoids by preventing chronic constipation or diarrhea. Doctors recommend eating between 20 and 30 grams of fiber per day. If you’re not getting your daily dose, try adding foods like whole grains and fresh fruits to your diet.
Another option is taking a fiber supplement. But be sure to drink plenty of water. Increasing fiber without increasing water can actually exacerbate constipation, something anybody with hemorrhoids can tell you is bad news.
Along with diet, take a hard look at your exercise habits. Long periods of sitting, such as at an office desk, can put excess pressure on the anal veins, causing or inflaming hemorrhoids. Try to get in at least a half hour of exercise per day, in addition to taking frequent breaks to walk around the office.
Finally, listen to your body. When your body is telling you it’s time to go, go. Waiting to defecate can make the stool hard and dry, making it more irritating to the veins in your anal canal.
Over-the-counter Hemorrhoid Treatment
Though lifestyle modifications are often enough to relieve hemorrhoid symptoms, they may take a little bit longer than you’re willing to wait. For more immediate relief, consider an over-the-counter hemorrhoid treatment.Faced with a vast array of hemorrhoid creams, ointments, wipes, gels, suppositories, pads and foams, the average hemorrhoid sufferer will be overwhelmed. Adding to the confusion, there is little evidence to indicate that any of these products are even effective. Still, many doctors will recommend trying an over-the-counter hemorrhoid treatment to relieve hemorrhoid symptoms.
The most common hemorrhoid treatments, such as Preparation H, are known as vasoconstrictors. Vasoconstrictors make the blood vessels in the anus smaller, theoretically reducing the swelling, pain and itching associated with hemorrhoids. They also have mild anesthetic effects.
Other hemorrhoid treatments include astringents, such as witch hazel or calamine. Astringents can be effective in drying out the affected area, reducing the burning and itching associated with hemorrhoids. However, there is little evidence to support that astringent treatments can reduce hemorrhoid pain.
Non-operative Hemorrhoid Treatment
If your hemorrhoids are internal or severe, or not responding to lifestyle adjustment or over-the-counter treatments, doctors may recommend a non-operative procedure. Most of these procedures attempt to produce scarring around the hemorrhoid area, which in turn blocks the hemorrhoids from entering the anal canal. These procedures are not surgical, and can usually be done right in the doctor’s office.Probably the most common non-operative hemorrhoid treatment is rubber-band ligation. This procedure involves tying a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid in the hope that the inflamed tissue will die and be replaced by scar tissue. Though this is an effective hemorrhoid treatment, there is a chance that the ulceration caused by rubber-band ligation can cause a potentially serious infection.
A second popular non-operative hemorrhoid treatment is sclerotherapy. For this treatment a phenol or quinine-based liquid is injected into the hemorrhoid area. This provokes inflammation and scarring, which can eliminate the symptoms of hemorrhoids for several years.
Yet another common hemorrhoid treatment is known as heat coagulation. In this treatment, infrared light is used to heat the affected tissue, inducing scarring. Similarly, a technique called cryotherapy uses cold temperatures to achieve the same affect, but is far less common as it is more time-consuming and less effective than heat coagulation.
Surgical Hemorrhoid Treatment
In rare cases, hemorrhoids will not respond to any of the above treatments. In these situations surgery may be required. Though hemorrhoidectomies can be an effective hemorrhoid treatment, it is a fairly major procedure with many possible complications. The biggest problem with hemorrhoid surgery is post-operative pain, which can require heavy doses of narcotic pain medication for several weeks. Other possible complications include incontinence, difficulty urinating, anal scarring and constricting, and hemorrhaging. Because of these serious side effects, surgery is recommended in only the most severe hemorrhoids cases.
However, in recent years a new surgical technique known as hemorrhoid stapling has grown in popularity. In this effective hemorrhoid treatment, a stapling device is used to suture hemorrhoids into a non-obstructive part of the anal canal. Stapling is a much less invasive procedure than a traditional hemorrhoidectomy, though some of the traditional complications associated with hemorrhoid surgery, such as infection and bleeding, can occur.
However, in recent years a new surgical technique known as hemorrhoid stapling has grown in popularity. In this effective hemorrhoid treatment, a stapling device is used to suture hemorrhoids into a non-obstructive part of the anal canal. Stapling is a much less invasive procedure than a traditional hemorrhoidectomy, though some of the traditional complications associated with hemorrhoid surgery, such as infection and bleeding, can occur.
Learn more about hemorrhoid treatment at Medline.
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