Alternative Treatment vs Established Treatment
The 3 established health management goals of hemorrhoid treatment include relieving the symptoms, arresting the worsening of the condition and preventing the recurrence of the condition. The old adage that prevention is better than cure is well-known. Accordingly, we would add pre-emptive prevention of the onset of hemorrhoids.
Established medicine dictates 4 stages of prognosis; immediate admittance to hospital where cancer is highly probable, possible admittance where there is acute pain (e.g. thrombosed external hemorrhoids and internal but thrombosed and prolapsed hemorrhoids), outpatient treatment (e.g. grade 1 or 2 hemorrhoids); intensive investigation (e.g. where there is suspicion that the problem may be more than just hemorrhoids).
Most people typically choose this conventional path of hemorrhoid treatment. Well and good, if it helps them. As we believe that they generally do provide good medical solutions, we are not total skeptics of big pharmaceutical companies and hospitals. Having said that, many customary medicines do have side effects, some of which are not made known to us on the basis that they are statistically acceptable.
Accordingly, our approach is always to examine alternative treatment together with conventional medicine. This is even more so if the alternative treatment has these characteristics; is natural, has been tried and tested by fellow sufferers and is effective even for those who have undergone conventional medical treatment. One highly popular alternative to hemorrhoid treatment is the aptly named H Miracle.
Apart from mainstream and alternative treatment, there are many things that you can do for yourself to avoid becoming a piles sufferer or if you are already one, to reduce your distress and prevent deterioration of the condition.
Healthy Living as a Lifestyle
Cultivate this simple lifestyle habit – the balanced diet! It sounds clichéd but undeniably it is the truth.
A major cause of hemorrhoids is excessive straining due to constant bouts of constipation, something which most of us simply dismiss as part of life. Accordingly, a major lifestyle objective should then be to ensure regular bowel movements comprising soft but bulky stools. This is easily achieved by including in our daily diet just 30 gm of insoluble fiber found in fruits and leafy vegetables and by drinking 8 glasses of fluid. Fluids, despite our optimism, do not include those with alcohol and caffeine content!
The balanced diet normally works fairly rapidly. But if your bowel demands are very urgent, you may consider taking plant-based fiber supplements. Sold under trade names like Citrucel or WillPowder, methyl cellulose is highly effective. They pass through the intestines undigested and absorbs large quantities of water to produce a bulkier but softer stool. Another high fiber supplement is psyllium (sold under the brand Metamucil) which acts similarly to smoothen bowel motion.
If you are already suffering from hemorrhoids or is recovering from hemorrhoids after conventional medical procedures, the daily regime of a balanced diet is an imperative step in your hemorrhoid treatment and recovery.
Self-Treatment at Home
To those for whom hemorrhoids is a perpetual problem, what follows is a set of perianal hygiene routines which would help you tremendously if it becomes second nature. Perianal refers to the tissues in the vicinity of the anus. After passing motion, these are essential steps to note:
• Avoid soaps with perfumes or dyes
• Do not rub the anal region
– clean with the shower or bidet
– pat dry gently with a towel
• Blot dry the anus with
– damp toilet tissue
– baby wipes
– pre-moistened towelettes e.g. TUCKS Medicated Pads
– cleansing agents e.g. Balneol Hygienic Cleansing Lotion.
For discomfort relief in hemorrhoid treatment, try one or all of the following:
• Apply ice (10-minute duration) several times a day
• Alternately apply a warm compress (10-20 minute duration)
• Apply moist heat (using warm towels – tip: use a microwave) a few times a day
• Soak the anal area in warm water (15 minute duration) a few times a day
• Take a sitz bath (i.e. warm salted water)
• Apply hemorrhoidal creams or petroleum jelly (e.g. Preparation H)
Other relief methods:
• Lie down in bed – alleviates pressure on the inflamed hemorrhoids
• Refrain standing or sitting for prolonged periods
• Refrain lifting heavy things
• Wear loose cotton underwear to prevent moisture formation
• Do NOT use the famed doughnut ring cushion – by restricting blood flow, it increases swelling!
• Exercise regularly – just brisk walking is fine too
• However busy you are, discharge your bowels as soon as the urge occurs.
Self-help is an unavoidable part of hemorrhoid treatment. But it is IMPORTANT TO NOTE that whenever any of the medicinal products mentioned above are used for hemorrhoid treatment, you should consult the pharmacist at the drugstore where you make your purchase or your personal doctor. This is specially important if you have cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, urination difficulties caused by prostate gland enlargement or you are recently taking any prescribed medicine.