30
April
2008
Bleeding is simultaneously one of the most common and most frightening symptoms of hemorrhoids.
You’re going about your daily life, usually feeling no major discomfort, and then suddenly it looks like you’re losing massive amounts of blood!
Why do hemorrhoids do this? What causes them to bleed so frequently and so profusely?
First, remember that they are probably not bleeding as profusely as it would first appear.
Blood from the mucosal tissue lined anal canal gets diluted in the large amounts of mucus that irritation produces.
Mucus is generally clear, while of course blood is not.
Therefore a relatively small amount of blood can get quite large in volume when mixed with mucus while retaining it’s bright, oh so alarming color. In addition, any bleeding that occurs in the bowl of a toilet is going to quickly get diluted by the toilet water, and again, it can look like a lot more than it really is.
But, you may ask, why do hemroids bleed in the first place?
A hemorrhoids is, by definition, a swelling in a vein and the tissue surrounding that swelling. As a vein swells, the vein wall gets thinner, much like an inflated balloon. If something hard or harsh, for example a constipated stool, scrapes against it, that vein is quite likely to give way.
In addition, smaller blood vessels close to the surface of the tissue are also under pressure and frequently behave the same way. To continue with the balloon analogy, straining can cause the blood vessels of the area to “pop” under increased hydraulic blood pressure.
Of course, because even the smallest hemorrhoid projects above the area of the surrounding tissue, it’s going to be under the most pressure from any straining or hard stools.
Is hemorrhoidal bleeding a major cause for concern?
If you are experiencing anal bleeding for the first time, yes.
There are a multitude of potential causes for anal bleeding, including some quite serious health conditions such as colon cancer, and a doctor needs to rule out those causes. Hemorrhoidal bleeding should always be relatively bright red in color and fresh.
If you are experiencing anal bleeding and the blood is dark brown, black, or scablike, it is even more serious and should be seen by a doctor right away.
Even fresh, bright red bleeding can be a symptom of something other than hemorrhoids, such as anal fissures, fistulas, or warts, so it’s a good idea to get a correct diagnosis.
In addition, bleeding hemorrhoids can be a target for infection, especially due to location, so that’s something to keep an eye on.
If you ever find yourself with an unexplained fever, chills, or other signs of infection, go see a doctor immediately.
However, if other causes have been ruled out and your hemorrhoids are not infected, bleeding is a fairly common symptom, especially of internal hemorrhoids.
If you suffer from chronic bleeding due to hemorrhoids, there are several things - treatments - that can help.
If you bleed from an external hemorrhoid, getting a hemorrhoid cream that includes a topical vasoconstrictor and either calamine or zinc oxide can help stop the bleeding.
Internal hemorrhoids may be helped by a prescription for a vasoconstrictor to be taken by mouth.
Using the normal recommended methods of treating hemorrhoids in general will also help reduce and eventually eliminate hemorrhoidal bleeding.
Posted: Hemroid Health, Hemroids / Hemorrhoids Bleeding, Hemroids Cure, Hemroids Relief
28
April
2008
Hemorrhoid treatment may be roughly divided into two different classifications, namely relief treatment and curative treatment.
While a cure for hemorrhoids is, of course, the end goal, relief from the symptoms of hemorrhoids is a necessary part of maintaining a standard of living while curative treatments are taking effect. Therefore, knowledge of each will help to make the whole process of getting rid of hemorrhoids much more pleasant and productive.
Basic hemorrhoid relief can be found in a variety of ways, many of which are readily available in any home.
Ibuprofen is the best common over-the-counter medication to use on irritated hemorrhoids, but acetaminophen will work in a pinch. While acetaminophen will help with the pain, ibuprofen also directly addresses inflammation, which is the most common underlying source of hemorrhoid pain.
Another basic home relief remedy is to take a bath in an inch or two of warm water, referred to as a sitz-bath, for twenty minutes, three times per day.
Many find it helpful to sit on a towel-wrapped icepack or ice cubes after the sitz-bath, as the alternating heat and cold provides circulatory stimulation and pain relief.
In addition, pharmacies are filled with hemorrhoid creams for soothing external hemorrhoids, while drinking aloe vera juice may provide relief for inflamed internal hemorrhoids.
Basic hemorrhoid cures are usually rather simple to do at home as they mostly involve diet and lifestyle changes.
No matter what actually causes your hemorrhoids, a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle will never help.
The average human being requires between twenty to thirty grams of fiber and 64 ounces of water per day in order for the gastrointestinal system to function properly. Dietary sources of fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, and whole grains. When changing your diet, remember to only introduce one new food per week as too quick of a diet change will produce pure misery as your intestinal system gets used to the new regime. In addition, dividing the water up over the entire day will keep unfortunate bloating from interfering with normal activities.
Hemorrhoid relief and hemorrhoid cures frequently intersect.
Changing your diet to the above recommendations will immediately start to soothe hemorrhoids, as bowel movements will no longer be an occasion for straining and long sessions on the toilet.
Improving circulation by alternating sitz-baths and icepacks may improve the area enough to contribute to hemorrhoid recession.
Therefore, exploring all of the basic methods of hemorrhoid treatment and integrating them into daily life is often a cost-effective method of dealing with this unpleasant condition.
Posted: Hemroid Health, Hemroids Cure, Hemroids Relief
27
April
2008
Alternative medicine has been frequently been touted as a cure-all, promising relief for everything from migranes to hemorrhoids to cancer.
However, some of what is advertised looks like medical fraud on the order of snake oil! How can anyone looking for hemorrhoid relief tell the difference between an alternative medication that might actually help and a total waste of time, money, and suffering?
There are several different classifications of alternative medicine, each of which is unique.
It is actually quite a mistake to lump them all in under one umbrella term like “alternative medicine” but we have to call it all something. Taking the time to comprehend the various forms of alternative medicine today can yield some very productive treatment options.
The oldest and probably most efficacious form of alternative medicine is herbal treatment.
Most of the prescription medications we use today have their roots in plants.
In fact, plants are such a good source of new medications that there is an entire branch of pharmaceutical education and research devoted to it, called pharmocognosy.
Herbal remedies effective for hemorrhoid relief are witch hazel cream, ointment or extract, aloe vera gel or cream, horse chestnut tea, butcher’s broom tea, and Japanese Pagoda Tree extract.
Be aware that herbs are just another form of medication.
Some of these, horse chestnut and butcher’s broom in particular, affect the entire circulatory system and may interact badly with your current health conditions or any current medication regime.
In addition, find a reputable supplier for any herbal medications. Herbal supplements are not governed or tested under the same rules and supervision as medications, so checking for quality becomes much more important.
Herbs grown under sub-standard conditions, such as next to a road or with polluted water, can actually do more harm as they carry detrimental chemicals into your body.
Acupuncture, surprisingly enough, has been approved by the World Health Organization for the treatment of several diseases, including pain relief.
Several rigorously controlled studies have been performed on the pain-treatment capacity of acupuncture, particularly for such chronic conditions as migranes. While these tests have shown acupuncture to have a measureable effect on patients, no clinical trials have been performed to date specifically on acupuncture’s effectiveness regarding hemorrhoids.
If you feel that the research that has been done is validation enough for acupuncture’s use, do find an acupuncturist accredited by the appropriate medical association for your country.
There is a branch of medicine called evolutionary medicine that seeks to understand and recreate the conditions that the human animal evolved for.
Evolutionary medicine is firmly grounded in the findings of physical anthropologists who study the entire course of our evolution to date.
One of the more valuable findings of evolutionary medicine for hemorrhoid patients is that we, as a species, did not evolve to sit on toilets but rather to squat for our toileting.
Many hemorrhoid sufferers have found that raising their feet on a small stool while toileting relieves and may even banish their hemorrhoids. If this works for you, and you believe that fully squatting might be even more beneficial, toilets that allow you to take a full squatting position are available on the market today.
Holistic medicine is a reasonable approach for many people to solving a health condition.
A holistic practitioner will take the whole person into account for healing purposes, instead of treating a human like a machine with parts to be fixed.
However, any holistic practitioner worth your time should use the best that mainstream medicine has to offer in addition to any herbal medications or psychological aids he or she feels is necessary.
If you’re going to pay for this treatment, do find a holistic practitioner who is also has their M.D., it will save you a lot in both foolishness and time.
Homeopathy has not been shown to have any appreciable effect, and in fact defies several laws of modern chemistry and physics.
Homeopathic remedies are so diluted that no molecules of the supposedly therapeutic substance can reliably be found in any given dose of the remedy. Repeated scientific tests and clinical trials have been performed on homeopathy for many decades now, and homeopathy shows no benefit above the placebo effect.
Use this information, like any other, to find the best treatment options for you.
If you are going to use one of the above alternative medicine options, remember that no alternative medicine is an appropriate substitute for sound, well researched medical advice.
However, some forms of alternative medicine make wonderful complements to mainstream medicine, capable of shortening recovery times and improving overall quality of life.
Posted: Hemroid Health, Hemroids Cure, Hemroids Herbs, Hemroids Relief
21
April
2008
Hemroids herbs are a natural extension of hemorrhoid treatment.
Most doctors will tell you that the vast majority of hemroids are best treated at home, and many of the most common home remedies, such as witch hazel, are herbal in nature to begin with.
However, the large and unfamiliar territory of herbal remedies can be daunting, to say the least. It helps greatly to know what herbs work on hemroids, what they do, and how to use quality herbal remedies effectively.
There are several categories of herbs that qualify as hemroid treatments.
The first, and most commonly used hemroids herbs, are astringents.
This classification covers such hemroid standbys as witch hazel, aloe vera gel, and apple cider vinegar.
In short, these herbal extracts reduce inflammation and cause hemorrhoidal tissue to dry out, thus reducing pain, irritation, and itching.
Witch hazel and aloe vera gel come in the form of medicated wipes that can be used to pat the area.
Apple cider vinegar is generally used on a moistened sterile cotton ball or swab.
While many hemroid sufferers find that witch hazel and aloe vera are more effective than apple cider vinegar, if you have vinegar on hand, it does offer enough immediate relief to plan for the future.
While medicated pads can’t be used directly on internal hemroids, 99% pure aloe vera juice is available as a drink that may assist.
A less common herbal astringent is a poultice made from the roots or rhizomes of cranesbill, mashed and used as a poultice.
Each and every person reacts differently to various herbs, so if one doesn’t work it may be worth your time to try another.
The next category of herbal remedies are normally ingested foods that can help treat hemroids.
Many brightly colored fruits, such as blueberries, cranberries and cherries contain bioflavonoids which can be of great help by increasing muscle tone and blood circulation.
And, of course, most of the fiber supplements on the market today are herbal derivatives such as psyllium seed husks and ground flax seed and come in a plethora of forms. You can get powder to be mixed with water and drank, doses contained in gelatin capsules, or wafers to munch on. Just remember to get plenty of water when adding herbal fiber supplements to your diet, and you should get excellent results with your hemroids.
The third classification of hemroid herbal remedies are the ones that affect hemroids most directly through the circulatory system.
This set of hemroids herbs includes butcher’s broom, horse chestnut, and the Japanese pagoda tree.
Taken internally, butcher’s broom narrows blood vessels, improves and strengthens blood vessel walls, and lessens inflammation and swelling.
Horse chestnut improves microvascular circulation, lessens fluid retention and brings down swelling.
Japanese pagoda tree extract reduces bleeding, helps maintain vein health, and helps with hemroid symptoms such as itching, burning, or inflammation.
Because these herbs are taken internally and they affect the workings of the circulatory system, do not take them if you have a heart or blood condition, and check to make sure that they don’t interact badly with any ongoing medication you’re currently taking.
Hemroid herbs in conclusion
Many people have found relief from hemroid symptoms and from hemroids themselves by taking advantage of herbal remedies.
Herbal hemroids remedies also carry a few other advantages, such as being less expensive than other treatments and many are widely available.
Remember to use common sense and only get your herbal remedies from reputable companies, and, with luck, your hemroid problems will be over.
Posted: Hemroid Health, Hemroids Cure, Hemroids Herbs, Hemroids Relief
