Frequently Asked Questions About Hemorrhoids

Having a hemorrhoid is beyond our control. Most men and women when they reach the age of 50 suffer from hemorrhoids. Yes you can prevent it but in your everyday lives, you may not be aware that some of your common actions do contribute in developing hemorrhoids. And because it can be embarrassing, most people suffer the pain caused by hemorrhoids in silence.

• How can you tell that you have a hemorrhoid?

Hemorrhoids are swollen and inflamed veins found in the lower rectum and in your anus. There is bleeding during a bowel movement. You will be feeling the pain and discomfort because of the swollen veins and you may feel itchy. Hemorrhoids are also called piles.

• Will hemorrhoids just disappear or heal on their own?

For most cases, the answer is NO. Some people develop hemorrhoids because of their nature of work. So the situation might only get worse if you don't seek any medical treatment. The rectum can be a sensitive part of the body and if you get a hemorrhoid, it will badly affect your daily activities. Hemorrhoids if not taken care of immediately can only get worse like getting a hard time during bowel movement.

• What is the effective way of treating hemorrhoids?

This depends on the degree of your hemorrhoid. In some cases, a surgery is required to get rid of hemorrhoids. For early stages, natural treatments using common practices like the sitz bath, using herbal medicines and using oils can be effective and can be applied at home. These kinds of hemorrhoid treatments cure the swelling veins and ease the pain and eventually eliminate the hemorrhoids. You can also use creams available in the drugstore. But if your hemorrhoids get to a certain degree in which you can't bear the pain anymore and are not healing using other treatments, it is better to consult your doctor to determine which treatment can eliminate your hemorrhoids.

• How not to get a hemorrhoid?

Common factor that contributes to the development of hemorrhoids is the way you live your life. First, your eating habits can be one. What you eat affects your bowel movement. Second, do your daily activities involve lifting heavy objects? Standing or sitting for a long period of time? These too can cause pressure to the anal area leading to hemorrhoids. Third, do you practice a clean living and a good hygiene?

• How long do hemorrhoids last?

That depends on the person who suffers a hemorrhoid. The frequency and quality of treatment greatly affects the healing process. Then if you try to avoid those things that can cause hemorrhoids then it will just disappear fast.

So if you are experiencing any symptoms that is mentioned here, it is better to seek a hemorrhoid treatment right away.

Horse Chestnut for Treating Hemorrhoids

(image from Beauty Snob)

When over the counter ointments don't work on your hemorrhoids, try relieving the pain that you are feeling using horse chestnuts. Yes, horse chestnuts are known to have ingredients that can cure hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids like varicose veins, the veins are seen as bulging or swelling. Most likely the blood cannot pass through the veins causing it to swell.

Horse chestnuts are widely popular in Europe and many people resort to this herbal remedy in treating hemorrhoids. How horse chestnuts can help cure hemorrhoids? According to study, horse chestnuts have flavonoids and saphonins, the effective substances that makes it a potent remedy for hemorrhoids. These two substances help the blood flow go smoothly thus relieving the inflammation. It also helps strengthen the blood vessel walls.

For relief of hemorrhoids, you can take the horse chestnut seed extract internally in tincture or capsule form. Some experts would also recommend using the horse chestnut extracts during sitz bath.

However using horse chestnut as a cure does not apply for everyone. Other people may have an allergic reaction to horse chestnut so they can't use it as a cure for hemorrhoids. Also if you have bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood thinners, you should not take a horse chestnut.

You have also to take note that other parts of the plant is poisonous so you have to be careful to take only the or the products that are made from the seeds or bark of the young branches. But for hemorrhoid treatment, horse chestnuts are one of the effective herbal cures.

Hemorrhoid Treatment – The Banding Process

When a hemorrhoid is classified as a protruding hemorrhoid, a banding process can be recommended. One may suffer excessive bleeding and extreme pain at the rectum area so a banding process is the best option for hemorrhoid treatment because it is minimally invasive, easy to perform, and has fairly high success rate .

Another reason when the banding process is performed when a hemorrhoid has been thrombosed or blood clot has been formed within it. Banding will remove the painful, persistent hemorrhoids from the rectum area. The hemorrhoid banding procedure is a permanent solution to hemorrhoids but does not work on everyone.

This is how the process works:
First, your physician places a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid causing the blood circulation on that part will totally stop and the hemorrhoid falls off within a few days. This process is also known as rubber band ligation, used to remove the enlarged and bulging hemorrhoids in the rectum an in the anus area.

After the procedure, recovery can last for a number of days but your hemorrhoids will eventually disappear forever. It is common to feel some pain for a few days but you can manage that with a pain reliever. You could also bleed for up to two weeks but taking several sitz baths a days can provide relief from the pain and it will keep the affected area clean. You may also apply creams as suggested by your physician.

Hemorrhoid banding can be a permanent solution for hemorrhoids but it may not work for everyone. Other situations may require surgery so it's better to consult a physician for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

How to Deal With Internal Hemorrhoids

As the name implies, internal hemorrhoid is the situation in which the internal hemorrhoidal veins are affected. They lie far enough inside the rectum that you can't see or feel them. They are not that painful but you can suffer from bleeding.

What causes internal hemorrhoids?

Internal hemorrhoids are caused by the increased pressure within the internal hemorrhoidal veins. These are the conditions that can contribute to having an internal hemorrhoids. 

• pregnancy
• chronic constipation or diarrhea
• anal intercourse
• cirrhosis
• straining to move stool/poor bowel habits
• obesity
• low fiber diet

These conditions can put up some extra pressure and will lead to symptoms such as anal discomfort and blood appearing on the stool. Avoiding these situations will likely make you less prone to having an internal hemorrhoid.

Internal hemorrhoid solution

Treatment for internal hemorrhoids can be as simple as dietary changes and modified bowel habits. These are common hemorrhoid treatment, today there are supplements (contains all natural ingredients) that can help cure hemorrhoids.As mentioned above, low fiber diet can be a factor to having an internal hemorrhoid so you must eat foods which are high in fiber. Also, avoid foods that can cause you chronic constipation, instead eat more fruits and vegetables that can help soften your bowel movement.

Sometimes internal hemorrhoids prolapse or enlarge and protrude inside. In some cases where the bleeding never stops, surgery may be recommended.

Hemorrhoid Treatment: The HAL Process

Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation (HAL) is another way of treating your hemorrhoids. This kind of treatment is recommended if your hemorrhoid becomes worse and the pain is really unbearable. HAL is a non-invasive technology that uses ultra-sound to provide quick and easy surgery and treatment of hemorrhoids.

The video below explains how it is done and how it cures your hemorrhoids.

Other information about hemorrhoid treatment:
Natural Hemorrhoid Treatment
Learn How Supplements Can Help Reduce Discomforts Caused by Hemorrhoids