HEALTH PRODUCTS ARTICLE
What Are
Some Good
Hemorrhoid Treatments?
Hemorrhoids
are quite common among Americans. Around 50 percent will have had some
form of
hemorrhoids by the age of 50. Most
cases
are easily treated and less than 10 percent of cases require surgery. Hemorrhoids often vanish,
even without
treatment, in a few days.Over-the-counter
hemorrhoid treatments can often be used to relieve mild discomfort,
including
pain, swelling, rawness and anal itching when wiping following a bowel
movement.
In addition
to over-the-counter products, certain home remedies and practices are
further
recommended to ease hemorrhoid symptoms.
The anal area should be kept clean and dry.
Use of
perfume- and alcohol-free moistened toilet paper or towelettes
following a
bowel movement will cleanse and ease the pain of wiping the inflamed
area.
Regular soaks in warm baths or sitz baths help to relieve inflammation
and keep
the anus and surrounding area clean.
Ice
packs can also be used to numb aching hemorrhoids.
Over-the-counter
products and self-care practices only alleviate the symptoms of
internal or
external hemorrhoids and are not a cure.
If hemorrhoids persist, causing severe pain, bleeding, or
symptoms that
are not relieved within a few days of self-treatment, a trip to your
doctor’s
office will be necessary.
Minimally
invasive procedures can be performed in a doctor’s office. A blood clot in an
external hemorrhoid can be
removed easily, giving the sufferer quick relief.
Other hemorrhoid treatments, such as laser
therapy or rubber-band ligation, aim to cut off the blood supply to the
hemorrhoid, causing it to shrivel and drop off, thereby providing
relief within
a few days.
Only in
extreme cases, such as large hemorrhoids or when other treatments are
ineffective, is more invasive surgery required.
Daily, repeated practices of bodily and anal hygiene can
help prevent
recurring hemorrhoids.
Avoid
straining during a bowel movement and drink adequate fluids each day to
keep
stools soft. A
high-fiber diet acts as a
stool softener as well and will reduce gas and bloating.
Always make
time for a bowel movement as soon as the urge presents itself – waiting
can
make stools harder, making them more difficult to pass.
Regular exercise and loss of excess weight
will also ease factors contributing to hemorrhoids.
Health and Humor
Voltaire
(and your grandmother) recognized long ago
that humor and laughter are good for you. You've probably noticed
yourself that
you simply feel better after a good belly laugh. The problem, of
course, is
that your sense of humor generally abandons you right when you need it
the most
– on the tough days. But if you manage to bring your sense of humor to
your
daily conflicts on your job, your relationship with your spouse and
children,
and your health or financial problems, you'll go a long way toward
improving
the quality of your life; and you'll boost your physical health and
well-being.
– Paul E. McGhee, PhD
“Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. ”
- Erma Bombeck
Note: The good
folks at the FTC require me to disclose that I am an affiliate of the
companies that manufacture and market the health products you will find
on this website, and that these companies will compensate me if you buy
any of these products.
– Dave Tishendorf