Half of all Americans past the age of 50 are affected by hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are the swollen veins in the rectum and anus that cause surrounding tissues to burn, itch and bleed. Some of the causes of hemorrhoids include sitting for too long, bowel movement strain, obesity and even pregnancy and childbirth.
It's obviously important to eat plenty of fiber (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and staying hydrated is important, not just for hemorrhoids but for overall health. However, there are also some great natural remedies to soothe hemorrhoids, shrink them and even prevent this most unpleasant condition from affecting you.
Sitz Bath: Sitting in warm hot water seems to greatly reduce the discomfort and itching associated with hemorrhoids. Some evidence even suggests its speeds up the healing process.
Horse Chestnut: An active ingredient in horse chestnut is called Aescin. Aescin appears to maintain vein health and reduce swelling and inflammation associated with hemorrhoids. Aescin seals the damaged capillaries preventing further damage and aiding in the healing process.
Witch Hazel: Witch hazel contains tannins (same stuff found in red wine) that may shrink the inflamed tissues. This is a homeopathy remedy used primarily for bleeding hemorrhoids that feel raw and are associated with rectal itching. If you have severe hemorrhoids that require witch hazel you may want to consult a doctor before trying anything on your own.
So what is so special about these three natural cures for hemorrhoids? Well there is actually evidence to support all three in reducing hemorrhoid symptoms.
Sitz Bath: The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that hemorrhoid pain and swelling are reduced after a 10-minute hot sitz bath. For sitz baths makes sure the water is not so hot it will scold you. Rise carefully as well when you are finished as you may get dizzy if you get up to too soon. Rubbermaid makes an inexpensive portable sitz bath that fits into the top of a toilet. You can also fill a bathtub with just enough water to cover your pelvic area and sit sideways with your feet over the edge. Do this for about 10 to 15 minutes and repeat daily as needed.
Horse Chestnut: Horse chestnut, with the active ingredient Aescin, received some press for increasing vein strength from a 2006 review in Advances in Therapy. A study published by Pharmacology Research discoveredthat patients getting 120 mg of Aescin daily showed visible signs of vein integrity.
Witch Hazel: Witch hazel, which has been used by Native Americans for centuries to treat hemorrhoids, has not been widely researched, but one study in German found it to have a 'tonic' effect on veins. It has been shown to work as a topical treatment to reduce swelling in veins and as an anti-inflammatory according to the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Some natural hemorrhoid treatments contain both horse chestnut, butcher's broom (shown to have a reducing effect on hemorrhoids) and witch hazel among other natural ingredients. If you are interested in a natural cure for hemorrhoids, you may try some of the natural hemorrhoid treatment options mentioned above.
Author Resource:-
Piper is a professional researcher and Webmaster for HemorrhoidTreatmentSolutions.com. For more information about natural cure hemorrhoids treatments check out our natural hemorrhoid treatments homepage.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 