Helpful Articles

4 Helpful Ways to Prevent & Alleviate Hemorrhoid Symptoms At-Home

A hemorrhoid, also known as plies, is a health condition that generally refers to enlarged veins near, around and within the anus. Common symptoms include bleeding, pain, inflammation, itching, and discomfort. The type and intensity of symptoms vary depending on the individual and the severity of the condition. The most common cause is excessive straining related to constipation. While hemorrhoids will typically heal themselves, there are hundreds of thousands of cases across the United States every year that require further awareness and treatment to alleviate the cause and symptoms.

Hemorrhoid patient and doctor

Here, we’ll be discussing some ways to prevent and help treatment symptoms at home. By working with your body naturally, often we can help cut down on the occurrence and severity of symptoms. Further down, we’ll discuss our laser treatment in more detail for more severe cases.

#1 – Your Diet

While an individual’s diet should be customized and tailored to fit specific needs, there are a handful of suggestions we can give about foods that help for constipation and irregular bowel movements. First off, try fiber rich foods as your first go to. A few, simple choices include black beans, oatmeal, and fruits such as apples and bananas. While these foods will help with irregularity, simply hydrating more with clean water can do wonders for constipation. Aim to drink water regularly when thirsty to help smooth out your digestive track.

#2 – Get More Exercise

Getting more exercise helps the body accomplish two main things. First, it gets you up from sitting so often and moving. Not only does sitting make us stiff, it can also add to hemorrhoid symptoms. Secondly, it gets your blood moving and pumping throughout your body, helping to heal current problem areas and potentially prevent new ones from forming in the future.

#3 – Avoid Straining As Much As Possible

When using the restroom, we tend to push and strain when it comes to bowel movements. As we discussed a moment ago, fiber can help with regularity, but it’s also important to try to keep your bowel movements as smooth as possible. Excessive straining and pushing should be avoided as much as possible. This includes prolonged straining and pushing, as these tend to inflame the already enlarged veins. Take it easy and take your time. If constipation is still occurring, focus on hydrating and eating foods high in fiber, as well as exercising more.

#4 – Take a Warm Bath & Soak

For external hemorrhoids, a warm bath that includes a cup of Epsom salts can do wonders for helping to alleviate the pain associated with the inflamed veins. Soaks also can help ease inflammation. Be careful not to run the bath too hot and check it periodically as it fills up. Warm Epsom salt baths can also be great for inducing sleep, which helps our body stay whole and healthy in the first place.

Now, sometimes there’s only so much you can do at home. Here at The Laser Hemorrhoid Center, we work with patients with external and internal plies who just aren’t seeing the type of relief they need. Laser techniques for relieving enlarged plies symptoms and treating hemorrhoids have come a long way in the last decade. Put simply, our minimally invasive laser treatment gives us the precise ability to vaporize the enlarged tissue, with a minimal downtime of typically 3-5 days. This commonly, significantly reduces bleeding and alleviates symptoms. It’s also much more affordable than many alternatives.

If you’d like to learn more about our center, please give us a call at 602.258.7003 or schedule an appointment online now by using the form on the page. We’ll be happy to follow up to confirm your consultation and get your questions answered fast. We look forward to hearing from you.