What Are the Treatments for Mild Hemorrhoids?

Many people have an occasional bout of hemorrhoids, which are swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum. Usually a poor diet leads to hemorrhoids, but sometimes there are other reasons such as pregnancy. Most hemorrhoids heal in a week or so, but there are ways to accelerate the healing. Diet changes and over-the-counter creams are useful in treating mild hemorrhoids.

Fluids

• Drinking more water is one of the easiest ways to prevent hemorrhoids. One of the main causes of hemorrhoids is constipation. Straining when having a bowel movement or having dry, hard stools can cause hemorrhoids. With more water in the intestines, the stools are a more normal consistency and the fecal matter can be eliminated more easily.

Fiber

• Adding more fiber to your diet also helps to eliminate or prevent hemorrhoids. Diarrhea is another cause of hemorrhoids. Too many watery stools puts pressure on the veins of the rectum, and hemorrhoids can form. By adding more fruits and vegetables to the diet you add more volume or bulk to the fecal matter which stops the diarrhea. Another choice is to take fiber supplements.

Exercise

• Any type of exercise is beneficial to keeping hemorrhoids at bay. Hemorrhoids are more likely to occur if a person sits or stands for a long time. Exercising the body gets all the muscles in the body moving, even those in the intestines that are needed to move wastes out the body.

Natural Remedies

• For mild or small hemorrhoids, a hot bath provides relief. Sitting in the hot water shrinks the swollen veins and reduces the hemorrhoids. Herbal colon cleansers are also effective in treating mild hemorrhoids. The colon cleaner eliminate the accumulated wastes and helps to regulate the bowel movements. With the fecal matter being removed more easily this helps to heal the hemorrhoids because these is less pressure put on the fragile veins of the rectum.

OTC Drugs

• There are many over-the-counter medications that treat hemorrhoids. Most are creams or ointments like Preparation H that have cortisone or steroids. These drugs have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the inflamed and swollen hemorrhoids. Be certain the follow the directions when using these drugs.