10 Things You Can Do to Treat Your Hemorrhoids At Home

Have you been searching for home treatment options for your hemorrhoids? I know it's not the most pleasant subject to talk about, but I'm here to talk to you about this annoying pain in the butt!

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When I was about 4 months pregnant with my daughter four years ago, I welcomed a new guest. Unfortunately, this guest nested itself in a very unpleasant area. At the time, being 26, I was shocked to be plagued by hemorrhoids. I couldn't believe that I was struggling with hemorrhoids at such a young age. I thought: "Isn't this an older person's problem?" I was shocked to find out it wasn't, in fact, hemorrhoids in pregnancy are quite common, but they are supposed to get better post-partum, unfortunately mine did not.

I've spent the last year struggling to make them my problem go away and I am happy to report that after over a year of experimentation, my hemmorhoids have disappeared. In fact, I haven't had a flare up in 4 months! And this is after struggling for years! I want to share with you what I've done to soothe the itch and the pain and to help you manage yours.

Allopathic (Western Medicine) describes that hemorrhoids are caused by straining due to constipation and sitting for long periods of time. If you have them, then you know how uncomfortable the symptoms are. Alternative medicine has a slightly different perspective on what causes hemorrhoids.

Five Causes of Hemorrhoids You May Not Have Known About

1. Hemorrhoids are caused by protein deficiency.

Paul Pritchford "Healing with Whole Foods"

2. Hemorrhoids are a symptom of a inflammatory condition, bad circulation, and excess. 

from Letha Hadady: Asian Health Secrets

3. Hemorrhoids are caused by excessive drinking, specifically wine, because it relaxes blood vessels. 

from NATCM Hemorrhoid Centre 

4. Hemorrhoids are cause by low digestive fire or "agni." 

from Aushveda

5. Hemorrhoids are a result of a fear of moving on. 

via Louise L. Hay

So now that you know what causes hemorrhoids, what can you do to treat them at home?

10 Things You Can Do to Treat Your Hemorrhoids At Home

 

1. Start taking a high dose Probiotic (at least 15 billion). 
Besides being an inflammatory condition, hemorrhoids can also be caused by yeast and bacterial overgrowth in the intestines. Your best medicine for this is a high quality probiotic. In addition to taking probiotics, also increase your consumption of fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi.

2. Start taking digestive enzymes. 
As we age, it becomes harder for our body to produce the enzymes we need to digest food. Since hemorrhoids are a symptom of low digestive fire, taking digestive enzymes and herbs that improve digestion like ginger and peppermint, can help with hemorrhoids.

Via Wikipedia

3. Stop wiping with toilet paper! 

Don't you wonder why babies get wiped with nice soft wipes and adults use what feels like sand paper??? Invest in some witch hazel wipes and give your butt a break!

4. Throw out your thongs! 

Seriously, who invented these things? A visible panty line is much better than painful, itchy hemorrhoids.

5. Wear 100% cotton underwear. 
Synthetic fibers can be very irritating and inflammatory, so consider switching.

6. Change your diet. 

For me becoming grain-free and dairy-free, removing all refined sugar from my diet, increasing my protein intake, making sure my protein was grass-fed or pastured, and reducing my natural sugar intake have all helped my hemorrhoid problem.

7. Don't be a Wine-O. 

Since alcohol can be both irritating to the digestive symptoms and a vasoconstrictor, it can aggravate hemorrhoids. Consider taking a break from drinking if your condition is not improving.

8. Consider psychotherapy. 

There is an emotional element to hemorrhoids and other inflammatory conditions. Sometimes talking about your fears and concerns can do amazing thing for your health and release trapped emotions.

9. Improve your circulation.

Even a 10 minute walk can get the blood pumping. You don't have to plan a huge workout routine, just find ways to introduce movement into your life.

10. Consider acupuncture.

Getting acupuncture for hemorrhoids doesn't mean you have to get needles down there. Because Chinese Medicine is based on the understanding that everything in the body is connected, there are many points all over the body, including the ears that can be beneficial for hemorrhoids. Additionally, some acupuncturists, like mine, Vincent Kan, do cold laser acupuncture which is needle free and non-invasive. Finally, acupuncturists can also prescribe herbs that can help heal hemorrhoids.

By following these 10 steps, you're hemorrhoids can be a distant memory too!


Shared at: Family Table Tuesday, Weekend Gourmet, Fresh Bites Friday , Scratch Cookin Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday

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