Arthur: Krystian Manthey

Checked by Prof. Dr. rer. doctor Alfred Rucker according to high scientific standards.

If your anus burns, itches and hurts, hemorrhoids can be the cause of the symptoms.

Out of false shame or fear of the examination, many do not dare to go to the doctor. The analysis is usually completely painless and also highly recommended. Where home remedies and hygiene measures or ointments, creams and suppositories would have saved from a severe degree of hemorrhoids at the beginning, often only an operation can help if the hemorrhoids are treated too late.

So that it doesn't get that far in the first place, in this article you will find out what causes hemorrhoids and how you can treat it with proven home remedies and effectively prevent it.

Summary of Hemorrhoids

• What are haemorrhoids: Haemorrhoids are erectile tissue that blocks the rectum and causes fluid to escape if the swelling is severe
• Discussed hemorrhoid causes and risk factors: lack of exercise and excessive sitting, heavy lifting, low-fiber diet, lack of fluids, pregnancy and childbirth, weak connective tissue, obesity, circulatory disorders, old age
• What to do with hemorrhoids: Careful hygiene in the anal area, avoiding and eliminating risk factors, decongestant ointments, creams or suppositories, operations (sclerosing, freezing, rubber band ligation, etc.)
• Prevent hemorrhoids: Lots of exercise and sport, standing and sitting dynamics at work, careful hygiene in the anal area, varied and high-fiber diet

What are hemorrhoids and how do they develop?

Hemorrhoids in and of themselves are not a disease. Everyone has them. Because these are blood-supplied cavernous bodies in the anus, which close the rectum. If we didn't have them, we'd be incontinent.

However, if the hemorrhoids are too swollen, they can stretch out and no longer seal our intestines properly. The result is that liquid escapes and this can lead to inflammation in the anal area. And that can itch, burn or even bleed.

Are hemorrhoids contagious? Hemorrhoid inflammation, which leads to itching, weeping and pain in the anus, is not caused by pathogens such as viruses or bacteria but by unfavorable lifestyle and other non-contagious risk factors.

Bright red blood is probably hemorrhoids. However, if the blood is darker, a serious intestinal disease can be behind it.

In any case, you should have your hemorrhoid symptoms checked by a doctor to be on the safe side. The proctologist is most suitable for this.

Characteristic hemorrhoid symptoms

Depending on the degree of hemorrhoid swelling, the appearance and symptoms may vary:[1]

• Itching, burning, tenderness in the anal region
• Leaking of bright red blood or bleeding with a bowel movement
• Constant urge to toilet without much excretion
• Painful swelling on or in the anus
• Fecal incontinence

In the early stages, hemorrhoids are quite harmless and can be easily treated with the tips and home remedies in the following section.

However, if you sit it out in the truest sense of the word, you risk an aggravation that may only be treatable with surgery.

Special case of hemorrhoids during pregnancy: the growing baby increases the pressure in the abdomen, which increases the risk of blood congestion in the vessels of the hemorrhoidal cushion. Likewise, the pressure of the child on the intestines can cause blockages and thus also lead to hemorrhoids. A high-fiber diet, sufficient fluid intake and plenty of exercise can help both preventively and as treatment. Furthermore, in the case of severe pain, anti-inflammatory and contractive hemorrhoid ointments and hemorrhoid suppositories can be useful.

Pictures: Hemorrhoids appearance depending on severity

Depending on the severity of the hemorrhoids, the hemorrhoids are internal (degrees 1 and 2 hemorrhoids) or external (degrees 3 and 4 hemorrhoids).

What do hemorrhoids (internal and external) look like depending on their severity?

Source images: Armin Kübelbeck, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons

Hemorrhoids causes and risk factors

A clear cause for hemorrhoidal disease can rarely be identified. A combination of the following and/or other risk factors is usually responsible for the development of hemorrhoid problems and pain: [1]

• Lack of exercise & sitting too much If the body is inactive, the intestines also become sluggish. Because too little exercise inhibits the metabolism and blood circulation as well as the peristalsis (muscle activity) of the intestine. Lack of exercise also makes you fat. More than half of Germans are overweight and thus also put a strain on their internal organs.
• Constipation due to poor diet A low-fiber diet and lack of fluids can lead to constipation. Sitting on the toilet for a long time with too much strain can lead to hemorrhoids.
• Circulatory disorders, weak connective tissue (due to e.g. increasing age, pregnancy and childbirth or being overweight)

Do you exercise regularly? Are you sitting too much?

When and which hemorrhoids operation makes sense

Most hemorrhoids - especially those with severity levels 1 and 2 - can be treated independently and within a few weeks using home remedies (see the following chapter). [2] If the symptoms and pain are already very limiting or have not healed after four weeks, we recommend going to a specialist, the proctologist.

Other methods and operations such as sclerosing, freezing, rubber band ligation and surgical removal are available for the treatment and therapy of hemorrhoids: [1][3]

• Destroy hemorrhoids : In the case of hemorrhoids of the first and second degree, doctors can carry out the desolation therapy (also injection therapy or sclerotherapy) on an outpatient basis. Here, the sclerosing fluid is injected into the area around the enlarged hemorrhoids through a thin tube, which should reduce blood flow and reduce swelling. As a rule, up to three treatments of this type are necessary and must be repeated after about two years if the causes are not remedied.
• Hemorrhoids treatment with rubber band ligation : The rubber band ligation is mainly used for second-degree hemorrhoids. A small rubber ring is placed around the protruding hemorrhoids, which cuts off the blood flow and the tissue dies and is excreted after a few days.
• Hemorrhoid surgery (hemorrhoidectomy) Laser, scalpel or scissor operations are used for severely enlarged hemorrhoids from the third degree. A distinction is made between open, semi-open and closed operations, in which the wound is not, partially or completely sewn up. Although closed surgeries heal faster, there are more complications with the suture and more bruising. After the hemorrhoids operation, those affected often have to struggle with pain in the anal area, especially when emptying their bowels.

Treatment and Home Remedies: What Helps Against Hemorrhoids?

According to a study, most hemorrhoidal diseases should not be operated on as long as conservative treatment methods such as special hygiene, exercise therapy, change in diet, etc. have not been fully exhausted. [4]

Small hemorrhoids (grade 1 and 2) can be sclerosed by the proctologist. However, if they are already too large (grades 3 and 4), a so-called rubber ring ligature is usually unavoidable. Here, a part of the excessively swollen hemorrhoid is tied off, which causes it to fall off after a short time.

In order to avoid this or other surgical procedures, you can use the following tips and home remedies to effectively counteract and prevent the annoying hemorrhoids in the future.

How long does it take for hemorrhoids to go down? The swelling in mild hemorrhoids (grade 1 and 2) can be reduced quickly and briefly (but not permanently) by cooling. A high-fiber diet, plenty of fluids, good hygiene, plenty of exercise and other home remedies can significantly improve mild hemorrhoid symptoms within one to two weeks. You should consult a doctor after four weeks at the latest or if the stage is already advanced.

The following home remedies can relieve hemorrhoid pain without drug treatment:

1. Helpful against hemorrhoids: sit less and move more!

The everyday life of many people is characterized by sedentary lifestyle and sedentary: We sit for hours at our meals, on the way to work, in the office chair and with overtime then probably in the evening in front of the television on the couch.

It would be important to break this vicious cycle. In addition to hemorrhoid problems, lack of exercise is also a frequent risk factor for back pain, metabolic diseases, diabetes and many other diseases of affluence.

The easiest way to create a more active everyday life is with a few simple exercise habits that you can train bit by bit: “ 10,000 steps a day: 33 healthy exercise habits ”

I also recommend all screen workers to work standing at a height-adjustable desk (also known as a standing desk/stand up desk/sit stand desk/adjustable desk/electric standing desk/corner or l shaped standing desk/standing computer desk) for 10-15 minutes every hour in order to get your circulation going again and relieve the hemorrhoids.

2. The right diet against hemorrhoids

Constipation can lead to enlarged hemorrhoids. You can counteract and prevent this with lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain products and in general a high-fiber diet. Drinking a lot also ensures an optimally functioning intestine.

Can also help:

• Psyllium
• A spoonful of olive oil before breakfast
• Castor oil
• A circular abdominal massage from right to left promotes bowel activity
• A heat pad

3. With hygiene and ointments against hemorrhoids

A common reason for hemorrhoids is poor hygiene. When showering, you should therefore thoroughly clean the anal area in particular. Rather than rubbing dry, pat dry to avoid injury.

After defecation, it is advisable to regularly clean the region carefully with wet wipes or wet towels. With “big business” make sure you relax and don’t “push” at all or only a little. A stool under your feet can help. Due to this increase, the bowel is less squeezed and makes bowel movements easier.

Hemorrhoid ointments can also relieve pain and symptoms such as itching, but they do not accelerate healing. [1] It is best to get advice on this from your doctor or pharmacist. Because not all hemorrhoid creams actually help. A natural variant that many already have at home is aloe vera. Rubbing with the juice of the plant has an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.

Remember: Hemorrhoid ointments must be applied inside the anal canal. You should then thoroughly clean and disinfect the cream.

Sit baths with anti-inflammatory tannins (e.g. oak bark) can also help with acute pain and itching.

4. Hemorrhoids pillow for pain when sitting

Do you already have pain while sitting? Then a hemorrhoid pillow will be able to relieve your symptoms. Because with this type of pillow with a recess in the hemorrhoid area, the painful area is not put under pressure when sitting. Many of those affected are only able to sit comfortably again as a result.

Conclusion: What To Do With Hemorrhoids?

First and foremost, you should identify the cause(s) of your hemorrhoids. Is it sitting on hard surfaces too often and for long periods of time? Does poor nutrition cause constipation?

You can then actively and sustainably fight the hemorrhoid pain with the right countermeasures. This includes, for example, a high-fiber diet, drinking enough water, taking frequent breaks from sitting and taking special care of the anal area.

Image Credit: Andreus /Depositphotos.com

See original article at ergotopia.de/blog/haemorrhoiden-schmerzen.