There can be many reasons for hemorrhoids. It is a genetic disease, so a family member is also at risk of having piles. In most cases, constipation is the cause of piles. When there is strong pressure in the rectum, this problem occurs due to the stress in the blood vessels. The pressure in the rectum becomes worse in constipation. In this article, we shall discuss piles and the available treatment options for piles. The common symptoms of hemorrhoids are pain, itching or discomfort in the anal region and blood in stools. However, in the initial stage, you may not notice any signs or symptoms.
The veins in the anal region swell during hemorrhoids. The inflammation can be due to reasons such as chronic constipation, sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, obesity, not taking a healthy diet and anal intercourse. The doctor performs physical examination to diagnose piles. One is a digital examination where the doctor wears his glove, lubricates it and inserts it in the rectum or using a proctoscope or anoscope. After diagnosis, the doctor may suggest treatment options for piles depending on the severity.
Here are 5 Available Treatment options for piles or bawaseer:
1 Home Remedies for Piles
Since home remedies in India is the first choice of people suffering from any disease, piles too has home remedies that people rely on for piles treatment. Let us go through the effective piles home remedies that the majority of the Indian population prefers to treat piles.
Eat a fibrous diet. High fiber diet can prevent bleeding and pain due to piles. Go for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and brown rice.
Drink a lot of water. It is the simplest way to cure piles. Increase in water intake results in healthy bowel movement. Drinking enough water prevents constipation and piles both.
Castor oil is another effective home remedy that may even reduce the size of the hemorrhoids and used externally and with regular intake. One way is to add 3-4 ml of castor oil to your glass of milk every night. You can also apply this oil on the affected area to get comfort.
Do not sit for long hours. If you are into corporate life, you tend to sit at one place and work for hours. Lifestyle changes are important. Move around whenever you get a chance. Take stairs, walk to cover small distances, find time for exercise and gym. All these encourage bowel movement.
Sitz bath is an effective way if you want instant relief from pain and inflammation. A lot of people suffering from piles do not know how to take a sitz bath. If you want to see the instant result, fill the bathtub with 4-5 inches of water. Add some epsom salt. Dip the affected area into this warm water. It is better if you do it after every bowel movement. It shrinks the swollen veins and increases the blood flow.
Ice packs can also shrink piles. Apply cold compress for 15-20 minutes on the affected area. Repeat it with a gap of 10 minutes.
Take care of hygiene. Keep the area clean. Do not use any soap or scented wipes to clean the area. It may make the situation worse.
Dab petroleum jelly or coconut oil to sooth the area affecting piles.
Do not ignore nature's call. Do not hold yourself when you need to go to the washroom. It may constipate you and you may have to apply pressure later on.
Witch hazel reduces itching and discomfort as it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. After bowel movement, clean the area, dip a cotton swab in witch hazel and rub on the affected area.. It acts as an astringent and shrinks the tissues to reduce bleeding in piles.
Some Lesser Known Home Remedies for Piles
Here is the list of some not so common home remedies to treat piles or bawaseer.
! ) Apply warm wet tea bags to the affected area to treat symptoms such as swelling, pain, and encourage blood clot formation to stop the bleeding.
2) Drink radish water once a day. Initially, it may be difficult so you can start off with lesser quantity and gradually increase. This can be very helpful in pain relief.
3) Boil pomegranate peel in water, strain and drink. It can provide relief.
4) Make powder of dried mango seeds and mix this powder with honey. Have this twice a day for quick relief.
5) Boil some sesame seeds, commonly known as til in half liter of water till it reduces to one third. Make a paste and add a spoonful of butter. Eat this daily.
6) Soak dried figs in water and keep it overnight. Do this every night and drink the water in which it is soaked. It can be very helpful in treating symptoms of piles.
7) Try potato. Shred and grate the potato. Bring these pieces together and make a poultice. Put it externally on top of the piles, do not insert it in the rectum. This reduces inflammation and swelling.
But remember, you must consult a doctor before taking these home remedies for piles.
Medicines for piles
Allopathic medicines are one of the treatments to treat symptoms of piles. Doctors diagnose it physically and prescribe certain over-the-counter medicines for piles depending on the severity.
Ayurvedic medicine for piles
Isabgol Husk and Arshkalp Vati are medicines for piles in Ayurveda. Arsha is the name for piles in Ayurveda. Some also prescribe Ayurvedic medicines which are made of herbs that include Manjistha, Haritaki, Sooran, Triphala and Kankayan Gutika. The Ayurveda experts evaluate your overall health to find the root cause of the disease and then suggest the right treatment. Depending on the dosha, experts advise you to take medicines to balance the body.
Homeopathic Medicine for piles
Homeopathy medicines for piles are Nux Vomica, Sulfur, Aloe Socotrina, Phosphorus and Horse chestnut. Piles can be easily treated through homeopathic medicines. The amount and dosage of the medicine is determined after examining your entire body. A study reported that hemorrhoids symptoms can be easily cured by taking appropriate homeopathic medicines, keeping in mind the symptoms of the disease, physical examination and other problems of the patient. Although treatment for piles is simple, severe grade piles may not be able to treat the condition.
Surgery for piles
Here are the surgery options for piles:
Banding: The surgeon places one or two rubber bands around the base of the piles, to cut off the blood supply. After some time, the piles falls off. This process is known as Rubber Band Ligation and is effective for treating piles of all grades, except grade IV piles.
Sclerotherapy: A proctoscope is inserted into the anus with medicinal solution. The solution is injected into the hemorrhoid tissues to shrink them. The hemorrhoids and lumps eventually shrink in a few days. This is effective and is considered a better procedure than banding.
Hemorrhoid stapling: The surgeons use a surgical staple to repair the hemorrhoid and push them back into place inside the rectum. The blood supply is cut off to the tissues of the hemorrhoid. This procedure is usually less painful in comparison to open surgery for piles where the surgeon makes a big incision to treat them. However, The chances of piles recurrence and rectal prolapse are high, where part of the rectum pushes out of the anus. This process is not useful in treating external piles.
Infrared coagulation: This is also known as laser coagulation, where a device is used to heat the hemorrhoidal tissue to cut off the blood supply. This technique is used to treat grade I and II hemorrhoids, mostly internal piles.
Hemorrhoidectomy: The lump or excess tissue that causes the bleeding is surgically removed. The procedure is done under local anesthetic or a general anesthetic. Hemorrhoidectomy is most effective for complete removal of the piles, but there are potential complications including difficulties while passing stools as well as urinary tract infections. Laser surgery for piles is a common procedure now. It is preferred over open surgery as it is minimally invasive. There are several benefits of laser surgery over traditional surgery as the recovery is quicker and the patient can resume work within 2-3 days after the surgery.
Complications of Piles
There are rare chances of complications due to piles which may include anemia, thrombosed piles or strangulated piles. Remember, as you age, the veins around the anus and rectum start getting weaker and this increases the chance of getting piles. Even during pregnancy, the woman can be at risk of piles due to excess abdominal pressure. Therefore, drink a lot of water, eat fibrous food, exercise and prevent constipation to stay away from piles.
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