- Sitting for long periods can trigger hemorrhoids.
- You can prevent hemorrhoids by eating a high-fiber diet.
- Holding in the need to for a bathroom break can bring on hemorrhoids.
1. Load up on fiber
Reduce bleeding and pain caused by hemorrhoids by following a high-fiber diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, and nuts. Loading up on water can also prevent constipation.
2. Apply a tea bag
Tea contains tannic acid that can reduce swelling, relieve pain, and prevent bleeding caused by hemorrhoids. Apply a warm, wet tea bag on external hemorrhoids to soothe them.
3. Avoid sitting for long hours
If you sit for long periods, take time to walk around for five minutes every hour to alleviate the rectal pressure that’s causing hemorrhoids. When working out, avoid squats and stationary bikes and squats because they also cause the same rectal pressure. Try 20-30 minutes brisk walking instead to promote bowel movement.
4. Soak in warm water
Warm water promotes blood flow and shrinks swollen veins. Take a seat with your knees raised in your bathtub or sitz bath filled with warm water. Dissolve a handful of Epsom salts in the water before soaking to help tighten the hemorrhoids more.
5. Ice up
Hemorrhoids cause blood vessels to swell up, but you can shrink them with ice. Sit on a bag filled with ice for about 20 minutes to relieve hemorrhoids. Wait at least ten minutes before applying again.
6. Keep it clean
Make time for a bath instead of a shower, so that you can soak your anal area with warm water. Avoid using soap or alcohol-based or perfumed wipes because they can make hemorrhoids worse. After bathing, gently dry the area with a hair dryer.
7. Lie down
You can also treat hemorrhoids by simply taking the weight off your anal area. For 30 minutes, stretch out on a couch with your legs up to improve circulation to your backside and relieve hemorrhoids.
8. Use simple toilet paper
Extra chemicals in scented and colored toilet paper could irritate sensitive body parts. Use a moist towelette or a dampened plain, white, unscented toilet paper when you need to wipe, then apply an unscented moisturizer using a facial tissue.
9. Dab on petroleum jelly
You can dab a bit of petroleum jelly onto the sore spot for quick relief.
10. Don’t hold it in
Holding in when you have to go can lead to constipation, and when you finally go, the strain could cause abdominal pressure and bring on hemorrhoids. One way of preventing hemorrhoids is to go as soon as you need a bathroom break.
11. Try a potato compress
Grate a potato and make it into a compress. It can work as a DIY soothing astringent for hemorrhoids.
12. Apply witch hazel
The tannins found in witch hazel help shrink blood vessels. Get a cotton ball, drench it with undistilled witch hazel, and press it against the affected spot.
Source: Reader’s Digest