Natural hemorrhoid relief treatments have come to be the most preferred method of treatment because this is often a very embarrassing condition and one that sufferer’s prefer to handle privately, quickly and easily. Hence, the following are a few of the natural treatments you can look for today to help keep and maintain a healthy lifestyle without hemorrhoids.
Cascara Sagrada – an herb used as a laxative to control the occasional constipation and is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as an over-the-counter drug. This herb is also known as California Buckthorn or sacred bark. . Sacred bark speeds up the process which helps the body to produce a softer and quicker bowel movement because the intestine then absorbs less liquid from the stool. Studies show that this herb is extremely effective and helpful in easing chronic constipation in the elderly.
The occasional use of cascara sagrada in conjunction with a healthy fiber diet, drinking lots of water (8 to 10 glasses a day) and some moderate exercise like walking, will help prevent the pressure and pain that comes with having hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Anal fissures are the cracks in the skin near the anus. In many cases, it will even help to avoid getting hemorrhoids at all.
Cascara can be found in capsule form, as a liquid extract or as dried bark which can be made into a tea which I would not recommend because of its bitter taste. The best dosage is a 300 mg capsule taken in the evening in order to stimulate a bowel movement in the morning. It takes about 6 to 12 hours after taking the herb for it to take effect.
Mullein – Mullein leaf seems to have a soothing, emollient and astringent properties and has been used for many centuries for many different purposes but as an herbal medicine, it was mainly used to help treat diarrhea, respiratory diseases, bleeding of the lungs (tuberculosis) and of the bowels. Mullein is not only a sedative and a narcotic, but It can also be used to treat cases of asthma, pneumonia, cough and hemorrhoids. The mullein flower is also made into an oil to treat frostbile, ringworm, hemorrhoids and bruises. The recommended dosage is to take one or two capsules a day at mealtimes.
Horse Chestnut – has been used in Europe for Chronic Venous Insufficiency a syndrome that includes varicose veins, leg pain and swelling, itching and skin ulcers. The herbalists used the leaves to help reduce fever and as a cough remedy. The leaves were also used to reduce pain and inflammation of arthritis and rheumatism. This herb can be taken in a number of different ways, as a capsule, a tea or topical as a compress. This herb is not recommended for people with bleeding disorders, those taking blood thinners or have an allergy to the horse chestnut family. A few but uncommon rare side effects include severe bleeding, some bruising, liver and kidney damage.
Cayenne Pepper – Cayenne helps to stimulate digestion and muscle movement in the intestines, circulation and blood flow to the extremities. It is beneficial if you suffer from poor circulation, cold hand and feet, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. It is best when taken as a drink. Take ½ to 1 full teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix in a glass of water or better as a cup of tea in hot water, you can even add some lemon. Keep drinking for several days until hemorrhoids are gone. As a way of maintenance and keeping the hemorrhoids from returning, it can be taken once or twice a week.
Butcher’s Broom – is a small-leafed evergreen shrub primarily cultivated in Europe and the Mediterranean. It has been used to help with circulatory problems, constipation, hemorrhoids and varicose veins. It is rich in flavonoids such as rutin that strengthens tissues, tightens veins and reduces clothing by thinning the blood and helps in blood flow to the brain, legs and hands. As horse chestnut, butcher’s broom can be taken in capsule form or as a tea. The tea, however, does have a slight bitter taste so you can add something like honey to sweeten and help with the bitter taste.
Foods that are high in Zinc, vitamin C, anthocyanins and flavonoids are extremely good in helping to manage hemorrhoids. Other foods that research suggests are also good to treat this condition are garlic, dill seed, buckwheat, apples and sweet clover. Also, citrus fruits that contain the flavonoid hesperidin and diosmin help with the condition of hemorrhoids as well.