It is not uncommon to find pregnant women and folks involved in sitting jobs such as writers and editors complain of swollen veins in their bottoms. Going by the medical term of hemorrhoids, the bloody reddish veins inside the anus may burst one day, unless you stop stretching and straining during bowel movements. It is not as if constipation alone is to blame, but the sheer pressure and pain on the delicate anal blood vessels can get complicated unless you get checked by your physician early on. Or else, surgery can be a hard option for those running into clots with these bleeds. A few natural cures and home remedies, however, can avoid or delay the need for a surgical option.
Dietary and Lifestyle Interventions
Experts advise that a high-fiber diet and plenty of fluids (especially water) can go a long way in ensuring easy passage of stools, and pain-free bowel movements. Indeed, the insoluble fiber occurring naturally in vegetables, wheat bran and whole grains can provide the requisite bulk to the stool. But then, common sense suggests that it needs to be supplemented with adequate (six to eight glasses) of fluids such as water and other liquids such as milk or fruit juices, for instance.
Water Therapy
Your physician will most often recommend hydrotherapy or sitz baths with warm water to soothe the swelling. Sessions of 10 to 15 minutes after a bowel movement should help. However, it requires that you make time for sitting in a bowl of water for such sessions regularly until the symptoms disappear or diminish. Experts say that it is good for uncomplicated cases, in other words, those not yet ready for surgery.
Herbal Supplements
In research published in the April 2001 edition of Alternative Medicine Review, Dr. Douglas Mackay reports that botanical extracts may be helpful in enhancing the circulation and blood flow through the anal veins and capillaries, improving the vascular tone and strengthening the connective tissue in the itchy swollen area. The herbal extracts that may be taken orally include Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut), Ruscus aculeatus (butcher's broom), Centella asiatica (gotu kola), Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) and bioflavonoids such as diosmin, oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes and hesperidin. Indeed, such natural cures can save you from needless pain in addition to prevention of complications down the road.
Witch hazel extract, for example, has compounds termed proanthocyanidins, including catechin and epicatechin, and other phytochemicals that can reduce the inflammation and itch.
