What are hemorrhoids?

All human beings have hemorrhoid tissue. Hemorrhoid tissues are “cushions” of blood vessels that swell slightly during bowel movements. It has an important function: it closes the anal canal. During bowel movements, this swelling decreases. Thus, the stool can get out through the anal canal. After the bowel movement, the tissue swells again and closes the anal canal.

Sometimes the hemorrhoidal tissue swells too much, resulting in enlarged hemorrhoids, which can have unpleasant consequences. This is not a rare problem.

How can you identify enlarged hemorrhoids?

Enlarged hemorrhoids can cause discomfort. Typical symptoms include:

• Itching
• Wetness
• Slime formation
• Bleeding
• Feeling of pressure
• Pain

Warning: Other illnesses can also be the cause of these symptoms. Therefore, if these symptoms are persistent, always go to your doctor to check it out.

The symptoms in hemorrhoids also depend on the size of the hemorrhoids themselves. Are the hemorrhoids greatly enlarged? Then the complaints are often stronger. Complaints can continue to increase over time. There are different levels of enlarged hemorrhoids:

• Level 1: The hemorrhoid is enlarged but it remains inside the body. Often, affected people do not have any signs, or are very mild.
• Level 2: The hemorrhoid is enlarged and it sometimes pushes out through the anus. This can happen in the case of bowel movements. Nevertheless, the hemorrhoids then retreat back into the intestine on their own.
• Level 3: The enlarged hemorrhoids push out through the anus but the hemorrhoids do not retreat into the intestine by themselves. Often the hemorrhoids can then be pushed back into the intestine with the fingers.
• Level 4: The hemorrhoids do not retreat into the intestine by itself and can’t be pushed back with the fingers. The hemorrhoid is always outside the anus. As a result, people who are affected often have very severe symptoms.

How do hemorrhoids become enlarged?

Hemorrhoid Tissues have many blood vessels. Sometimes a blood vessel expands too much. Then the tissue can break and bleed.

What are the causes of enlarged hemorrhoids?

The exact cause of enlarged hemorrhoids is not known. Many doctors say that the main cause is probably too much pushing/pressing during bowel movements. Constipation is often the reason for excessive pressing. During pressing, a great deal of blood flows into the blood vessels of the hemorrhoids. This allows the blood vessels to swell and break.

But there can be other things that trigger hemorrhoids, which include:

• very long sitting on the toilet
• frequent diarrhea
• strong and long cough
• Strength training
• Overweight
• Pregnancy

Some individuals have a higher risk of hemorrhoids. These individuals are more likely to get enlarged hemorrhoids than others:

• People with chronic constipation
• People with chronic diarrhea
• People with chronic cough
• People who are overweight
• People with weak connective tissue
• Pregnant women
• Old people

What can you do about hemorrhoids?

If you do have any of the symptoms mentioned above, go to the doctor. Chances are, you have hemorrhoids but there could be other diseases causing your discomfort.
In particular, if the onset of your hemorrhoids occurs along with a significant change in bowel habits or if you’re passing black, tarry, or maroon stools.

Enlarged hemorrhoids can be treated. Your health care practitioner will check:

• What symptoms are present?
• How badly swollen is the hemorrhoid?
• What other diseases do you have?

After that, the treatment could be as simple as a hemorrhoid cream or as drastic as an operation to remove it.

Treating Hemorrhoids naturally

• Clean your anus after each bowel movement by patting gently with moist toilet paper or moistened pads such as baby wipes.
• Use ice packs to relieve swelling. Try the long ice tray sticks that you can buy to put into bottles.
• A Sitz bath with marigold for 10 to 20 minute in a hot tub bath two to four times daily brings heat to the area, provides relief from the pain, and promotes healing.
• Apply an ointment that contains Witch hazel, Pileworth and Marigold.
• Make a strong black tea with comfrey root and horst chestnut. Apply cold with a cotton ball.
• Take hawthorn, garlic, Vitamin C and flavonoid Supplements.
• Homeopathic like Arnica, Sulphur and Nux vomica can be helpful.
• Make a mixture of lemon, lavender, rosemary, cypress and juniper essential oil and add to your bath (not when pregnant).
• Make a small tampon with some gauze soaked in the above oils diluted with coconut oil and put into the anus, leave overnight, it will come out with your next bowel motion.
• If very painful, apply crushed ice for a few seconds.

How can you avoid hemorrhoids?

You can reduce your own risk of hemorrhoids. Here are the things you need to know:

• Do not force your bowel movement.
• Do not squeeze the stool out. It should come out easily.

We recommend a toilet stool. Place your feet on the stool during the bowel. This position facilitates bowel movements.

Above all, however, a healthy lifestyle is important. This means:

• Your bowel movements should be regular. You should have a good bowel motion at least once a day.
• Your stool shouldn’t be too hard.
• Eat healthy foods. A diet rich in fiber is important for a healthy stool.

Ask your practitioner what else you can do!

Cleaning out your colon with a holistic colon hydrotherapy session can help with hemorrhoids and many other health challenges.