You must have heard of hemorrhoids also known as piles. These are inflamed veins that cause lumps around the anus and can be very painful. External hemorrhoids are the ones that occur under the skin that surrounds your anus. These can cause itching, pain, and even bleeding during defecation.
I know you have come here searching for external hemorrhoids treatment. The good news is that external hemorrhoids are treatable and can be taken care of. The best gastroenterologists in Lahore say that you can control the pain, discomfort, and itching that is common in this type of hemorrhoid.
Table of Contents
Causes of External Hemorrhoids
The exact factor that causes external hemorrhoids is not known yet but possible factors are:
- Heavy lifting
- Pregnancy
- Aging
- Straining while pooping
- Long-standing diarrhea
- Not getting enough fiber
- Upright sitting posture
Recognizing Symptoms of External Hemorrhoids
A range of symptoms can impact a person with external hemorrhoids. Symptoms can vary depending on the severity. Before knowing external hemorrhoids treatment here are some of the major symptoms that are felt by people:
- Presence of one or more tender lumps on the skin near the opening of the anus
- Itching around the rectal area or anus
- Pain around the anus, particularly 24 to 48 hours of onset or when you are sitting down
- Bleeding while pooping
How to Remove External Hemorrhoids at Home
However, there are several methods to get rid of hemorrhoids and most of them include surgical intervention. Let’s find some of the ways that can be used at home for external hemorrhoids treatment at home.
Let’s have a look.
Increase Fiber Intake
Increasing the intake of fiber in the everyday diet is associated with increasing the bulk and softness of the stools. Both of these factors can help greatly in the smooth passing of the stool. The addition of fiber to the diet softens and prevents the aggravation of external hemorrhoids. Some of the fiber-rich foods include oats, barley, carrots, apple, pear, and lentils.
However, if you start to feel too bloated it is a sign that you have consumed too much fiber. In this case, it is best to add probiotics to the diet at the same time. For efficient digestion, the best probiotic is curd.
Healthy Bathroom Habits
One of the most thoughtful external hemorrhoids treatment in my opinion is fixing your bathroom habits. It is very important to practice good bathroom habits that can be helpful to maintain anal hygiene. Do not ignore the urge to the bathroom whenever you feel the need.
Another thing to keep in mind is that sitting too long with your cell phones on the toilet is very unhealthy. Sitting for longer periods of time can put continuous unneeded pressure on the anorectal part of the body.
To avoid this, do not sit for longer on the toilet seat than is required as it can impact the hemorrhoids really badly.
Use a Cold Compress
To soothe the pain and discomfort caused by the hemorrhoids, the best external hemorrhoids treatment is to use a cold compress or ice on the area where there are external hemorrhoids present.
To do so, take a handful of ice and wrap it in a cloth and apply it to the hemorrhoids for not more than 15 minutes at a time. By doing that you can significantly reduce swelling and pain.
Dr. Sana Iqbal who works at MD Healthcare Center advises being gentle while you are applying the cold compress as too much application can cause skin irritation.
Try Sitz Bath
Wondering what a sitz bath is?
It is a warm shallow bath that is used to cleanse and relieve pain and itching from the rectal region. As external hemorrhoids treatment, you can give yourself a sitz bath in your bathtub or by using a plastic kit that can fit over your toilet.
The kit is a round shallow basin that comes with a long tubing at the end and has a plastic bag along. You can fill this bag with warm water and safely fill the bath via tubing.
Sit in warm water for 15 minutes several times a day as it helps in relaxing your sphincter muscles, it worlds the best after pooping. If your hemorrhoids start to itch even more or the redness worsens, stop the use of the sitz bath.
Use Topical Wipes and Ointments
As external hemorrhoids treatment, put a little petroleum jelly inside the anus to make pooping hurt less. Do not force it. It is best to use ointments made from natural ingredients like aloe vera or witch hazel as these can help a lot in reducing swelling and pain.
Some of the over-the-counter gels are also available in the market that you can apply over the hemorrhoids as these can help them shrink. However, make sure to not use steroid-based creams as these can make your condition worse.
When to Contact a Doctor
If you have tried the above-mentioned external hemorrhoid treatment option at home but you still have severe pain which is followed by bleeding. Experts at the Doctors Hospital say that for a lot of people, home remedies don’t work and they have to look for surgical means in order to get external hemorrhoids treatment. A number of stool softeners are available in the market, one of which is laxoberon tablet.
Try and avoid the causes that can increase your chances of getting hemorrhoids in the first place and choose a healthy lifestyle.
