Home Remedy for Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids can be an unpleasant, itchy, painful, and generally troublesome problem. As many as 1/2 the population will have a hemorrhoid in their lifetime. We have found that many over the counter products are good at relieving symptoms, by soothing pain and swelling. However we found the best way to treat hemorrhoids is to attack one major cause, which is constipation.

“The first step in treating hemorrhoids is to relieve the pressure and straining. This can often be done by controlling constipation with a high-fiber diet, according to Barbara Frank, M.D., director of the division of gastroenterology at the Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Chester, Pa." http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00131.html

Consistent with this, Good Home Remedies found that increasing fiber seems to be the most effective treatment for constipation and hemorrhoids. Constipation can be a daily struggle for those with slow digestive systems. But to get more fiber is not simple, and you practically have to be a dietitian to know how to do this easily. So we have tried to capture the top suggestions for increasing your fiber easily and without having to become a specialist.

We have found that sometimes, just eating junk food, candy, pizza, burgers, fries, or even just white bread will stop us up like a cork. So the following are tips and sources for good fiber to make up for those days when we’ve had junk food or have just not eaten our share of whole foods.

The American Dietetic Association recommends getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. For some of us, our digestion is particularly slow, and we found that some days we need over 35 grams to get regular and make up for other days. We found that by calculating how much fiber we were getting, and then adding more from there, we were able to learn how much fiber we needed to get to a comfortable “regularity”. The following tips identify those foods that we found pack the greatest fiber bang for the buck (or calorie). These tips also try to help you simplify adding up your fiber grams so you don’t have to have a calculator in your head.

1. To simplify our calculations we estimated that most servings of fruit and vegetables contain on average about 3 grams of fiber each. For example a medium size apple has about 3 grams. So if we ate the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, we estimated that were getting about 15 (3 times 5) grams of fiber, or about ½ of our daily target of around 30 grams. Note that getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables is so important for so many areas of health that we think this is a “healthy” and effective starting point. Rather than having to know the exact fiber contents of each type of fruit or vegetable, we thought it easy just to count the number of servings we had during the day and then multiply by the average 3 grams. (Note a serving is generally equal to ½ cup)

2. We found the second easiest-to-get source of fiber are fiber enhanced breakfast cereals. Many of these cereals have over 10 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber One has 14 grams. Therefore with one or 2 servings of fiber enhanced cereal, we were able to easily get the second ½ of the fiber we needed. Most products that have lots of fiber will clearly identify the number of grams of fiber per serving on the front of the box. By trying a few different varieties, you may find a favorite or you may find that switching around provides for variety. We found it helpful to keep a box of extra fiber cereal in the cupboard for those days that we did not get enough fiber. On those days, we just had a bowl of cereal before going to bed to avoid constipation the next day.

3. Now most of us don’t get all of our fruit and veggies every day, so it is good to identify a few of the more potent fruits and veggies, in the case we cannot get in our 5 servings. Prunes or prune juice are a standby, but should be used judiciously. They are great when we have an acute case of constipation and we need to stimulate our systems.

4. In the veggie world, it seems that carrots can be a particularly good vegetable for getting regular. They seem to hold water through the intestines and help to soften the stool. 2-4 carrots go along way in making up for not getting in our 5 fruit/veggie servings, not to mention, it provides a generous dose of Vitamin A.

5. Another good source of fiber is popcorn. A bag of microwave popcorn has 5 grams of fiber per serving, and 3 servings per bag. So a whole bag would have as much as 15 grams of fiber and the low fat version would be only 300 calories. Just note that popcorn is dry and we found that we would not get the same effect that we got with carrots or fiber cereals, which tend to retain moisture in the system better.

6. Another under-noticed source of fiber is beans. Some beans like kidney and pinto beans have as much as 10 grams of fiber per serving. While you generally don’t eat a whole can of beans, one can provides 35 grams of fiber for a mere 350 calories, and the cost is probably less than most other sources. So beans are handy for variety or in a pinch. Note that the liquid in a can of beans contains a lot of dissolved soluble fiber, so including that is also a good thing.

7. Oat Bran instead of oatmeal. Oat Bran has about 4 grams of fiber for a 2/3rd cup serving (cooked) while oatmeal has 3 grams for the same amount. Oat Bran tastes about the same as oatmeal when cooked. It is great cooked with a banana. And it really is not so bad when you don’t cook it, and just add water (and the banana).

8. Wheat bran is an even better source of fiber than oat bran, and is one of the most common brans used in high-fiber breakfast cereals. It is a cheap form of fiber and just a tablespoon or two, added to a serving of oat bran or oatmeal may have an equivalent effect of 10 to 15 grams of fiber. Wheat bran may not agree with everyone as it is an insoluble undigestible fiber, which can cause gas and can have a stimulating effect on the intestines. Wheat bran can be purchased at health food stores, sometimes in bulk. Wheat bran is not particularly appetizing eaten by itself or in water, so it is easiest hidden in other foods, such as stirring a tablespoon or two into cereals, soups or salads. It can also be used as an ingredient to add fiber to baked goods such as bran muffins or banana bread.

9. While we don’t recommend this as a first choice, many of the new health conscious prepared foods, like “Healthy Choice” are adding fiber to their entrees and even to their desserts. Increasingly, these companies are putting the number of grams of fiber per serving on the front of their product boxes, so it should be very easy to identify those products with fiber. Though the 3-5 grams of fiber that some of these prepared foods provide will not quickly get you to your target goal for the day, it is nice to know that we can have our chocolate cake and eat some fiber too. For example, Healthy Choice makes a chocolate ice cream sandwich with 4 grams of fiber, for 140 calories. It may not be as satisfying as a candy bar, but if we have a craving for sweet, it is nice to know that we can eat something sweet and comforting without stopping us up like other foods might.

10. Fiber supplements can also be an aid for constipation, as they are mostly very low in calories for those watching their weight. Some now come in tablets and can be very convenient and some have both soluble and insoluble fiber. They are not our first choice as they often have only 2-5 fiber grams per serving and so do not get us very far towards our daily fiber total. We also found that some of these supplements can cause gas and others have additives that do not seem desirable. However they can be helpful for some people.

11. Flaxseeds are another good source of fiber, and also are high in omega-3 fatty acids. The problem with flax seed is that hull of the flax seed is very tough and if eaten whole, flax seed will pass through the system without being broken down or digested. When ground and exposed to air, the oil in flax seeds will spoil very quickly. So flax seed must be ground fresh or bought already ground in airtight containers and then refrigerated. If you don’t want to fuss, it is now being included in various cereals, food bars and other products. We found it was cheapest to buy it whole and grind it fresh before putting it in other foods like oatmeal or sprinkled on salads.

An added benefit of fiber: “A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily.”

In addition to increasing fiber to improve symptoms of constipation, there are a few other remedies that Good Home Remedies and our readers have found also help with hemorrhoids. Since everyone is different, these remedies may not work for everyone. Other treatments include: