Do you suffer from hemorrhoids or piles? It is an embarrassing affliction which many people find it difficult to talk about for some reason, unlike the 'flu, or a sore back for example.
Perhaps this has something to do with their location, although nobody should be embarrassed to talk about it or seek help.
This is because in today's fast moving world of eating on the run, and a diet of fast foods and processed foods, our bodies are not getting the proper proportions of correct foods.
Illnesses, diseases and symptoms are the body's way of getting our attention and telling us something is not quite right.
The good news is that in the case of hemorrhoids, unlike other more serious illnesses, it's not too late.
There are many effective treatments and remedies, and unlike years ago, there is plenty of information available in books and on the internet.
Here I will briefly outline some effective treatments which will help, and where to go to find further information.
Hemorrhoids occur when the veins around the back passage become swollen and irritated - they can be internal or external.
For the purposes of this article, we will assume you are familiar with them and how they manifest themselves.
One of the first and easiest treatments is to take a daily (or twice daily) bath in warm water and soak the area well.
This helps shrink them and keeps the area clean - the cleaner the area, the quicker they will disappear.
A very good and little known tip some doctors recommend is using moistened towels or baby wipes instead of toilet paper.
Toilet paper is dry and can be coarse on the area, aggravating it and causing it to flare up and get irritated.
Wipes cause less friction on the area and are more gentle.
However, another little known fact (unless you are a plumber!) is that toilet pipes and plumbing are not very good friends with wipes, and these have been known to cause blockages on occasion.
So the solution is, dispose of them elsewhere, or flush down the toilet very sparingly and at your own risk! Over the counter treatments such as Preparation H or Anusol can be effective as well, as long as the instructions are followed.
A major contributing factor is constipation - straining bowel movements have an adverse effect on the area, so if you can avoid constipation, this will greatly relieve the problem.
The way to do this is diet - fruit, vegetables, seeds, pulses and anything with fiber will all go a long way to helping the problem.
Whole-grain bread, porridge, and wheat-based foods are excellent.
if you find it hard to ingest enough fiber, there are many easily available over the counter fiber products in tablet form, or in sachets that are mixed with water and consumed as a drink.
Plenty of water during the day is also vital - 5 to 8 glasses a day at a minimum.
This is because fiber-rich foods absorb water very well.
The more water that is absorbed, the softer the stools will be.
This means there is less straining during bowel movements, resulting in less pressure on the problem area.
So in a nutshell, these are some of the most important areas that I found very helpful.
The secret is consistency; there is no point in building up a good diet, and reverting back to processed and fast foods after a short period.
This will only result in the problem coming back again.
Keep abreast of recent developments and check relevant books and websites regularly, and soon you will be free of hemorrhoids.