Hemorrhoids: 13 Cures to Stop The Hurt

It’s estimated roughly half of all Americans will suffer from hemorrhoids by the age of 50. That’s a lot of frigging people! With so many of us dealing with a common problem, it seems silly that there’s so much embarrassment and stigma attached to the issue. So while it might be a little uncomfortable to read, try to put on a brave face and before you know it you’ll have all the tools to banish hemorrhoids from your life forever!

Hemorrhoids are actually a type of varicose vein caused by intense pressure being put on the colon and rectum. This pressure causes the tissue around the anus to become lax and allows blood vessels to bulge outwards. They can either form internally or externally and when diagnosed, are classified in stages from one through four. Stage one is considered to be quite mild while stage four hemorrhoids usually require surgery to remove them. Ok then, now that you know the basics, let’s look at all the different ways to treat and cure hemorrhoids!

Rubber Band Ligation

There are two categories of hemorrhoids: external and internal. External hemorrhoids form a bulge on the outside of the anus and are covered by either scabbing or sensitive skin. These can be treated with a myriad of methods from ointments and creams to sitz baths and time. Internal hemorrhoids are slightly trickier to treat and can be a whole lot more troublesome. Typically, internal hemorrhoids are painless, causing slight anal protrusions and bleeding. Things can get a lot worse if the hemorrhoid prolapses: a condition where the hemorrhoid falls out of the anus and can not be pushed back in. Before this happens, a procedure called rubber band ligation can be used to eliminate the problem.

As the name implies, this method of hemorrhoid removal involves wrapping a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid, inside the anus. Once in place, the rubber band cuts blood flow to the problem area resulting causing it to shrivel up and die. Rubber band ligation takes roughly a week to complete and leaves the patient with a small scar where the hemorrhoid once was. Patients undergoing rubber band ligation sometimes will feel as though they need to have a bowel movement and levels of pain vary from person to person. It’s also recommended patients take stool softeners and drink lots of water to help ease pressure on the sensitive areas.