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How Can Hemorrhoids Be Treated?
The Dr I saw about 10days ago said I had hemorrhoids. Said he saw 4. When I asked what to do his only reply was eat a plant based diet. That was his answer for any question I asked. He did tell me he doesn t like to prescribe any drugs. And believes in a plant based diet to fix all illness. I don t disagree that I need to change eating habits but going vegan is not something I plan on doing. What would you tell a patient to do?
Fri, 27 Apr 2018
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
Regarding your situation, I think that your doctor has shown you the easiest and most convenient way to manage hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids could be internal or superficial (external). Since your doctor has seen 4 of them, it means that they are superficial. This is good news, because this type of hemorrhoids has a better prognosis compared to deep ones.
Without going into details about the mechanism of hemorrhoid formation and maintaining, I would say that the basic way for treating them in a conservative way (no surgery) is through diet and physical activity.
Diet can make miracles in such cases. A plant based diet will reduce the tension of involved veins, and improve all signs and symptoms associated with hemorrhoids.
The basic idea is to prevent constipation (hard stool formation) because this is the basic mechanism responsible for the increasing of pressure in veins in the lower part of rectum and anus.
Chronic, prolonged constipation because of an unbalanced and risky diet could lead to hemorrhoid formation. Too much fast food, dry food, little vegetables, fruits and fibers, little water or liquid food, lots of sugars and hard starch, lots of alcohol, lots of spicy and grilled food, etc. and also sedentary life and overweight/obesity increase the risk of constipation and, subsequently, they increase the risk of hemorrhoids as well.
In this context, it is obvious that a healthier diet and more physical activity and losing weight will be beneficial for your health and your hemorrhoids will retract and go away.
If you experience pain and itches, then you have to treat locally your hemorrhoids by applying cream containing local anesthetics and/or corticosteroid drugs, on advice of your doctor or pharmacist. This treatment should not continue for more than 10-15 days. Such time is enough for your changes of diet and physical activity to show some positive impact on your hemorrhoids.
Of course, you do not need to give up to all the junk food you consume right now, but you have to reduce it substantially.
Therefore, to summarize my answer, you have 2 options:
1. If you do not want to surgically or invasively treat your hemorrhoids, then you have to change diet and maintain a healthy food regime and moderate physical activity.
2. If you do not want to change your lifestyle, then be prepared to see a deterioration of your hemorrhoids and surgical intervention will be just a matter of time.
I hope I have answered your question and wish you good luck!
Regards,
Dr. Ervin Toçi
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
Regarding your situation, I think that your doctor has shown you the easiest and most convenient way to manage hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids could be internal or superficial (external). Since your doctor has seen 4 of them, it means that they are superficial. This is good news, because this type of hemorrhoids has a better prognosis compared to deep ones.
Without going into details about the mechanism of hemorrhoid formation and maintaining, I would say that the basic way for treating them in a conservative way (no surgery) is through diet and physical activity.
Diet can make miracles in such cases. A plant based diet will reduce the tension of involved veins, and improve all signs and symptoms associated with hemorrhoids.
The basic idea is to prevent constipation (hard stool formation) because this is the basic mechanism responsible for the increasing of pressure in veins in the lower part of rectum and anus.
Chronic, prolonged constipation because of an unbalanced and risky diet could lead to hemorrhoid formation. Too much fast food, dry food, little vegetables, fruits and fibers, little water or liquid food, lots of sugars and hard starch, lots of alcohol, lots of spicy and grilled food, etc. and also sedentary life and overweight/obesity increase the risk of constipation and, subsequently, they increase the risk of hemorrhoids as well.
In this context, it is obvious that a healthier diet and more physical activity and losing weight will be beneficial for your health and your hemorrhoids will retract and go away.
If you experience pain and itches, then you have to treat locally your hemorrhoids by applying cream containing local anesthetics and/or corticosteroid drugs, on advice of your doctor or pharmacist. This treatment should not continue for more than 10-15 days. Such time is enough for your changes of diet and physical activity to show some positive impact on your hemorrhoids.
Of course, you do not need to give up to all the junk food you consume right now, but you have to reduce it substantially.
Therefore, to summarize my answer, you have 2 options:
1. If you do not want to surgically or invasively treat your hemorrhoids, then you have to change diet and maintain a healthy food regime and moderate physical activity.
2. If you do not want to change your lifestyle, then be prepared to see a deterioration of your hemorrhoids and surgical intervention will be just a matter of time.
I hope I have answered your question and wish you good luck!
Regards,
Dr. Ervin Toçi
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