Hemorrhoid Relief: Top Home Remedies and Causes Explained

I had bleeding hemorrhoids and I would like to share what helped me. First I feel I must explain that I believe mine came from taking Chromium Picolinate. I took it for about a week and started bleeding. Not just from hemorrhoids but from my nose and I was very tired all the time. Then I discovered that CP can cause anemia in some people. I immediately stopped taking it. It took about a week for the bleeding to stop. What I used during this time is Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera Gel and a 6 inch block. Every time I had a bowel movement I put my feet on a 6 inch block (which really helps move things along! ). Afterwards, I would use baby wipes first, then clean the area well with Witch Hazel. Then I would apply the aloe vera gel. I do have hemorrhoids, I had them before this, but this time I bled every single time I had a BM. These things definitely helped shrink my hemorrhoids and lessened the irritation greatly.

Apply an ointment to the external hemorriod within the first couple of minutes it comes out when it is still small, then use your finger to gently push it back inside. It usually retracts. Definitely watch your diet; white rice will constipate you, avoid alcohol if you can, and eat or take fiber supplements with a lot of water. Taking a fish oil or flax seed oil supplement also helps the stool to glide out easily.

I have never experienced a case of hemorroids till the day I turn 40 ( happy Birthday to me! ). I was at work and all of the sudden I started feeling this excruciating pain you know where and could barely stand, walk or even sit. I could not wait to go to the store to buy some Preparation H ( the most common remedy I knew of as I had seen my mom and my grand parents use it). Obviously hemorroids should not be a surprise to me as I have read they are hereditary. So when they showed up I thought, I was doomed and I will probably have to deal with them for the rest of my life. I was not considering going to see a doc or get surgery, I was determined to find a remedy and especially a natural one. Today thanks to all those who shared their remedies against hemorroids on this site, I am more confident that hems can be kept under control with a better diet and common ingredients that most of the time we have laying around the house, like garlic, ACV and coconut oil.

I am not sure what triggered them, probably a light case of constipation due to poor diet and a bit of stress. However, even if in the past I had a bit of itching or pain here and there after using the bathroom, I had never had such a bad case of inflammed external hems. Luckily enough though my hems were never bleeding, not once over this past week, just very swollen and painful. The first two days were the worst as I was at work and standing all day was not helping at all. I had not slept in two days and I was in so much pain that people starting asking what was wrong with me. Talking about your hems is not an option, especially at work, as it is such a embarassing subject but so common apprently and so painful that it is a serious ailment. I didn't know how to cope with them. Prep H was not working, and I had not had time to search much on the internet to find a different remedy. Finally I stumbled on this site and it was like a miracle for me. I was going to be off for the following two days so I was hopeful that by using some of these remedies by the time I had to go back to work, I would be ok. Not exactly the case but at least I knew what to do and I knew I had to be patient.

I read all the posts and the remedies I chose for me were: garlic/coconut oil suppositories, ACV, hot baths, ice packs, witch hazel, vitamin E and horse chestnut tablets. Among those I think the ones that really made a difference were the horsechesnut tablets and the garlic. The rest was just to alleviate the pain and discomfort for the first 4-5 days especially after using the toilet. I found that grating the garlic and mix it with the coconut oil and freeze them in the shape of suppositories works the best, stings less than just inserting the garlic and less uncomfortable. Plus the suppositories are kept frozen so they give an instant relief once inserted.

I also bought Rutin and I will start taking it daily in order to prevent hems to come back. I hope that works. I have added more fiber to my diet as I think that was the part I was really missing, so oats, granola, quinoa for breakfast, have been really helpful.

I am very thankful to this site for all useful information and to all people contributed their experiences and advices. Here is my experience. I had a problem on Saturday, 4/7/12 morning, first time in my life. The pain was severe, I saw blood and I was in panic. I was lucky not working the following week and could stay home. I started to use Melozide Max in combination with Melozide C M given to me by my brother-in-law and Aloe Vera Gelly. I also immediately bought the stool softener Colace as per my wife's advice (she and her brother are long time sufferers). For 4 days I did not notice any changes, just a severe pain and blood all time.

Thanks to your site I started to use apple cider vinegar on Wednesday: a cotton ball soaked in ACV and kept "in place" for 15-20 minutes few times a day. The rest of the day I still utilized Melozide and Aloe Vera Gelly. I noticed the difference on Thursday: pain was not strong as before but I still had blood in my stool. Today is Friday, I had my BM almost without pain ( I would say it was rather itching) and without blood. I cannot claim my hemorrhoids are shrinking (since I have not paid attention) like some people mentioned but it is definitely a huge progress.

My everyday's routine: have my BM in a postion recommended by many people: lean forward almost like I am squatting; wash myself immediately after each BM and apply Melozide and Aloe Vera Gelly or ACV; eat food generally rich in fiber: breakfast-cereal with cottage cheese and kefir (yogurt), lunch and dinner-raw and cooked vegetables, piece of fish/seafood, fruits; avoid spicy food (for now), eat often but with small portions, do not overeat meaning stay slightly hungry after your meal; drink a lot of water; do not drink alcohol (I will resume it today to celebrate my successful and almost complete treatment and Friday); drink Aloe Vera Gel one or two times a day; take Colace few times a day, usually after every meal.

Hope it was useful and will motivate sufferers to use ACV.

I have been suffering from rather large external hemorrhoids for years now.. I even went to the doctor after about a year of suffering only to be given rather expensive suppositories which only aggrivated the problem!! The doctors are useless when you have no health insurance. After coming across this site I decided to give some suggestions a try. First of all diet is very important but it alone is simply not enough to get rid of this problem. I know first hand how much this can control your life and I want to share what I have found so that maybe I can help someone stop suffering as I have finally managed to do on my own. I have taken the most effective treatments and created my own personal program which if you follow my intructions I promise you this will solve this problem and dramatically increase your healing time and potentially rid you of this problem once and for all!!

First I needed things that were common around the house or were inexpensive so here goes... this is what works!

*** In the morning everyday until the problem is gone you need to take a glass of warm water and dissolve 1tsp of cayenne pepper and drink it down.

*Cayenne pepper works from the inside out by relieving swelling and inflammation in veins and is proven to restore vein elasticity to that of a youthful state with continued daily use.

*** For external hemorrhoids I have found that taking equal parts (about 1oz) of witch hazel & apple cider vinegar & crushing one whole clove of garlic into a paste & combining all three together & soaking it into either a cotton ball or gauze pad & leaving this inbetween your butt cheeks all day forces them to shrink & relieves the pain & irritation throughout the day. I tried it without garlic and it wasnt effective. It helped a little bit once garlic was added it made all the difference!! It will burn to begin with but it will be well worth the burn once you wake up on the 3rd day & notice your hemorrhoids almost gone!

*** Also, I take one garlic clove and partially slice it into three sections and lubricate it with aloe vera gel and use it as a suppository nightly. This is patricularly helpful if you have internal hemorrhoids or your hemorrhoids are advanced as mine are and cause a sticky odorless discharge to come out of the anus. This discharge will irritate the hemorrhoids and prolong the healing time. Since garlic kills bacteria it will ensure that most of the discharge that continues to come out is as free of bacteria as possible.

Most of the effective pills you can buy for hemorrhoids contain both cayenne pepper & garlic. Its truly amazing what both of them together can do for your body! They can be quite expensive as well.

*Garlic works because if its antibacterial properties attributed to a chemical it contains called allicin which gives it hemorrhoid fighting antibacterial properties & that distinctive aroma it has. Garlic is even dubbed as the most potent "miracle cures" known to man. It serves as a powerful antibiotic, reduces blood pressure and blood sugar, fortifies the body's immune system and reduces the cancer causing effects in nitrates.

***Another thing that helps is to use baby wipes & squeeze all of the liquid out of them and soak them in witch hazel for use after going to the bathroom. DO NOT USE TOILET PAPER! IT WILL IRRITATE THE INFLAMED TISSUE & LEAVE YOU UNCLEAN! You need this area to be rid of bacteria to promote healing. Since most witch hazel you find comes with 14% alcohol this is great at relieving the pain, swelling & killing the bacteria after bowel movements.

*Witch hazel also promotes healing by shrinking, stopping bleeding hemorrhoids & reducing inflammation in blood vessels. It is the common ingredient in most over the counter pads (such as Tucks) because of its soothing properties associated with this shrub.

So just remember these 4 ingredients and you will be rid of this problem in no time...

Cayenne pepper (orally daily in 8fl oz warm water)

Garlic (externally, internally & orally daily)

Witch Hazel (as a topical & after bowel movements)

Apple cider vinegar (orally, internally & externally)

None of us want this problem to last any longer than it has to so taking a multiple cure approach has been in my experience the most effective treatment in curing my own problem. I hope you will take my advice and together we can all spread the word on what really works!!! Good luck!

Dearest Fellow Hemorrhoid Sufferers,

Over 4 months ago I went to a BEAUTIFUL wedding in Byron Bay, Australia. I got the flu when I came back on the plane. After the flu passed I developed a bacterial infection in my intestines that left me with HORRIBLE diarrhea - I literally would sit down for not even 5 minutes and I'd have to go to the bathroom again. I had to go to Urgent Care because it wouldn't stop and food and liquid was only making it worse. I got a prescription and in about 5 days I was better. The good news: I lost 8 lbs. The bad news: I gained it all back and 4 months later I was still struggling with the single worst side effect of being so sick: massive, painful, bleeding, hemorrhoids.

Since then, I have been to every doctor. I have used every OTC cream, wipe, suppository, pill, and/or vitamin. I wanted to scream at my doctor when she would repeatedly tell me to use Metamucil and Preparation H (neither of which did a damn thing from the beginning). I loathed every bowel movement. Some days it would hurt so bad I had to hold on to the walls (for dear life) and I was left in pain, bleeding, sweating, and crying when it was finally over with. If someone would have walked in and saw me, they probably would have thought I was giving birth on the toilet. And it felt like it, too. There was a lot of crying. A lot of begging the doctors to do something about it. My poop wouldn't soften to save my life, no matter how much Metamucil I would take, or how well I ate, or what I cut out of my diet.

Finally my doctor told me I was going to have to go see a GI. I had just moved to LA and was at a new job, but was waiting for my health insurance to kick in (I had a 30 day waiting period). I couldn't believe it had gotten to this point. Again, there was a lot of crying. After I got off of the phone with my doctors office back home, I made a decision: I REFUSE TO GO ANY FURTHER WITH WHAT THEY ARE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO. I WILL FIX THIS NATURALLY. My boyfriend heard me scream this multiple times. I was certain of it, there had to be a way. I was not going to suffer anymore.

First and foremost: to relieve pain, bleeding, and some of the swelling you will need SOFT POOP. Not diarrhea, but soft poop that does not irritate the hemorrhoids when you go to the bathroom. To achieve this you will only need 3 things:

1. Aloe Vera Juice (get this at your local co-op - and get the big bottle, you'll need to drink it twice a day).

2. Magnesium supplement (I used the powder because it absorbs better)

3. Flax Seed (ground by yourself, so buy whole seeds, not pre-ground seeds)

MORNING BEFORE BREAKFAST: Powder Magnesium supplement in 2 oz hot water - after the bubbles would go down I would mix a serving of Aloe Vera Juice in it and drink. Gross at first but you'll learn to love it because of the effect it will have when you go to the bathroom.

BEFORE LUNCH & BEFORE DINNER: drink 2TBSP of ground up flax seeds with a cup of water. Yes, it's also gross but just do it. It's worth it.

NIGHT RIGHT BEFORE BED: Repeat Magnesium & Aloe Vera Juice.

* Some wonderful things these supplements do: Magnesium is also a supplement for calming stress. Aloe Vera is a powerful desert plant that cools and calms, reduces inflammation, and helps absorb vitamins and supplements up to 2000% more than just water (I specifically use Lily of the Desert). If you look up Aloe Vera Juice you may find a lot of contradictory statements saying that it's toxic and it's not meant for human consumption, etc. That, my friend, makes me want to ask whoever wrote that if they've ever suffered from hemorrhoids. Chances are probably not, because if they had and had used Aloe Vera Juice for that very reason, they would be praising it.

Secondly: Good 'Ol Chinese Medicine!

Fargelin - Use it. Buy it on Amazon for cheap. I recommend buying 2 or 3 bottles because there's only really 4 days worth of pills in each bottle. Read the directions - it says to take with boiled then cooled water - simply take with distilled water.

Ma Ying Long Hemorrhoids Ointment - Use it. Also buy it on Amazon. It will provide such a cooling relief to burning, itching hemorrhoids. It helps with regeneration of healthy tissue as well.

* You can buy these both together on Amazon.

Thirdly: This is an important one. A hemorrhoid is a swollen balloon of blood that has extended itself beyond the original vein. It is a veracose vein. The BEST WAY to reduce SWELLING is with ICE.

Anuice - buy it on Amazon as well. It's a small plastic device that has WATER in it. You put it in the freezer (a certain way depending on if you are using it internally or externally - if both I recommend buying 2). IT IS PRICEY - $40 per unit but it is SO WORTH IT. It is the only thing you can use to actually take down the swelling (besides waiting).

*You must use this REPEATEDLY. You can not stop after you use it once or twice. You need to use it 3 - 6 times a day - the more you use it the faster you heal. And if you use it how much you should you should be healed in about 4 weeks (completely).

*DO NOT TAKE THE CHEAP ROUTE AND JUST PUT ICE ON YOUR HOLE. YOU WILL GET FROST BITE AND KILL LIVING (although painful) TISSUE. Big no-no. Don't even think about it.

Fourthly: Also a very important one. Bending over while you poo. I've read on here to buy a 6 inch stool to put your feet on. SAVE YOUR MONEY. If you're like me and you live in an apartment where the bathroom is so small you could shower, pee, and brush your teeth all at the same time you won't need a stool. ALSO - what if I have to poo when I'm at work? Do I just carry a poo stool around with me everywhere. NO!

Simply, when you gotta go, just put your chest close to your legs, hands should touch the floor or your feet and then go. This, my friends, RELIEVES THE PRESSURE on the hemorrhoids (can we just start calling them the horrible hemies now?). I read this in a poo book so it's true. I've had MUCH LESS pain during and afterwards with this.

Lastly: Eat healthy (get used to eating salads, at this point it's survival mode with a side effect of it being good for you, too so learn to like it). No greasy, fatty foods. I've also read that chicken and chicken's eggs can upset hemorrhoids but I never experienced that. And drink lots of water. Yes, that means 8 - 10 8oz. Cups of water a day. Or buy 2-3 liters, easier to keep track of that way.

And that is my story. I am now the happiest person in the world to say that I am free of the horrible hemies. I DO CONTINUE to use the Aloe Vera Juice, Magnesium and Flax Seed for house keeping. I will forever to the bend over trick when I poo. And keep the other things around just in case. And I will never, ever forget this pain and horribleness of hemorrhoids. I've healed physically, now it's time to heal emotionally.

Best of all luck to you, my fellow friends and sufferers. This thing can be beat.

Sarah

I've suffered with external hemorrhoids for around 3 years now, since I was 19. I always thought it was something older people had and was devastated when one appeared!! I had been very unwell and bed-ridden for several months, combine that with a extremely poor diet and hello hemmies. When they first appeared, I left them alone and hoped they would just go away - they did not. I found this site and went to town with the remedies. The only thing that worked was Apple Cider Vinegar applied topically and that helped with the itching and burning pain and shrank them to a more comfortable size. And then I stopped treating and left them again...... You can probably guess what happened! And this time nothing worked. I tried everything I could and all that happened was that the darn things got more swollen and painful. I gave in and went to the doctors but all they would do was give me otc creams and painkillers.

So in my absolute desperation, I bought some numbing cream and a pair of nail scissors and cut them away. I cannot stress enough how stupid and dangerous that was!! Please if you've thought about doing it yourself - DON'T!!! Luckily, VERY luckily, the cuts healed without infection and not much scarring and everything still works down there. I didn't have many problem for several months after that but then they suddenly flared up again.

This time the only thing that worked for me was sitz baths and rutin. They calmed down back to 'normal' after a few weeks and didn't cause too much trouble for a while. Then boom, last week some verrry bad diet choices has lead to a major flare-up. I've taken rutin by the bucket load, sitz bathed my days away - everything that worked before hasn't worked this time.

I had some witch hazel chilling in the fridge for some nasty bruises and thought the chill at least might give some relief from the itching and burning. I soaked a cotton wool pad and put it on the area for about 15 minutes and wouldn't you know it, the blighters have shrunk by half and aren't bothering me at all! I can't believe it. The first time I developed hemmies, witch hazel didn't make a blind bit of difference, yet this time it's been my life saver! So if you're having problems, don't give up! Keep mixing it up with the remedies and hopefully you'll find something that works for you :)

I began to develop an internal hemmoroid about 3 months ago. It started with severe itching to the point that I could barely walk a few steps without having to just freeze where I stood. I am very active and fit so this was starting to stress me out. I went to a doctor who confirmed the hemmoroid and prescribed the regular route for this condition: Suppositories. I got immediate relief for the first couple of days however, the itching sensation returned with a fervor as did my frustration and fear as I did not want to go the surgery/banding route I had researched.

I fortunately found Earth Clinic and browsed through the countless remedies and made notes on the ones that resinated with me: ACV (topically and drank this in a.m. and p.m. for a few weeks with a straw to protect tooth enamel), Rutin, B-vitamins, cold compress for when things seemed "heated or agitated" down there and I couldn't sleep, pure aloe vera gel, peppercorns, accupuncture treatments, chinese herbs specifically for hemmoroids, exercise (once I was able to move more freely), refraining from alcohol, coffee, and spicy foods, eliminating dairy, and eating more fiber. Ya, it's a lot of things.

I did not get immediate results and far from it. Things got progressively better very slowly. I also had a couple of set-backs throughout this process so if you feel great one day and the next you're back where you were... try to be hopeful and keep up the regime you're trying and/or add something else on this site to try.

I've read a lot of posts on here with beneficial results appearing within a day or two which was frustrating for me as my progress was not good at first. I combined all things listed above as much as I could and just tryed to stay calm and patient with the process as hard as that was.

I went from debilitating itching to intense pain to itching throughout the day where actually sitting and laying down were the only relief I could get. Anyway, for me, I feel that stress and diet were a major component to my healing. Of course since I combined a lot of different remedies at one time, I don't know the exact (if there was one) cure but after just over 3 months I am completely cured. I am a little nervous about this condition returning so I continue with accupunture treatments, am continuing to take the chinese herbs, B-complex, and I have ACV on hand in the fridge however I am not using that any longer. I refrain from booze and caffeine and just keep dairy out of my diet in case that had anything to do with it. Yoga also seemed to help for obvious stress benefits.

I suggest trying everything on this site that resonates with you and most of all try to relax and be patient as it can be a process and not an overnight cure. The frustration and stress about it, I feel, made my issue worse. Good luck!

Oil Pulling for me has been a god send for my hemorrhoids. I use only virgin, unrefined, coconut oil and not only have I lost a few kilos in weight in just over one week, My hemorrhoids are virtually gone! I don't even know if they're there now, just can't feel them like I used to.

I was ready a book on weird and wacky cures but using natural stuff to heal everything and I came across using olive oil for hemorroids. As I had suffered with these and had an operation that failed to help, I decided to try it and it works, I started bleeding one day from behind an decided to use the olive oil and it stopped. The way I do it is soak a tissue in it place it on the area then place a polythene bag over that and then some pants that you are not too fond of and leave in place as long as possible. I have not had any trouble since that day.

I must say i am hooked on your site now and they all seem to work. I have been using using many of your skin remedies and i am glowing.ten years younger at least.

I am almost due with my third child and these have been a problem for me since my first - 15 years now. What helps me is to keep clean. No matter what I have to do or where I am, I keep something to stay clean. Even sometimes just a hand papertowel with water will help.

What I have found is that the skin get irritated and broken and when we use the bathroom it gets it dirty and just like dirt in a cut, it will sting and burn. So when I can take a quick shower I do, if not, I will sponge bathe somehow. I never have a problem after this. I never have in 15 years, even now while I am older and two months from having my baby. Hope this helps.

I have long known that my cleaning habits were irritating my hemorrhoids and making them bleed.

After some trial and error, this is what finally worked for me. After each bowel movement I clean myself with a medicated wipe (available at the drugstores) that I've further dampened with water. After gently removing as much residue as I can, I fold a single dry tissue into a manageable little pad and squirt some mild unscented hand lotion on it to finish wiping myself. This not only dries the area, it also lubricates it without tugging on tender irritated skin, therefore promoting healing. Presto! No more bleeding hemorrhoids.

As a side note, medicated wipes are supposed to be flushable, but it might be a good idea to give the toilet an extra flush or two, particularly if you have one of the newer low volume tanks.

Read Carefully: To cut down on the instance of hemorrhoids, clean yourself with diluted antibacterial soap or soap and water every time you move your bowels. Make sure you leave no residue -- ever. The bacteria from not wiping with soap and water invades the smallest cut in the anal area and the hemorrhoids gradually begin to from, often with an anal fissure. Here's an illustration. If a person serving food got feces on his hand, would you prefer that he wipe the spot with plain dry toilet paper, or wash the spot thoroughly with antibacterial soap before preparing your food? It's the same with your rectal area.

To treat the anal fissue, make a poultice SOAKED IN ALCOHOL out of a piece of a paper towel, apply it to the area where the fissure is or is starting to become painful, indicating the emergence of an anal fissure, and sit on the poultice, rewetting it with alcohol when it dries. Do this for as many days (nights, too) as it takes to rid yourself of the fissure. As soon as you feel the fissure forming (when the rectal area hasn't yet formed a tear, but is "telltale" sore), immediately apply the alcohol soaked poultice. The alcohol will eventually dry out the surrounding skin, forming a superfical scabbing or blistering. Just keep the area immaculately clean by often cleansing with diluted antibacterial soap. The soap doesn't have to be full strength; the idea is to get the rectal area immaculately cleansed when dirty.

Clean the area with baby wipes to get rid of irritation, and if hemorrhoids are really bad, stand up to go #2 until they get better. Also eat one orange a day until gone.

Just sharing a suggestion based own experience thought I can't be totally sure about the cause. I've been hemorrhoid free for a month or so, no swelling anymore. Can't be sure whether the hemorrhoid just went inside or really shrank away. At least it hasn't been there causing annoyance although I lived a normal life.

What I did was: squat sitting at toilet, and no toilet paper, just warm water with shower and drying with a towel. Western style toilets are bad for squat sitting but it is still possible. Just be careful. Use some proper consideration before trying in order to avoid any accidents.