Help for Hemorrhoids and Fissures

Having hemorrhoids is a common health problem in our society, yet one that is often not talked about because many people find it embarrassing.

I was surprised to find out only recently that I have had family members and acquaintances who not only have chronic problems with hemorrhoids, but have had surgery to remove them. According to the NIH, about 1 in 20 people suffer from them, and they affect half of people over age 50. With that said, it’s really important for people to know basic habits that can prevent hemorrhoids and simple ways to heal them once they’ve developed.

What exactly are hemorrhoids? In short, hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectal area. There are internal and external hemorrhoids, and symptoms vary in severity. They are usually painful, and can cause bleeding, itching, and pain. They’re basically a type of varicose veins.

Then there’s fissures in the rectal area, which can be even worse than hemorrhoids. A rectal fissure is a tear in the tissue lining the lower rectum. The pain can be severe and can be caused by the same factors as hemorrhoids, which we will discuss first.

What causes hemorrhoids? Mainly a low fiber diet, constipation/straining on the toilet, pregnancy, and lifting heavy objects are the common culprits. Constipation, I’d say, is the biggest one. I grew up with the Standard American Diet (SAD), and most other people I knew did as well. The SAD diet is comprised of fast food, few vegetables, highly processed food, and the like, and so it’s no wonder that many people in our country suffer from them. To prevent and heal hemorrhoids, it is crucial to change the diet and toilet habits. There are also natural remedies that can help heal hemorrhoids and possibly prevent them from reoccurring.

1. Increase fiber in the diet

Ideally, have a high fiber meal for at least two of your meals in a day. The best fibrous vegetables are: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard, carrots, beets and others. If you’re someone who doesn’t like vegetables, try them roasted in the oven mixed with garlic powder (or other seasonings) and olive oil at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. The leafy greens can be added to soups during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking if you don’t like their flavor on their own. As I said before, it is very important to have these regularly prevent constipation. Vegetables can be tasty if you prepare them right. But whatever you do, avoid canned vegetables as they taste like flavorless mush. Buy frozen at least, if you won’t buy fresh.

Fruits can also be very healing, depending on which ones you eat. The best fruits to eat to help heal hemorrhoids are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cherries. Blackberries and blueberries have a medicinal effect because they can help heal the vascular system. I learned from an herbalist who said she had hemorrhoids after her first pregnancy, that she ate blueberries every day during her second pregnancy and she never had a problem after that. A good handful per day would be helpful. You can also buy them frozen and add them to oatmeal, or let them half thaw and have them as a semi-frozen treat.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day, as dehydration contributes to constipation.

2. No straining on the toilet.

I can’t stress this enough. Not only should you not strain, but if you have turned your bathroom into a library, now is the time to change. I don’t know who started the trend of reading in the bathroom, but ideally in going to the loo you should be in and out. The photo below shows something called a squatty potty. This is something you put your feet on when using the toilet as it will make it easier to go. You don’t have to buy anything fancy; it can be a small stool you have at home or even a plastic one. Anything will work that will lift your legs at an angle. And remember, you never want to sit for too long on the toilet, this is why avoiding reading your phone is so important, because you are increasing your risk of developing hemorrhoids or making them worse. And you only ever go when you feel the urge, don’t just sit there.

3. Avoid problem foods

Problem foods include ones that contribute to constipation such as pasta, packaged cookies and crackers, anything in the bakery section at a regular grocery store, excess amounts of white rice, mashed potatoes, bread, pizza, etc. For anyone who is gluten free, there are many gluten free products that are still problematic since they contain rice flour, starches, and other refined ingredients. When you’re having an outbreak, these foods must be avoided to speed up the healing process. Of course, it doesn’t mean you can’t ever have them, but to effectively heal hemorrhoids they should be cut from the diet temporarily. Culturally this is a problem too, since in some countries many people rely heavily on foods such as breads and pasta.

To give you some meal ideas: breakfast can be eggs with some sautéed veggies, or even leftover dinner (soup, stew, etc.) Leftover roasted sweet potatoes and onions can be made into a hash with some eggs. A good snack would be to have a handful of berries every single day or apples/pears. Lunch can be a salad with roasted beets or leftover soup, and dinner can be a protein the size or your palm and one or two vegetables. For example, chicken with roasted root vegetables, beef stew with carrots, green beans, broccoli and potato soup cooked with chicken broth, etc.

A note on gluten and dairy…

I mentioned about what foods to cut from the diet, and for many people eating gluten and diary products can be constipating. I would suggest while having an outbreak to avoid these foods as well, especially in large amounts. Once you’re healed, you can determine in what amount your body can handle them. There are some people who realize that they react negatively to one of them or both and some who can handle them in small amounts with no problem.

Another thing I have to mention is the “carnivore diet.” While many people have reported success with this diet if they have a compromised gut and have a hard time digesting some vegetables and fruits, it really can be detrimental long term or even short term if you are not careful. I knew someone who was unknowingly eating a carnivore diet by mostly eating meats like cold cuts and had terrible food poisoning and developed chronic hemorrhoids. He did not have a concept of a balanced meal and he now avoids meat entirely because of his terrible experience. Meat should be balanced with some fiber, even if it’s a vegetable or two, or adding apples and pears.

On to the remedies…

I am going to share with you some remedies that have actually been shown to work from experience.

First is a plant called horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

Horse chestnut is a tree that can bring amazing results from people suffering from venous problems. It has been used for chronic venous insufficiency and can help strengthen the vascular system, including healing hemorrhoids. The medicinal part of this tree is found in the shiny brown seeds, and it can be used internally and externally. The best results with this that I have seen (so far) is taking it in capsule form 2-3 times per day. The capsules can be bought online and they contain a standardized extract of one of its constituents called aescin.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is also a superstar for hemorrhoids. This is a plant that has hundreds of uses and works specifically on the blood and veins. It can be taken as a tea or a tincture (alcohol extract) daily to help heal the veins internally. Standard dose is 1-2 cups of tea daily or 1-2 dropperfuls of tincture 3 times per day. It has a bitter taste as a tea but I don’t think it’s that bad. The tea can be steeped for about 20 minutes before straining (1 teaspoon per 8 ounces). You can also mix it with something like mint or linden to improve its flavor. If you are 100% sure of what it looks like you can harvest it yourself, or it can be bought dried online. It grows all over the U.S. and Europe.

A supplement to consider is rutin, which is a compound found in certain plants and fruits such as apples, citrus, buckwheat, and the plant violet. It can be taken in supplement form to help circulation and heal the vascular system. Some people have found relief from hemorrhoids by solely taking a rutin supplement. You can also drink an overnight infusion made from violet leaves a few times per week.

Another powerful remedy is apple cider vinegar. It might sound strange to use vinegar on hemorrhoids, but it really does help. The only time you shouldn’t use it is if the area is really red and inflamed or if there’s bleeding. Otherwise, if there is just soreness or pain, I recommend to use frozen apple cider vinegar cotton pads/ folded paper towels. All you have to do is put a little bit of apple cider vinegar in a shallow bowl and place some cotton pads or folded up paper towels in it to soak, then place them in the freezer. Do a test first to make sure it doesn’t bother you. They can be used several times per day when having an outbreak, and stored in a zip lock bag.

And why not make the vinegar more medicinal by infusing it with herbs? You can infuse yarrow, plantain, or calendula into vinegar by using any combination of them. Simply fill a glass jar 1/3 of the way with the dried herbs then fill to within half an inch of the top with apple cider vinegar. Let steep for 4 weeks, but you can start using it after 2 weeks. Make sure to use a plastic cap otherwise the vinegar will corrode the metal.

Third, if the area is really sore and inflamed, try a calendula salve. Calendula is a very skin soothing and healing plant that can ease pain and inflammation. Plantain will also work similarly too. If you want to try making your own salve with calendula or plantain (or both), there are many herbal books on the topic and online recipes, or you can buy a salve from one of the many herb shops out there.

Another option is to make a strong calendula/plantain tea, let it steep for 30-60 minutes, then place cotton pads or folded up paper towels in the tea and freeze them to apply to the area. They can also be applied at room temperature, without needing to freeze them.

A note on fiber…

It’s crucial to make sure there is no constipation when having a hemorrhoid outbreak. Many people will take fiber in the form of psyllium husk and ground flax seeds. If you want to try psyllium husk you must let it soak in water until the water turns to gel, which takes about 5 minutes. Try 1 teaspoon per 10 0z. of water. Never ever take fiber all on its own without water, or it will in fact worsen constipation. Flax seeds are more gentle and for the average adult, 2 tablespoon of ground flax seeds can be mixed into a glass of water.

Just be aware that there is such a thing as too much fiber. If you start eating berries and plenty of root veggies, you probably don’t need flax seeds or psyllium, but if you are unable to eat those foods then consider the extra fiber. Chia seeds are another option and can also be added to water until they turn to a gel. There’s plenty of recipes online that feature chia seeds such as overnight pudding and healthy desserts. Coconut flour is also very fibrous and there are recipes online for healthy muffins and baked goods made with it. I’ll say this again make sure to drink enough water while taking/eating fibrous foods.

The unfortunate thing about hemorrhoids is that they sometimes don’t go away. I had a nurse practitioner tell me that she’s never seen them go away in her practice, but they can at least not bother a person. Surgery should be a last resort because it is painful and takes some time to recover. There are also other non-invasive procedures now that people can look into if they want permanent relief. However, for many people changing the diet and following all of these guidelines, you can greatly shrink them or perhaps get to the point where you’ll never have another outbreak.

Remember, if it’s your first time having them you can probably never get another outbreak if you are careful with diet and heal them before they get worse.

Now as for the rectal fissures:

It’s important have a limited diet when treating a fissure. Eat only easy to digest foods such as bone broth, oatmeal, and cooked veggies like potatoes and carrots (if they don’t bother you). Do not eat anything remotely constipating. A quick way to heal a fissure is to use a calendula and plantain salve several times a day for as long it takes to heal. It would also be helpful to drink a calendula, plantain, or marshmallow tea to help heal the mucous membranes.

Marshmallow is a plant that can be grown or bought (not to be confused with the candy!), and you can add the leaf to the other herbs in a tea or buy the root dried or powdered and add to room temperature water. You can use 1 tablespoon of the root per 2 cups of water, either as a powder or dried pieces. It will turn into a gel like substance and is very healing for mucous membranes. Let it steep for at least 30 minutes or overnight. There are other mallows that grow as weeds that can be used similarly.

Here is a way to make the salve. Using the double boiler method place 1 cup of coconut oil and 3/4 cup of equal parts dried calendula and dried plantain on low heat and let infuse for 24 hours. Place water in the saucepan and put a glass bowl on top with the oil and herbs together. Turn the burner on low and after about 20 minutes turn it off, but leave the saucepan where it is. Repeat this process at least 5 times during the day, then leave overnight to sit. You don’t keep the stove on low because then the oil will get too hot and burn. Warm again in the morning, strain, and re-bottle. This will last for at least 1 year. I gave this to someone with a fissure and it was healed within 2 weeks, but it was getting better every time it was used. The person reported immediate relief.

**Make sure do not use essential oils on fissures because they will cause burning**

Where to get some of these plants:

For a good quality plantain, calendula, and yarrow —> https://fosterfarmbotanicals.com/collections/new-dried-herbs-w-tiered-pricing

For marshmallow—-> https://oshalafarm.com/?s=marshmallow&post_type=product

You can also buy them at any herb supplier.

Wishing you all good health!

Photos by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com, Yan Krukau on Pexels.com, Vie Studio on Pexels.com, Aleksandr Gorlov on Pexels.com, Gizem Nur on Pexels.com