Piles, also known as haemorrhoids, are inflamed and swollen tissues in the anal canal that contain blood vessels, support tissue, muscle, and elastic fibres. Causes of piles include chronic constipation, chronic diarrhoea, lifting heavy weights, pregnancy, and straining while passing a stool.
Piles can be classified from grades I to IV. Surgery may be required in grades III or IV, but at stage I or II, piles can be treated through lifestyle changes, home remedies or Ayurvedic treatment.
Typically, piles are caused by a low-fibre diet combined with an inadequate intake of water or fluids, which causes straining and hard stools. Straining can harm the anal canal wall, causing the blood vessels to swell.
Following are the remedies you can follow to treat piles without surgery:
- Change your diet: If you are suffering from piles, you should consume foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods soften and raise the bulk in your stool and prevent constipation. Too much straining usually results from constipation.
To stop gas problems, try to progressively incorporate fibre into your diet. Caffeine should be avoided wherever possible.
- Drink more water: The key to having healthy bowel movements is adequate hydration from water, in addition to eating a healthy, fibre-rich diet.
Drinking enough water helps avoid constipation and therefore, reduces straining. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day is beneficial for your body, regardless of whether you have piles or not. However, it becomes exceedingly important for people suffering from piles.
- Shed a few kilos: Losing weight can help in minimising the severity and frequency of piles. The best hospital for piles treatment in Chandigarh recommends exercising and not straining to move stools to prevent piles.
Staying engaged decreases the amount of time you spend sitting, thus avoiding much pressure on your lower rectum veins. However, it is best to avoid lifting heavy weights or engaging in other strenuous exercises. You may instead opt for more gentle fitness workouts like yoga, swimming, or walking.
- Warm bath: Warm baths can help relieve the discomfort caused by piles. Soaking your anal region in plain warm water for 10 to 15 minutes at least twice a day can help. Many studies have found that doing so after bowel movement is very beneficial.
You can take a full-body bath in your tub or use a sitz bath. You can also add Epsom salt to the bath for further relief.
- Over-the-counter remedies and prescribed medications: Over-the-counter medications including pain relievers, ointments, creams and pads, can help relieve redness and swelling around the anus.
While over-the-counter remedies do not cure piles, they can help with the symptoms. However, they should not be used for more than 7 days in a row because they can irritate the area and cause skin thinning. Unless your doctor recommends it, do not take two or more medications at the same time.
Apart from over-the-counter medications, a doctor may also prescribe corticosteroids, which help with pain and inflammation. If a person with piles experiences constipation, the doctor can also prescribe laxatives. These make bowel movement easier and relieve pressure on the lower colon.
- Topical treatments: Hydrocortisone-containing haemorrhoid creams can be applied to the affected region for relief. These creams are available without a prescription. Pads containing numbing agents or witch hazel may also be used.
If you are more inclined towards an ayurvedic treatment, the kshara karma procedure is one of the best methods to treat piles. Kshara is an alkaline, caustic paste that is used to treat haemorrhoids. A specialised device called a slit proctoscope is used to apply Kshara to the haemorrhoid. This paste can cauterise even open and bleeding piles.
Also Read: https://healinghospital.co.in/piles-haemorrhoids-what-are-your-treatment-options/
- Rubber band litigation: If any of the above home remedies do not help within a week, you should book an appointment with a piles doctor. If you have internal haemorrhoids of grades one, two or three, they can be treated with rubber band litigation.
In this process, a small scope called an anoscope is used. A rubber band is placed on the haemorrhoid using a special system called a bander. It sticks the piles to the wall.
The banding is also used to avoid the prolapse of haemorrhoids, where the haemorrhoid falls out when the patient passes stool. In 10-14 days, the band falls off, along with the haemorrhoid.
If you want to get an evaluation, click here to book an appointment with the best hospital for piles treatment in Chandigarh: https://healinghospital.co.in/general-surgery/
