Hemorrhoids

Definition

A mass of dilated, tortuous veins in the anorectum involving the venous plexuses of that area. There are two kinds: external, those involving veins distal to the anorectal line (a dilated vein or veins at the junction of anal mucosa with the anal skin); and internal, those involving veins proximal to the anorectal line (dilated veins of the lower rectum at the anal-rectal junction). Usually related to constipation, pregnancy, improper diet, lack of exercise, prolonged periods of sitting, heavy lifting, obesity, liver damage, and allergies.

Approximately half of the population of the United States over fifty years of age suffer from hemorrhoids.
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Causes

Wrong eating habits may cause the majority of hemorrhoids. Eating a diet that contains a large amount of refined foods that are low in bulk (fiber), tends to cause small, hard stools, resulting in straining and constipation; this causes the pressure inside the colon to increase.
Taking ordinary commercial laxatives that are on the market may also be a cause, as many of them irritate the membranous lining of the colon.
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Symptoms

Swollen veins are present around the anus or inside the rectum. These swollen blood vessels frequently become irritated and bleed.
Hemorrhoids may itch, burn (sting), tear, and bleed, causing discomfort and pain. Severe hemorrhoids should be evaluated and treated by the doctor.
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Treatment

Depends on the severity of the symptoms, not the extent of the hemorrhoids. In many instances, the only therapy required is improvement in anal hygiene and administration of stool softeners to prevent straining to have a bowel movement. The decision concerning the necessity of surgery or ligature with rubber bands should not be made until acute symptoms and inflammation have subsided. This allows tissues to regain their usual shape.
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Nutrients

Calcium chelate, 1,500 mg. per day, is essential for blood clotting and helps prevent cancer of the colon.

Magnesium, 750 mg. per day.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 100 mg. per day, aids in healing and normal blood clotting.

Vitamin E, 600 IU per day, promotes normal blood clotting and healing.

Vitamin B complex plus vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline and inositol, 50 mg. 3 times with meals, for improved digestion, thus reduced stress on the rectum.

Coenzyme Q10, 100 mg. per day, increases cellular oxygenation and assists in healing.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene, 15,000 IU each per day, aids in healing of mucous membranes and tissues.

Vitamin D, 600 IU per day, aids in healing of mucous membranes and tissues and is needed for calcium absorption.
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Herbs

• Aloes
• Alum, white, root tea
• Arnica flowers
• Balm
• Balm of Gilead
• Balmony
• Balsam fir
• Basil, wild
• Bayberry bark
• Bearberry (Uva ursi)
• Bittersweet
• Blackberry
• Blackroot
• Bloodroot
• Broomsedge
• Buckthorn bark
• Burdock
• Burnet, salad
• Butcher’s broom
• Butter-and-eggs
• Capsicum
• Cascara bark
• Castor bean
• Catnip
• Cayenne pepper
• Celandine
• Chamomile
• Cheese plant
• Chestnut
• Chickory
• Chickweed
• Clover, sweet
• Collinsonia root
• Comfrey root
• Cotton root
• Cubeb
• Cypress
• Daisy fleabane
• Dock, yellow
• Elderberry
• Eryngo
• Eucalyptus
• Fennel seed
• Figwort
• Fireweed
• Flaxseed
• Garlic
• Geranium, wild or spotted
• Ginger
• Ginkgo
• Golden seal
• Grape, red vine leaves
• Horehound
• Horse-balm
• Horse chestnut
• Horsetail
• Horseweed
• Hound’s tongue
• Indian hemp, black
• Indigo, wild
• Ivy, ground
• Lemon juice
• Licorice root
• Marjoram, sweet
• Milfoil
• Mullein
• Myrrh
• Nettle
• Oak, red bark
• Oak, white bark
• Oat fiber
• Origanum
• Papain tablets
• Parsley
• Persimmon calyx
• Pilewort
• Pimpernel
• Plantain
• Pokeweed
• Poppy seeds
• Psyllium
• Raspberry leaves
• Rattlesnake-master
• Red root
• Rue anemone
• Sage, wild, leaves
• St. John’s wort
• Senna
• Sesame seeds
• Shepherd’s purse
• Smartweed
• Solomon’s seal
• Spearmint
• Spikenard
• Squaw vine
• Star grass
• Stillingia
• Stone root
• Sweet gum bark
• Sweet weed
• Tamarack
• Thuja
• Toadflax, yellow
• Valerian, Greek
• Wallwort
• Water pepper
• Willow bark
• Wintergreen
• Witch hazel
• Yam, wild
• Yarrow root
• Yellow dock
• Yerba santa

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Recommendations

Learn not to strain when moving the bowels. Keep the bowels clean and avoid constipation. Include foods high in fiber and cellulose in the diet. Apples, beets, brazil nuts, broccoli, cabbage family foods, carrots, green beans, guar gum, oat bran, lima beans, pears, peas, psyllium seed, and whole grains should be considered for the diet.

Exercise is important. Drink plenty of liquids. Linseed oil helps soften stools. Use one or two tbsp. daily.

Take a sitz bath daily.

Some recommend a peeled clove of garlic or a raw potato made into a suppository to help hemorrhoids (3 times per week).

Vitamin K is excellent for bleeding hemorrhoids. Food sources for vitamin K are: alfalfa, kale, and all dark green leafy vegetables.
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Suggestions

Elderberry poultices can relieve the pain associated with hemorrhoids.

A plain warm water enema will relieve pressure and pain in most cases and is fast acting.

A healing herb enema for hemorrhoids:

• Willow bark (8 parts)
• Red oak bark (8 parts)
• Wild sage leaves (3 parts)
• Pilewort (3 parts)
• Horseweed (3 parts)

Boil 1/2 tsp. mixture slowly in 1 pint of water. Let stand until cold, then strain. Use as a rectal enema before going to bed.

Two healing mixtures to relieve hemorrhoids internally:

• Alder buckthorn bark
• Milfoil
• Licorice roots
• Fennel seed

Mix in equal parts. Steep 1 tbsp. in 1/2 cup boiling-hot water for 10 minutes. Drink hot.

• Balm (3 parts)
• Blackthorn flowers (3 parts)
• Milfoil (3 parts)
• Arnica flowers (5 parts)
• Alder buckthorn bark (15 parts)

Soak 1 tbsp. of the mixture in 1/2 cup cold water for 6 hours then bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Take 1 cup per day.
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Bibliography

LiveStrong.com: LiveStrong.com: Butcher’s Broom & Hemorrhoids

Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994

Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke., Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000

The Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993

Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists, by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Company, Inc., West Nyack, NY, 1987.

The Old Herb Doctor, by Joseph E. Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1984, sixth printing 1994.

Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, Shambala Publications, Inc., Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973

Earl Mindell’s Herb Bible, by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020

Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., O.M.D., Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. WI 53181., Copyright 1988, published 1992

The Herb Book, by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974.

The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine, by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements, by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., Avery Publishing Group, Inc., Garden City Park, NY

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