An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; if you’re one of the 50% of North Americans who will experience hemorrhoids before they’re 50, it’s important to know what you can do to prevent or mitigate the discomfort caused by your hemorrhoids. While there are many factors that may cause hemorrhoids, including pregnancy, stress, and heavy lifting, a healthy diet has been shown to help reduce the painful symptoms of hemorrhoids.
It’s recommended that you increase your intake of fiber, drink more water, and get more exercise to prevent hemorrhoids.
Dietary Fiber
By increasing your intake of dietary fiber, you can improve your overall digestion and prevent constipation. This can reduce the amount of strain and pressure on your rectum, making your bowel movements less painful and preventing hemorrhoids from occurring.
Hydration
Ensuring you stay properly hydrated is not news to you, but it’s something many people struggle with on a daily basis. One of the side effects of dehydration is its impact on your digestive system, and this can lead to constipation or diarrhea – two common causes of hemorrhoids. Do your body a favor – drink more water.
Exercise
Moderate, aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes a day is a great way to relieve pressure on the rectum and get things flowing nicely for good bowel function. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is great for your digestion, as well as the rest of your body.
Two-Minute Bathroom Breaks
While the bathroom seems to be the place of refuge for many of us, it’s important to keep your time on the toilet to two minutes or less. This will help you avoid straining during your bowel movement. If you can’t go in two minutes, come back later and try again.
To minimize the irritating, painful, and disruptive symptoms of hemorrhoids, fiber is your friend; your body needs a healthy amount of soluble and non-soluble fiber to maintain bowel health. Oatmeal, beans, wheat bran, nuts, vegetables, and green beans are great sources of fiber, and the Mayo Clinic recommends you eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods to maximize the health benefits.
Spice is not your friend when you have hemorrhoids for a number of reasons: it can aggravate your digestion, resulting in diarrhea or constipation, and some compounds may cause anal itching as they’re expelled, intensifying the discomfort of your hemorrhoids. Avoid spicy food and hot sauces.
Citrus fruits, chocolate, and alcohol can also trigger anal itching, so it’s a good practice to avoid them during hemorrhoid flare-ups.
If you’re currently suffering from the discomfort of hemorrhoids, search for a CRH O’Regan System-trained physician near you. The CRH System is fast, painless, and effective for 99% of hemorrhoid sufferers. While hemorrhoids are a reality for 50% of the population, relief is available. Call today to get your life back on track.
