- mucous discharge after passing a stool
- bleeding after passing a stool
- itchiness around anus
- a lump hanging outside of the anus, which may need to be pushed back after passing a stool
When these symptoms become persistent the discomfort can become quite severe. Pregnancy can often cause haemorrhoids, which means that safe and effective treatment is even more important.
Conventional Medical Treatment for Haemorrhoids
The NHS Choices website has been used here as the source of information about the conventional medical treatment of this condition. Their treatment is aimed to reduce itching and discomfort, and their first recommendation is to make simple dietary changes (increasing dietary fibre), drinking lots of fluids, avoiding coffee, and ‘not straining’ on the toilet.
As far as medication is concerned, NHS Choices recommends various creams, ointments and suppositories that can relieve swelling and discomfort, but which cannot be used for more than 5-7 days as they can “irritate the sensitive skin around your anus”.
Corticosteroid cream is recommended if there is severe inflammation in or around the anus, but again these cannot be used for more than a week “as it can make the skin around your anus thinner and the irritation worse”.
Painkillers are then recommended, not for the treatment of piles, but to relieve the pain. NHS Choices warns, however, that codeine painkillers should be avoided as they cause constipation!
Laxatives
When piles are accompanied by constipation, laxatives are then prescribed, to help empty the bowels.
Non-surgical treatments
If these fail patients are referred to specialists, either for banding, sclerotherapy or surgery.
Banding
Banding involves placing a tight elastic band around the base of the haemorrhoids to cut off their blood supply. They should then fall off within about a week of having the treatment. If there is pain as a result of the procedure painkillers are used. NHS Choices warn that ulcers, open sores, can occur at the site of the banding, although these usually heal without needing treatment.
Sclerotherapy
This involves injecting a chemical solution into the blood vessels in your back passage, to relieve pain by numbing the nerve endings. It also hardens the tissue of the haemorrhoid so that a scar is formed. After about four to six weeks, the haemorrhoid should decrease in size or shrivel up.
Infrared coagulation
This involves “a special device that emits infrared light is used to burn the haemorrhoid tissue and cut off their blood supply”. A similar devise using an electric current is known as diathermy or electrotherapy.
Surgery
Ultimately, surgery is recommended, and NHS Choices says that around 1 in every 10 people will eventually need surgery. Surgery usually involves removing the haemorrhoids, or reducing their blood supply so that they shrink.
Homeopathic Treatment of Haemorrhoids
Homeopathy is a medical therapy that will avoid some of the side-effects and adverse reactions of conventional medical treatment. Homeopathy is the second most popular medical therapy in the world, and the most popular holistic system of medicine. Homeopathy is based on remedies made from a variety of different substances, all of which are known to cause symptoms of illness if taken in their normal form. However, homeopathy has discovered that substances that cause symptoms of illness can also cure those same symptoms of illness.
This is the principle of “Like cures Like” on which all homeopathy is based.
The task of the homeopath is to find a remedy whose symptom picture matches the symptoms of a person’s illness. These remedy symptom pictures have been developed over the last 220 years.
The selection of a homeopathic remedy is based on the individual’s symptoms of illness, not on any broad conventionally-defined illness. It is important to stress this. Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. Instead it treats an individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important, and if you wish to read more about this, click on the chapter “Illness Diagnosis”.
As far as haemorrhoids or piles are concerned, homeopathy has highlighted a number of remedies that have been found to be useful in its treatment. The Hpathy website has outlined some simple remedy pictures for a number of these remedies. All the remedies mentioned are safe, and any remedy that matches the patient’s symptoms will be effective. These simple remedy pictures give some indication of the types of symptoms they will treat.
Aesculus Hip
Abdominal plethora; throbbing deep in abdomen, particularly in hypogastric region; piles, bleeding or not, with feeling of dryness in rectum; as though little sticks or splinters were pricking the folds of the mucus membrane; weak feeling at sacro-iliac symphysis; though the legs were about to give out, worse by stooping forward and when walking; aching between shoulders; desire to strain at stool for a long time, pain shoot up the rectum; from the tumors, with lameness and aching in back, purple piles; depressed and irritable. Dark red congestion of fauces, with dryness and soreness, from abdominal plethora.
Collinsonia
This is an excellent remedy for piles; obstinate cases of piles; specially used in females with inertia of the rectum and a congestive tendency to the pelvic organs; it suits a pregnant women who suffer from piles, and pruritus may be a marked symptom. The indicating symptoms are chiefly a sensation of sticks in the rectum, with constipation from inertia of the lower bowel. It is specially applicable to heart pains resulting from a suppression of a habitual haemorrhoidal flow.
Hamamelis
This is one of the best remedies for piles; bleeding piles; flow of blood is quite copious, and the great characterised indication is excessive soreness.
Aloes
This is one of the most useful remedies for piles; indicated where the piles protrude like a bunch of grapes, bleeding often and profusely, and are greatly relieved by the application of cold water. There is a very marked burning in the anus, the bowels feel as if scraped. There is a tendency to diarrhoea, with the well known uncertain feeling in the lower bowel.
Nux Vomica
If the piles be large and blind, with a burning, stinging and constricted feeling in the rectum and a bruised pain in the small of back, and especially if excited by sedentary habits or abuse of stimulants, than Nux Vomica may be prescribed. Itching piles keeping the sufferer awake at night, relieved by cold water, or bleeding piles with constant urging to stool. And a feeling as if the bowel would not empty itself are further indications.
Capsicum
Bleeding or blind piles, protruding swollen, itching, throbbing and burning as if pepper were sprinkled on them. Sore feeling in the anus. Piles with mucus discharges, bloody mucus stool. Great thirst followed by shuddering after stool. Associated symptoms are persistent thoughts of suicide, lack of vital heat, craving for warm things, stimulants and pungent things.
Muriatic acid
Piles large, swollen, dark purple or blue haemorrhoides which are extremely sensitive and pains to touch. Inflamed piles, hot and pulsating, must lie with limbs wide apart, too sore, to bear least touch even the bed sheet is uncomfortable. Piles while urinating or with stool, bleeding piles with burning and cutting during and after stool. Ameliorated by warm application; aggravation by cold application.
Sulphur
Sulphur is a very good remedy for piles, when the constitutional symptoms are there. External and internal piles, great bunches that are sore and raw, burning and tender, and bleed and smart with loose stool, complaints aggravate when standing, when washing and from warmth of bed.
Ammonium carb
Piles protrude, independent of stool; protrusion of piles after stool with long lasting pains; cannot walk, or the piles protrude during a stool, and recede when lying down; they are usually moist and pain as if excoriated; bloody discharge during and after stool.
Arsenicum album
Piles bluish, swollen, inflamed, protruding and bunched, bleeding from least touch, with stitching, burning pains when walking or standing, but not at stool; burning and soreness in rectum and anus, aggravation at night; strangulated piles. Amelioration from warmth.
Kali carb
Stool dry, too large in size, rectum inactive, feels distressed an hour or two before stool; sensation as if a red hot poker were being thrust up the rectum, relieved by sitting in cold water; stinging, burning tearing, itching pain, even after a natural stool.
Lycopodium
Piles, painful while sitting; discharge of blood even with soft stool; itching eruption at the anus, painful to touch; burning and stitching pain in the rectum; pain in the sacral region, extending to the thighs.
Nitric acid
Long lasting cutting pain in the rectum after loose stool, with piles; haemorrhage bright red, not clotted, spasmodic tearing during stool from fissures in rectum.
Silicea
Piles intensely painful; boring, cramping from anus to rectum and testicles; piles protrude with stool and discharge bloody mucus.
However, for an accurate, individualised remedy section, patients should consult with a qualified homeopath. This increases the likelihood of matching an individual with a remedy that will work for them. A remedy that does not match the symptoms of an individual’s illness will not work!