12 Home Remedies for Quick Hemorrhoid Relief
Updated: Jul. 20, 2021
From ice to witch hazel, try these simple home remedies for hemorrhoids and find quick relief from the pain and itching.
Load up on fibre
Looking for home remedies for hemorrhoids? Start healing from the inside out with a high-fibre diet, which can reduce the bleeding and pain from hemorrhoids. Fill your plate with fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, brown rice, whole grains, and nuts for hemorrhoid relief. Drinking plenty of water can also prevent constipation.
Use a tea bag for hemorrhoid relief
External hemorrhoids can be soothed by applying a warm, wet tea bag. The tannic acid in the tea will help reduce swelling, ease the pain, and promote blood clotting to stop the bleeding. (Psst—tea bags can also be used to treat canker sores!)
Avoid sitting
If you have a desk job, walk around for five minutes at least once an hour to relieve the rectal pressure that causes hemorrhoids. At the gym, avoid stationary bikes and squats, both of which can apply that same pressure. Instead, try walking briskly for 20 to 30 minutes to encourage bowel function.
This is what happens to your body when you start walking 10,000 steps a day.
Soak with warm water
Warm water increases blood flow to help shrink swollen veins. To reap its benefits, fill your bathtub or a sitz bath, which fits over the toilet, with four or five inches of water. Take a seat in the water with your knees raised to get maximum exposure to the affected area. Dissolving a handful of Epsom salts in the tub before you start your soak will help constrict the hemorrhoids even more.
Discover 20+ common bathroom mistakes you didn’t know you were making.
Ice up
Blood vessels swell up with hemorrhoids, but coldness can shrink them and give major relief. Fill a bag with ice, wrap a thin cloth around it, and sit on it for about 20 minutes for hemorrhoid relief. Repeat as necessary, but wait at least ten minutes between each application.
Here’s when to use ice or heat to relieve different types of pain.
Keep it clean
Switch out your daily shower for some bath time if you can so that you can soak the anal area with warm water. Don’t use soap or alcohol-based or perfumed wipes, which could make hemorrhoids worse (don’t worry, a warm soak will still get you clean). When you’re out of the tub, use a hair dryer to dry the area gently.
Check out 40+ strange symptoms that can signal a serious disease.
Lie down
How to treat hemorrhoids without gels or creams? Simply take the weight off your sore anal area by lying stretched out on a couch with your legs up for half an hour. You’ll improve circulation to your backside as well, improving hemorrhoid relief.
Discover these bathroom habits for healthy and comfortable bowel movements.
Use simple toilet paper
Scented and coloured toilet paper contain extra chemicals that could irritate sensitive areas. Dampen plain, white, unscented toilet paper or use a moist towelette when you need to wipe. Follow up by applying an unscented moisturizer with a facial tissue.
Here are seven tips for healthy bowel movements.
Dab on petroleum jelly
Here’s how to treat hemorrhoids with Vaseline. Petroleum jelly can soothe the affected area if you dab a bit onto the sore spot for quicker hemorrhoid relief. (Check out more clever uses for petroleum jelly you’ll wish you knew sooner.)
Find out eight things your farts can reveal about your health.
Give yourself permission to go
Holding in your bathroom breaks can lead to constipation, meaning you need to strain more when you do go. That could cause pressure in your abdominal and bring on hemorrhoids. Instead of focusing on how to treat hemorrhoids, find a restroom as soon as you need one to avoid them in the first place.
These home remedies for constipation can help.
Try a potato
It sounds strange, but a compress made from potato is a surprisingly effective home remedy for hemorrhoids. When grated, the tuber acts as a soothing astringent.
Check out more old-time home remedies that really work.
Apply witch hazel
Witch hazel is full of tannins, which help shrink blood vessels. Drench a cotton ball with undistilled witch hazel and press it against the hemorrhoid.
Next, find out the eight habits that cause hemorrhoids in the first place.
