Few people like talking about them, and fewer still admit to having them, but according to Yale gastroenterologist Howard Spiro, M.D., hemorrhoids are as common as gray hair, “though somewhat more painful.”
Doctors estimate that 75 million Americans, about one third of the population, have hemorrhoids. Best described as varicose veins of the anus, hemorrhoids occur when blood pools inside the blood vessels, causing them to swell. The majority of hemorrhoids occur inside the anus, where there aren’t any nerve endings. Those that occur farther out, however, can be excruciatingly painful.
Hemorrhoids often accompany constipation, because straining to have a bowel movement puts pressure on the anal veins, causing damage that leads to hemorrhoids. Even when hemorrhoids don’t hurt, they still make themselves known because they bleed, sometimes copiously. The unwelcome sight of blood in the toilet bowl gets many people to a doctor in a hurry. You don’t want to ignore such sightings because bleeding may also be a sign of several other, more serious conditions. In most cases, the bleeding is caused by hemorrhoids, but it’s important to get checked out to be sure.
Most hemorrhoids will go away on their own and don’t cause serious problems. The exception is a hemorrhoid that becomes blocked by a blood clot. Although these aren’t serious either, they can be incredibly painful, and sufferers will try almost anything for relief.
Native Americans had some innovative ways of dealing with hemorrhoids. One technique was to plug the anus with a suppository made from the bark of the dogwood tree. A more pleasant approach was to apply soothing poultices of mullein and goldenseal. Enemas were also used, some of which included a concoction made from witch hazel. Today, witch hazel is still the key ingredient in Tucks, a popular cleansing product for hemorrhoids. Witch hazel is an astringent, which means it causes blood vessels to constrict. This may be an effective way to stop hemorrhoids from bleeding and to reduce painful swelling.
Try putting a teaspoonful of dried witch hazel in a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then, when it’s cool, soak a piece of gauze and apply it to the tender spots.
Herbalists today feel it makes more sense to stop hemorrhoids from the inside out, mainly by using herbs that relieve the constipation that causes them in the first place. According to herbal expert James A. Duke, Ph.D., the best Native American herb for easing constipation is psyllium. You can buy psyllium seeds in health food stores and herb shops. Add a teaspoonful of seeds to a cup of water and let them soak for about 10 minutes. Then drink the liquid as well as the seeds.
This getting rid of hemorrhoids article is taken from :
Healing Secrets of the Native Americans - Porter Shimer
