Hemorrhoids and Fissures Treatment (3 Natural Options)

Author's Bio: Marcie Vaske, MS, LN, CNS

Today we're going to be talking about a topic that isn't all that fun to talk about, but is very, very common and should be addressed. We're going to be talking about hemorrhoids and fissures treatment. I'm going to share with you today three very natural and soothing effective remedies that will help to soothe pain, will help with the healing process and can also help to prevent future flareups.

But before we dig into some very helpful information, my name is Marcie Vaske and I'm a functional licensed nutritionist with Oswald Digestive Clinic. At Oswald Digestive Clinic, we work with people with all sorts of gut issues. I'm going to link our website here where you can easily make an initial appointment. I'm also going to link our free guide, which is Five Ways to Improve Your Gut Health.

[Video Transcript Below Video - it is the same information]

So back to today's topic, which is a little uncomfortable maybe to talk about or even to listen about. However, it's very common and it needs to be addressed. It's going to be all about natural effective ways to help hemorrhoids and anal fissures if you've ever dealt with the pain, the itching, even bleeding, that both of these can create just how disruptive it can be in your life. But of course, the good news is that there are ways that we can reduce the pain, improve the healing, and reduce flare-ups. And so today I'm just going to share three gentle ways that we can do this.

What Are Hemorrhoids and Anal Fissures?

So before we dig into the natural remedies to help support hemorrhoids and anal fissures, let me first explain what they actually are. Hemorrhoids are actually swollen veins in the anus or rectum. They can either be internal or external, but either way they cause a lot of discomfort causing bleeding, sometimes itching and just general discomfort. Anal fissures on the other hand, are small tears in the anus, and this often happens with severe constipation or just chronic constipation. When the hard stools are passing through, it can create these tiny tears, which then creates this whole cycle of extremely painful bowel movements.

Now, while there is medical treatment that is necessary for some people, there's lots of different options in that world, but if you're not totally chronic or you want to take a more natural approach, that's what we're going to talk about today, and we want to address those root causes of constipation, maybe even poor circulation as well as inflammation.

3 Natural Remedies for Hemorrhoids and Fissures Treatment

Start with Fiber

So the first natural remedy I want to talk about today is about fiber. That is really the foundation for making sure that you have proper bowel movements and consistent bowel movements. So the lesson here is going to be adding more fiber. When we have enough fiber, we tend to have smoother bowel movements because if we're feeling more constipated by the pushing and trying to relieve ourselves, this is where the hemorrhoids can develop or the anal fissures.

How much fiber should you have in a day? There is a generalized guideline of having 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. But I also want to say that that's not necessary for everyone, especially if you already have chronic gut issues and constipation is a problem. I do want you to add fiber slowly just to make sure you don't get more constipated or sometimes we need to back off because we've heard over the years, if you're constipated, eat more fiber. So you just have to really kind of balance that out a bit and go very slow.

What are some ways that you can actually add in more fiber? Just in your day-to-day diet, you can find lots of fiber in ground flax seeds and chia seeds. Of course, you're going to find a lot of wonderful fiber in vegetables and fruits. And then of course, even in grains, so grains like quinoa or maybe a whole wheat. Now these are going to have more soluble fibers, which can be maybe more productive or maybe actually help you with your constipation more than the insoluble fibers. So again, if you're already constipated, be careful about how fast and how much fiber you're putting in. Just go really slow. Everybody has a tolerance level.

Stay Hydrated to Prevent Constipation

Now along with adding fiber, and this, this isn't necessarily a natural remedy, but it is something that is needed for every system in our body, and it's going to be drinking enough water. Let's say you're eating the 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day, but you're not drinking enough water. You're definitely going to be more constipated. So drinking enough water, which is the gold standard, is really half your body weight in ounces, or at least that 64 ounces a day is going to be very important into keeping regular consistent bowel movements.

Use Soothing Herbal Topicals

Now the second remedy we're going to talk about is using soothing herbs. These are going to be topical remedies that you can use when you're having a flare or having that issue really being disruptive in your life.

Number one herb to talk about is going to be witch hazel. Now, witch hazel is a natural astringent that helps to kind of cool. It has cooling properties, so it helps to cool down the hemorrhoid and that inflammatory feeling that you're having, maybe the burning, the aching, the soreness using witch hazel compresses or just on a small cotton pad and applying that to the hemorrhoid can bring down inflammation and then of course, give it that cooling sensation.

The next one to speak about is calendula cream. Now, this type of cream can be very soothing, and what's even more important about it is that it can help with healing. So if you're having anal fissures and you need to actually heal that skin because it's small tears, then using calendula cream can really be helpful and supportive.

Another great supportive product is going to be coconut oil. This can be used for hemorrhoids or fissures, but making your own little pot of coconut oil with maybe some free or even chamomile oil and mixing those together can make a very soothing and healing salve. Now, just a quick tip before you add any of those things, the witch hazel, the calendula cream, the coconut oil, you want to make sure that you just test it out on your skin in a different area before you actually put it on the affected spot, just in case you have any kind of reaction, just kind of the safe way to go.

Bioflavonoids: The Internal Support You Might Be Missing

Now, the third option is lesser known, but very powerful internally, and this is using bioflavonoids. These compounds are found naturally in citrus fruits, which help to strengthen our veins and keep them more structurally sound. They also help to reduce inflammation, and so by incorporating more citrus fruit into your diet can help to strengthen those veins and keep hemorrhoids from emerging.

Now, if you don't like citrus fruit or you have an issue by consuming citrus fruits, you can always take these in supplement form. Studies have shown that they reduce pain, they reduce swelling, and they reduce inflammation, and that kind of wraps it up.

So the three things to keep in mind for natural remedies for hemorrhoids or anal fissures is number one, going to be making sure you have enough fiber, but of course, not too much fiber. And a little side tip is drink a lot of water.

Number two, you can use those topical herbal remedies such as the witch hazel, calendula cream, and even coconut oil.

And number three, adding bile flavonoids in supplement form or just consuming more citrus fruits.

So I hope you found this video helpful. If you're struggling with hemorrhoids or anal fissures, now you have a few tips in your toolbox to help you support yourself better. And of course, if you know anybody who's really struggling in silence, because again, it's not something we just walk around talking about are hemorrhoids.

So just having a few little tips to help reduce the severity, reduce the discomfort that comes with both issues, as well as preventing flareups. Again, just as a reminder, I'm going to link our website down below where you can make an initial appointment if you are struggling or know someone who's struggling with gut health.

So thank you for watching and we'll see you next time.

If you'd like to explore any of this information further or obtain an individualized nutrition plan, you can schedule an initial appointment at our clinic.  We also take insurance and some of our clients get full coverage, which is great.

Or you can just start by downloading our FREE GUIDE: 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE GUT HEALTH