Treatment and Prevention - Lifestyle

A Lifestyle to Beat Haemorrhoids

There are a number of aspects of one’s lifestyle that should be adapted to ensure the treatment of haemorrhoids. This consists of a good mix between nutrition, excersize, defecation habbits, anal hygiene, and training of the sphincter muscles.

Nutrition:

1. Try to eat as many fibres as possible.
2. It is recommended to eat 5 portions of fruit or vegetable a day.
3. Drink a lot of water and other liquids.
4. Sugars are not recomended as these can cause constipation.
5. The ideal diet contains a lot of wholegrain foods and pulses (peas, lentils) and few fats
6. Do not take laxitives, and try to ingest as few laxating products (coffee, tobbacco, etc.) as these increase the amount of time one is straining during bowel movement and can harm the bowels.

Excersize:

1. Make sure you get enough exercise as this is always good for one’s general health.
2. This also includes excersizing the sphincter muscles. Contracting and releasing these muscles repeatedly will help fortify the tissue.
3. Make sure you take a walk throughout the day instead of sitting all day long.

Defecation Habbits:

1. Try to spend as little time as possible ‘squatting’ as this puts pressure on the affected area.
2. Don’t rush your natural needs. Hurrying up too much can result in excerting too much pressure.
3. Try to go to the toilet regularly and do not try to hold it in. This could result in constipation which results in harder ‘pressing’.

Anal Hygiene:

1. Be gentle when ‘wiping’. Scrubbing with toilet paper can damage the tissue.
2. Follow up the wiping with a moist treatment. Most appropriate is a gentle stream of warm water. One can also use a wet tissue for this.