Four Ways to Defeat Hemorrhoids

It has been estimated that anywhere from 50 to 75 percent of the adult population have had hemorrhoids at one time or another. As common as the problem is, you would expect there to be a revolutionary solution. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Americans continue to spend millions on over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams and salves.

My best advice to treat or prevent hemorrhoids is to strengthen the small blood vessels and reduce pressure on the area. Here are some specific recommendations:

1. Avoid straining while on the toilet.

2. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water daily and, if necessary, take a stool softener that doesn’t contain any type of chemical irritant.

3. Add bulk and roughage to your diet with foods such as unpeeled apples or pears, figs, celery, or other raw fruits and vegetables. Freshly ground flaxseed, psyllium seed, or psyllium seed products like Metamucil are also helpful.

4. Try the flavonoid diosmin. In a placebo-controlled study of 120 patients with acute and chronic hemorrhoids, those taking 2,000 mg of flavonoids (90 percent diosmin/10 percent hesperidin) daily for two months had significant improvements in pain, itching, swelling and bleeding. Look for diosmin in your local health food store or order the brand we use at the clinic, Diosmin-HMC from Thorne Research, by calling (800) 810-6655. For acute conditions, the suggested dose is 1,000 mg two or three times a day for four days, followed by 1,000 mg twice a day for three days, and then a maintenance dose of 500 mg twice a day for two months.

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