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Hemorrhoids or "piles" can truly be the bane of one's existence. They hurt, they burn, they bleed, they itch, they discharge, they prolapse, and on and on it goes. There is nothing "simple" about hemorrhoids but there are some simple things you can do to take back ownership of your life from these beastly little bullies. Let's talk about four of them: 1. Fiber-Increase your intake of dietary fiber. You've probably heard that many times but aren't sure exactly what it means. We've talked before about how a lack of fiber in the diet can cause or aggravate hemorrhoids. So, we won't go over that again. The recommended daily intake for fiber in the diet is 25-30 grams per day. Go to the drug section of the grocery store and pick up a little booklet which lists fiber content of most foods. Pick a few of the high ones and you will easily get your fiber for the day. A few "high" examples to show you how easy it is: Food Examples to easily get 25+ Grams of Fiber daily One medium apple-4 grams One cup baked beans-16 grams One medium yam-7 grams 1/2 cup Bran Buds-10 grams (These are provided as examples; you can find your own easily if these don't sound good.) 2. Drink more water Fluid is important in the prevention of hemorrhoids (and the avoidance of flare-ups) because it keeps the stool soft and moist. If you added fiber to your diet, you've already taken the most necessary step toward keeping the fecal matter "bulked up". Now you just need to provide the water that the fiber needs to bulk itself up and you're on your way to one mighty fine bowel movement! (All fluids count but water is superior because it is low calorie, low sugar, zero caffeine, and zero additives.) 3. Get off the toilet! The culprit behind hemorrhoids is called abdominal pressure. There are several things that increase it and your goal is to avoid those things at all costs! Constipation is really bad for your hemorrhoids. But, you've added fiber to provide bulk and water to feed the fiber, so hopefully your stools are soft and moist. (If they're still not, take an over-the-counter stool softener, but not a laxative.) So, now that you're no longer constipated, there is no reason for you to sit on the stool for longer than 5 minutes at a time. This is not the time to read the newspaper or re-do your will. Do your business and get up! 4. Exercise I know, I know...I hate it too! But I'm not talking about running a marathon or competing in the ironman triathlon. I'm talking about keeping yourself moving about so as to avoid pooling of blood in your lower abdominal vessels and increasing that dreaded abdominal pressure. You've already stopped studying the atlas while sitting on the toilet. Now I just want you to get up and move around every hour and a half or so. You may be stuck at a desk, or in a car, or on an airplane, but don't even tell me you can't stand up and stretch or walk around the desk or pull off the road for a few spins around the car. There are some contributing factors to the development of hemorrhoids that can't be avoided (pregnancy and genetics, for example). So change the things you can. You have nothing to lose but...... pain, burning, bleeding, itching, discharge, prolapse....and on and on it goes! Until next time!
Do you want to learn more about getting rid of your hemorrhoids? If so, download my brand new free e-book "Getting Rid of Hemorrhoids" here.
(You may learn how to avoid a visit to the doctor.)
HemorrhoidCure101.com
Sue Bristol, R.N.
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