How can you relieve the symptoms yourself?

Straining during a bowel movement can be painful and make hemorrhoid problems worse. But you can avoid straining by

• preventing constipation, because hard stools automatically make you push harder;
• paying attention to your body’s signals, such as the urge to go to the toilet – waiting too long before you go can lead to constipation;
• being relaxed and taking your time when you go to the toilet.

To avoid constipation and straining during bowel movements, people are often advised to change their diet, drink enough fluids (1.5 to 2 liters per day), and regularly get enough exercise. High-fiber foods like fruits, cereals, vegetables and legumes are generally recommended to try to make stools softer.

Studies suggest that plant products with fibers such as psyllium husk can reduce the frequency of bleeding. There is a lack of good research on whether or not they relieve other symptoms too. People who use psyllium husk must make sure that they drink enough fluids.

Moisture that is left behind after wiping can aggravate enlarged hemorrhoids even more. So it’s important to carefully cleanse the anus after going to the toilet, for example by wetting toilet paper with water first, and then using dry toilet paper to dry it off. This can help avoid wiping yourself too roughly and making the symptoms worse.

But cleaning too much can also make the symptoms worse. Many people use things like liquid soaps and wet wipes. But these may contain substances that can irritate the skin and lead to allergic reactions.

When bathing to treat hemorrhoids, people usually sit in shallow clear water. If you like, you can add something else to the water – such as chamomile, witch hazel, arnica, oak bark or tea tree oil. These are available from pharmacies and drug stores without a prescription. There isn't enough research on whether bathing the area in this way helps, though. Some of the added substances may irritate or discolor your skin. It is best to avoid using soaps or bath lotions because they can aggravate the sensitive skin around the anus.

Creams and pastes containing ingredients like zinc, panthenol or herbal substances like witch hazel or aloe vera are often recommended for the treatment of hemorrhoids. They are available from pharmacies and drug stores.

Some doctors also prescribe creams to numb the skin locally, for example with the drug lidocaine. Steroid creams are sometimes used to reduce the inflammation too. These kinds of creams are prescription-only, and should only be used for a limited amount of time.

All of these creams are used to temporarily relieve acute symptoms like skin irritation and itching.

Some medications can also be applied in the form of normal suppositories or suppositories with gauze inserts (“anal tampons”). They are available from pharmacies. Anal tampons are inserted into the anus, where they are left for some time. They are removed once they have released the medication. There is no good-quality research on whether suppositories or anal tampons can relieve the symptoms of hemorrhoids.