Witch hazel is a popular choice of treatment among hemorrhoid sufferers.
Hemorrhoids are a tricky condition, and one that people want to get rid of very quickly, or at the very least, get rid of the pain.
So what does witch hazel do? First, let's talk about what hemorrhoids are.
Hemorrhoids are, put simply, swollen blood vessels in your anus.
And to make it worse, the swelling is usually accompanied by pain, itching and irritation.
Though hemorrhoids sound funny, and make a good punch line in many jokes, there is nothing funny about having hemorrhoids.
There are two types of hemorrhoids - external hemorrhoids and internal hemorrhoids.
Internal hemorrhoids are often not accompanied by pain.
So, chances are, if you are reading this looking for relief from hemorrhoid pain, you have external hemorrhoids (however, if you have internal hemorrhoids, witch hazel can be used as an effective treatment if you are experiencing pain and discomfort).
It is used to treat the pain, itching, and swelling associated with hemorrhoids.
We'll take a look at what witch hazel is, how it works, and how you use it to treat hemorrhoids.
So What Is It? Witch hazel is a distilled liquid made from the leaves and bark of the H.
Virginiana plant, found in North America.
The extract has several medicinal uses because it helps to shrink and contract blood vessels back to their normal size.
It is used for treating bruises, insect bites, and most commonly, as a hemorrhoids treatment.
It is a topical treatment, applied directly to the affected area.
It brings relief from the itching, swelling and pain by helping to shrink the blood vessels and reduce the inflammation.
How Does Witch Hazel Hemorrhoids Treatment Work? Witch hazel is completely natural, which makes it a very popular choice among hemorrhoid sufferers.
Since hemorrhoids are inflamed, swollen blood vessels, it makes sense that since it reduces the swelling of blood vessels, witch hazel would be an effective treatment.
When it is applied directly to the affected area, you will start to feel relief.
How Do You Use Witch Hazel Hemorrhoids Treatment? The most common way to use it is to soak a cotton cloth (surgical cotton works very well as it is already small) in the witch hazel liquid.
Directly apply the cloth to the anus and leave there for up to 3 minutes.
Each time you have a bowel movement you should wait 15 minutes and then apply a new cloth soaked in the solution.
You can use the witch hazel hemorrhoids treatment for two to three days, but you should consult a doctor if you are planning to use it any longer than that.
Can You Use it for Internal Hemorrhoids If you have internal hemorrhoids, or if the above method is not bringing about the desired relief, it can also be administered with a suppository.
You insert one suppository into the anus per day.
This allows for the witch hazel to be exposed to the painful blood vessels much longer than when using the cotton cloth.
Witch hazel is an effective treatment option for hemorrhoids, and is usually cheaper and often more effective than hemorrhoid creams.
However, it must be noted that if you want to get rid of hemorrhoids, you must address constipation.
Eat more fiber, be more active, or talk to your doctor to see what you can do to treat your constipation.
Even though it is effective, if you don't treat the cause, you'll just end up doing it all over again.