By now, most people know that you can get over the counter medications, creams, and lotions for hemorrhoid relief.
They also know that using over the counter painkillers can alleviate a lot of the pain that is associated with hemorrhoids.
What they may not know however, is that heat and cold can do wonders for hemorrhoid relief.
However, let us find out why.
What Are Hemorrhoids? To understand why heat and cold offer hemorrhoid relief, we first need to understand what hemorrhoids are.
Hemorrhoids are, quite simply, veins in the anal area, which, thanks to pressure, are forced through the skin, causing pain and discomfort.
This may occur as the result of excessive straining when on the toilet, for instance, when you are suffering from constipation, or during pregnancy, when the weight of the growing baby puts the area under undue pressure.
Whatever causes it, however, hemorrhoids are painful and uncomfortable! How Heat and Cold Helps Applying heat and cold to hemorrhoids may seem too simplistic to provide any real hemorrhoid relief, but the truth is, they do.
Heat helps to speed up sluggish blood flow through the veins affected, and can even help to avoid more complicated problems like thrombosed hemorrhoids, while cold helps the veins to contract, and return to their original position.
Home Heat and Cold Hemorrhoid Remedy Ideas To get the benefits of heat and cold on hemorrhoids at home, all you need do is take a hot bath, or use an ice pack wrapped in a towel, or even a cold, damp washcloth, applied directly to the area.
Combined with other home remedies like over the counter medications, and herbal remedies, heat and cold can be very effective hemorrhoid remedy options.
Not to mention that they are cheap (or free) and easy to do!