Hemorrhoid Specialist Los Angeles

How Can I Prevent Hemorrhoids?

The prevention of any unpleasant medical condition is key to living a long and healthy life. When it comes to preventing the occurrence of hemorrhoids here is what you should do:

• Eat fiber – Add more fiber to your diet, either through food, a fiber supplement (such as Metamucil, Citrucel, or Fiber Con), or both. Fiber softens stools and makes them easier to pass, reducing the pressure that causes hemorrhoids. Add high-fiber foods like broccoli, beans, wheat, whole-grain foods, and fresh fruit to your diet. Start slowly, and gradually increase your intake to 25–30 grams per day.
• Drink a lot of fluids – Drinking enough water is key to preventing the most common cause of hemorrhoids, constipation. Make sure you are staying adequately hydrated each day to promote healthy bowel movements and overall health. Fiber and water work go hand in hand to help move stool out of the body in an efficient manner.
• Exercise – Regular moderate exercise contributes to keeping your bowel movements regular. For example, a brisk 20– 30-minute walk each day can help stimulate bowel function. Additionally, the more time you spend on your feet, the less time you spend seated, putting pressure on your pelvic area. That being said, some complications can be dangerous. When the intestines get trapped inside a hernia, it’s called strangulation, and it could lead to loss of blood supply to the area. To prevent the possibility of strangulation, doctors recommend hernia surgery for most patients. The question usually isn’t if a patient needs surgery, but when. Some can wait. Others can’t.
• Avoid straining – Straining the pelvic area is the most basic cause of hemorrhoids. If you push too hard while trying to use the restroom, you can easily cause hemorrhoids. Heavy lifting activities can also contribute to pelvic pressure and cause hemorrhoids as well.
• Treat the clot – When an external hemorrhoid forms a blood clot, the pain can be unbearable. If the clot has been present for longer than two days, apply over the counter treatments to try and relieve some of the symptoms. If the clot is more recent, hemorrhoids can be surgically removed or the clot can be withdrawn from the vein in a minor in-office procedure performed by a surgeon.