Ayurvedic Treatment for Haemorrhoids (Piles)

Piles, also known as ‘haemorrhoids’, are small, bluish swellings, comprising of enlarged blood vessels situated either just inside or just outside the anus commonly called internal piles and external piles.

Called ‘Arsha‘ in Ayurveda and stratified into dry and bleeding categories, Arsha Shoola, which literally means ‘pain from pricking like needles’. it denotes the condition when veins in the anal region get varicosed.It is caused due to vitiation of any of the three doshas. It is classified as a digestive disorder; accumulation of waste materials in the rectal area can give rise to piles. The chances of piles are increased by other factors such as sitting on hard seats, chronic constipation and pregnancy.

Since hemorrhoids can be caused due to any of the three doshas, the symptoms are different.

1. Vata type of Hemorrhoids – These piles are hard and darker in color; almost black. The pain is acute. Constipation is present.

2. Pitta type of Hemorrhoids – These piles are soft and reddish in color. Bleeding is present. Other symptoms are excessive thirst, fever and diarrhea.

3. Kapha type of Hemorrhoids – These piles are slimy to the touch. They are large and soft and whitish in color. The person has digestive problems.

Causes

A person suffers from piles when the anal region veins become varicosed. The prime causes of piles are –

• Constipation
• Sedentary way of life
• Lack of exercise
• Some morbid conditions of the liver.
• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing.
• Strenuous work
• Obesity
• Mental tension
• Hereditary factors.
• Common during pregnancy

Symptoms of Piles

Intense pain at the time of passing stool.

• Bleeding. Often leads to anemia due to profuse bleeding.
• Itching in the rectal region.
• Wind formation in the stomach.
• Sitting becomes problematic.
• Protusion of mass during defaecation

Ayurvedic Treatment for Hemorrhoids

Ayurvedic treatment for hemorrhoids has a twofold intention:-

(i) to reduce the constipation that is associated with the hemorrhoids and
(ii) to relieve the pains of the piles and reduce them.

In order to reduce the constipation, asafetida, fennel and cumin are generally prescribed. There are other dietary elements like ghee, buttermilk and green leafy vegetables which the patient is supposed to take.

Once the constipation is brought under control, methods are employed to reduce the pains of the piles. Application of sandalwood or sesame oil on the piles can help in case of external piles.

Ayurvedic Remedies

1. Triphala churna: This should be taken regularly to remove the constipation. 2 tsf of powder well mixed in a glass of lukewarm water should be taken orally before retiring to bed. Externally also it is widely used in different methods. One popular method is to take a plastic tub, fill it with warm water to a level where one can sit comfortably. Add 10 teaspoonfuls of Triphalachurna to the water and mix well for some time. Then the patient should sit in the tub, duly immersing the anus in the lukewarm water for 30 minutes. This should be carried out daily. This practice brings in enormous benefits to the piles patient.
2. Abhayarista: As an oral liquid preparation, it is also useful in constipation. 30 ml of the medicine dissolved in equal quantity of lukewarm water should be taken before going to bed.
3. Arsha Harivati is a common herbo-mineral compound prescribed by Ayurveda. 2 pills twice a day with some butter milk or warm water should be taken for 40 days. This gives great relief from piles.
4. Arshony tablet/ointment (Charak) 1-2 tablets thrice daily along with application of ointment before and after defecation.
5. Pilex tablet/ointment (Himalaya Drugs) are equally useful. Dosages are as above.
6. Arshoghnivati tablet (Baidyanath) 1 to 2 tablets with water or butter milk can be taken thrice or four times daily.
7. Kankayan Vati (Baidyanath) is equally good in both types of piles.
8. Pileen, Arshon and Rasanjan Vati tablets (Bhaat Ayurvedic Pharmacy) can cure both types of piles if taken in the dose of 1 to 2 tablets daily for 2 to 3 months.
9. Kasisadi Tailam when applied externally, shrinks the pikes and cures itching in the anal region.
10. Jatyadi tail help in healing the bleeding wound and shrink the pile mass
11. To stop bleeding from piles, you can take Naagakesar and black sesame seeds, owdered and mixed with fresh ghee or butter.
12. Hareetaki, popularly known as harad is a good remedy for constipation. The decoction of the fruit peel of harad (Terminal a Chebula) is taken 1 cupful with jaggery at bed-time.
13. Abhayarishta, a liquid preparation, should b taken in the dose of 30 ml in equal quantity of lukewarm water before going to bed to control constipation and piles. Nityodit Ras 250 mg and Arsha kuthaar ras 250 mg along with honey thrice daily are also effective.
14. Kankayana vati, Arshogni vati and Pranada gutika are medicines of choice if the piles are caused due to a vata constitution. If the hemorrhoids are due to a pitta constitution, then Avipattikara choorna is prescribed. For bleeding piles, Kutajavaleha taken in a quantity of 1 teaspoon twice a day is beneficial.

Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Hemorrhoids

1. Carrot (Daucus carota)
Carrots are effective in reducing the bleeding of the piles. They can be eaten in either raw or in cooked form.

2. Garlic (Allium sativum)

Garlic can stop the growth of bleeding piles. When it is kept in contact with the piles, i.e. in the rectum, then there is relief from the bleeding of the piles. Ideally it must be inserted high up in the rectum so that it stays there overnight.Apart from these herbs, several herbs are prescribed in Ayurveda as drugs of choice during hemorrhoids. The following is a list of these herbs:-
1. Trikatu

2. Cassia fistula

3. Mimosa pudica

4. Ailanthus excelsa

5. Blumea balsamifera

6. Semicarpus anacardium

Sitz bath :-

Boil “thriphala choorna” or grated radish in water and pour this water in a tub. Take sitz bath when water is tolerably hot. Sitz bath with potash or Povidine oidine is also beneficial

Dietary Treatments for Hemorrhoids

Since hemorrhoids are generally caused due to low digestive fire, it is necessary to take a proper diet in order to prevent or treat the disease. The following dietary guidelines must be followed:-

a. Any food that is difficult to digest must not be consumed. This includes oily and spicy foods, red meats and rich desserts. Instead green leafy vegetables must be consumed in high amounts as these have the necessary fibers required for proper digestion.

b. Bitter and astringent tastes are better in case of hemorrhoids. Foods having these tastes must form the major bulk of the diet.

c. Vegetables such as yam, spinach, radish, carrots and okra are beneficial.

d. Cooked carrots eaten with whey checks bleeding from piles.

e.  An oral mixture containing 10 grams of pulp of ripe Bael fruit, 3 grams of sugar, powder of 7 black peppers and 13 cardamoms is very efficacious in checking bleeding from piles.

f.  Burn the outer covering of seeds of Reetha, and take it orally with honey.

Precaution

The patient should be advised not to use a hard seat or ride horses during the course of treatment. He should not indulge in too much sex, nor suppress the urge to void the stools for fear of pain which accompanies dry piles.

 Do the following things…

• Drink lot of water (avg 5 lts /day).
• Consume green leafy vegetables and fruits which add roughage.
• Sleep well in nights.
• Maintain Oral and Anal hygiene.
• Reduce weight.
• Avoid alcohol,  smoking, non veg diet