6 Easy Ways to Prevent Hemorrhoids/Piles

Piles is another term for hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower anus and rectum. This swelling can cause localized inflammation of other tissues. Many people have piles, but the symptoms are not always obvious.

To prevent piles:

1. Fill Up on Fiber

Hemorrhoids are more likely to occur in people who have infrequent bowel movements. One of the easiest, most natural ways to become more regular is by filling up on fiber either through your diet or supplements. Adding fiber to the diet is the universal recommendation of both family doctors and gastroenterologists. It may increase gas, but this is a small price to pay for the benefits. Aim to get 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Great food sources of fiber include:

• Legumes, such as split peas, lentils, black beans, lima beans, and baked beans
• Whole grains, such as barley, bran flakes, oatmeal, and brown rice
• Vegetables, such as tomato, green peas, broccoli, carrots
• Fruits, such as guava, pears, apples, and bananas

2. Drink Enough Water

This hemorrhoid prevention strategy is simple and cheap, yet so few of us actually do it. Along with eating a healthy diet full of fiber, adequate hydration from water is the key to having healthy bowel movements.

Drinking enough water helps prevent constipation and therefore decreases straining. Drinking six to eight glasses of water each day doesn't just keep your digestive system running smoothly, it benefits your entire body.

3. Get Plenty of Exercises

Exercise and hemorrhoids have a love-hate relationship. Exercise helps keep the colon more regular. However, engaging in activities that increase abdominal pressure and/or straining (such as weightlifting) can lead to the formation of hemorrhoids. Staying active reduces your time spent sitting and putting pressure on the veins in your lower rectum.

If you have a history of problematic hemorrhoids, you might want to steer clear of lifting heavy weights or other strenuous activities and opt for more moderate exercise routines such as yoga, swimming, or walking to prevent hemorrhoids from flaring.

4. Be Careful When it Comes to Laxatives

When you’re constipated, some fiber supplements, particularly psyllium capsules, have a track record of helping get you more regular, which can prevent painful hemorrhoids.

As far as laxatives go, they can help as long as you choose the correct ones. The safest laxatives are those that work with your body rather than those that stimulate or simulate normal physiological activities. Some laxatives work by stimulating intestinal contraction to move the contents along. This might increase hemorrhoid pressures and cause symptoms.

To prevent hemorrhoids or to treat hemorrhoids that are active, osmotic laxatives that simply increase the amount of water in the gut and reduce constipation.

5. Don’t Fight the Urge

When you have to go, go. This is one of the simplest ways to prevent hemorrhoids. Ignoring Mother Nature has its risks, and hemorrhoids are one of them. If you obey your body when it screams at you, the chance of problems is less.

You listen to everyone else when they scream at you; why not listen to your own body, too?  When you wait until you decide you have the time to move your bowels, success will be far more elusive and straining far more likely.

6. Avoid Straining

Straining and putting more pressure on the veins in your rectum is one of the most common causes of painful or bleeding hemorrhoids. In some cases, this can happen as a result of pushing too hard when trying to have a bowel movement.

Other situations can cause strain too, such as lifting heavy objects, a chronic cough, or even pregnancy.