The first step to good health is knowledge. When you know what steps to take to prevent and treat medical conditions, you take more control over your own body and health. Bleeding hemorrhoids can be painful, frightening, irritating, itchy, and frustrating, but they do not need to rule your life. We often hear about the need for fiber in our diets, but what about foods we should avoid in order to stave off symptoms? What you don’t eat can be as important as what you eat.
In general, it is important to cut out as much processed food as you can. In today’s fast food world, this can seem impossible, but a few simple choices and trades will help a great deal in improving your health and cutting your risk for this condition. Processed foods contain many ingredients, additives, and preservatives that our body was not designed to handle. Too much can cause constipation and/or diarrhea, which ultimately, affects the veins in the anal region. Here are a few simple switches that your body will thank you for:
Trade white bread, which is lacking in nutrition, for whole grain bread. Whole grain breads are filled with fiber, an essential nutrient for preventing and treating hemorrhoids. You can also make the change from bleached white pastas and rice for healthier whole grain versions.
Instead of refined sugars found in processed snacks, eat fruit. Berries, apples, pears, and other fruit will satisfy a sweet tooth without the artificial ingredients. There is a lot of sugar in many breakfast cereals as well; switching to whole grain cereals will help you both cut sugar and add much-needed fiber.
Try adding fresh or freshly frozen vegetables in place of canned vegetables. Canned vegetables typically contain a lot of sodium, which can dehydrate the body, as well as raise blood pressure.
Processed meats have a lot of added sodium and saturated fats. Skip these and reach for leaner meats. If possible, organic or farm-raised meats provide the health benefits of meat – iron, protein, etc- without the additives.
Coffee is the go-to beverage for those who need a boost when waking up, but too much caffeine can dehydrate the body, leading to constipation. After a cup or two, switch to water or decaffeinated teas.
There are many causes of bleeding hemorrhoids, and diet is a very manageable one. We can’t do anything about heredity or age, but we can control what we eat.