8 Easy Products To Treat Hemorrhoids At Home, According To Doctors

Temporarily relieve hemorrhoids with these supplements, topical creams and more.

It was news to me when Dr. Sean J. Langenfeld, a professor of surgery, said that we actually all have hemorrhoids. The doctor, who serves at at the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Divsion, asserts that it’s only when these ever present small vascular tissues inside the anal canal become enlarged or inflamed that they can cause issues in the form of bleeding, protrusions and sharp pain.

“They can sometimes become enlarged and inflamed from excessive pressure, straining during bowel movements, or spending a long time on the toilet during bowel movements,” Langenfeld said.

According to Dr. Karen Zaghiyan, the director and colorectal surgeon at Los Angeles’ Cedar Sinai Medical Center cautions, not every anal symptom is the sign of a hemorrhoid.

“Often anal skin tags, anal fissures, warts, and sometimes even an infection, rash, or cancer can be mistaken for hemorrhoids – and each of these has a unique treatment that is different from that for hemorrhoids,” Zaghiyan said.

Langenfeld added that anal fissures, which are small rips or tears in the lining of the anal canal, are usually to blame, as they are quite common. He said that The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons is a great resource to help determine your specific conditions.