Does sitting in a warm bath help hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids, or piles, are inflamed veins found around the anus or lower part of the rectum. The condition can be painful and cause discomfort, especially during bowel movements. Many people turn to home remedies for relief, with one of them being sitting in a warm bath. But does it really help? Let’s dive into this topic – pun intended.

What Are Hemorrhoids?

Before we get into baths and hemorrhoid treatments, let’s first understand what hemorrhoids are.

Hemorrhoids develop when there is increased pressure on the veins near the anus and rectum. This can happen due to various reasons such as pregnancy, obesity, constipation, straining during bowel movements etc. There are two types of hemorrhoids:

  • Internal: These occur inside the rectum and cannot be seen or felt.
  • External: These occur outside the anus and can cause pain or discomfort.

The symptoms of hemorrhoids may include:

  • Pain or discomfort around the anus
  • Itching around the anal area
  • Bleeding during bowel movements
  • Swelling around the anus

While many people experience mild symptoms that go away on their own without any treatment required, some might need medical attention if their condition is more severe.

Can Sitting in a Warm Bath Help Hemorrhoid Symptoms?

Although there is no scientific evidence confirming that sitting in a warm bath directly helps heal hemorrhoids (yet) , many people report feeling relief after soaking themselves in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes at a time several times per day.

Why could this work? Here are three reasons why:

Increased Blood Flow

When you sit in warm water up to your hips (also known as immersion therapy), your blood vessels dilate because they are relax from heat exposure . This causes an increase in blood flow which allows adequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the affected tissues; and accelerate healing.

Relieve Discomfort

Warm water has a natural capability to soothe skin irritation, reduce pain signal transmission to brain you can also pretend you are in Hawaii. When sitting in a tub, warm water could reduce discomfort associated with hemorrhoids by calming down nerve endings around anus.

Clean Wounds

Hemorrhoid symptoms may be worsened if left unclean (who knew?) , which is why using warm bathwater (emphasis on CLEAN) works like an antiseptic rinse for small wounds. Water alone may not remove all dirt or bacteria as some infections require more powerful antibiotics.

Tips For Effectively Using A Warm Bath To Soothe Hemorrhoid Symptoms:

If you’re going to try soaking yourself in a warm bath for your hemorrhoid symptoms relief, hear our advise below:

  • Make sure the water is clean.
  • Avoid adding harsh chemicals such as soaps or bubble baths that could irritate sensitive tissue.
  • Do not add hot oils or salts which may cause further damage
  • Stick with mildly-warm temperature between 32°C – 38°C (90°F – 100°F)— sorry Celsius is SO better!
  • Stay Hydrated during this relaxing ritual (no need for vodka same effect)
  • Again make sure that no one accidentally walks in!

One important note though: Although hopping into a tub filled with moderately warmed up H2O appears tempting enough, please do remember other form of treatments that might work well on specific cases. As discussed under different subjects above, each case vary based on factors such as severity of symptoms etc., should it turn out ineffective don’t hesitate reaching out for medical attention.

Conclusion

While there isn’t any scientific evidence confirming that sitting in a warm bath helps heal hemorrhoids directly “yet” , many people find relief after soaking themselves in warm water. It is, however, important to keep in mind that various factors could contribute in causing Hemorrhoid which means one might not expect a full recovery from just doing baths alone.

So give it a try! But remember your bath tub is still very much different from your doctor’s office (some people forget this) – if the symptoms persist or worsen you should always get medical attention as soon as possible.

Random Posts