“Hemorrhoids” is the scary name attached to a very common and fixable wellness issue.
Roughly three out of four adults will deal with hemorrhoids at some point in their lives. And though they can be rather painful, the good news is that it usually only takes a few days for hemorrhoids to clear up.
And on top of that, various wellness strategies, including the use of essential oils, can help speed things along!
What is a Hemorrhoid?
A hemorrhoid is what happens when, due to excess pressure, one or more of the veins in the rectum and/or anus get irritated and inflamed. This results in some pain and bleeding, as well as some temporary tissue lumps either inside the rectum or outside the anus under the skin.
And as nasty and embarrassing as that sounds—there’s usually not any cause for alarm.
Hemorrhoids often disappear on their own within a few days without any intervention! And it’s only if the symptoms are severe or the condition goes on for more than a week that you should see a healthcare professional.
Hemorrhoid Causes can include:
- Heavy lifting
- Pregnancy
- Prolonged constipation or diarrhea
- Obesity
- Overstraining of Anal Muscles
- Lack of dietary fiber
How Can Essential Oils Help?
There have been very few studies on the direct effects of essential oils on hemorrhoids, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been plenty of essential-oil-home-remedies recommended for treating the symptoms of hemorrhoids.
Oils for Inflammation
You can’t really have hemorrhoids without inflammation. So, a popular home-remedy is to use anti-inflammatory oils to create ointments that help hemorrhoids go away.It is important to note, however, that such solutions 1) should definitely not include oil concentrations higher than 1% and 2) should only ever be used externally.
There are many oils with anti-inflammatory properties, but the top choices seem to be:
- Tea tree oil
- Frankincense oil
- Clove oil
- Cinnamon oil.
Oils for Pain
Hemorrhoids don’t last forever, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt!
Luckily, many oils can be inhaled or applied topically for pain-relieving benefits, including:
- Lavender oil
- Chamomile oil
- Citrus oils
Oils for Digestive and Urinary Health
When things flow smoothly in your digestive and urinary tract, you are less likely to experience problems further down.
So, apart from eating more fiber, you may try using essential oils to support your digestive and urinary systems and help take the edge off of hemorrhoids:
- Peppermint Oil
- Juniper Berry Oil
