Hemorrhoids

According to Ayurveda, there are two basic kinds of hemorrhoids, associated with vata and pitta imbalances.

• Vata hemorrhoids are small, dry, and irregular in shape and may be accompanied by fissures or cracking of the anus. They are rough and hard to the touch and look like raisins. Vata hemorrhoids may become active when the person takes antibiotics or does a lot of cycling or physical exercise.
• Pitta-type hemorrhoids tend to get red, irritated, and inflamed and to bleed. They may look like purple grapes and are painful—sometimes very painful—to the touch. When they burst, they bleed extensively.

There are also kapha hemorrhoids, which look like green grapes. They don’t bleed, and people generally live with them without problems, so we won’t consider them in this section.

We
can
also
distinguish
between
“internal”
and
“external” hemorrhoids. The internal kind are usually of the kapha variety and are more like polyps. They are not painful and are generally not problematic.

In most cases, hemorrhoids can be completely healed by Ayurvedic treatment, but one must first understand the distinction between the two basic problematic types in order to treat them properly.

EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR VATA HEMORRHOIDS

• A person with vata hemorrhoids should follow the vata-pacifying diet. Especially, it is vital to keep away from the nightshade vegetables—potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant—all of which aggravate hemorrhoids.
• Take triphala guggulu, 1 tablet 3 times a day.
• Another helpful herbal formula for vata-type hemorrhoids is a combination of these herbs:

hingwastak ⅛ part
dashamoola 2 parts

Take ½ teaspoon 2 or 3 times a day with warm water.

• It is important to keep the stools loose and soft, as hard stools irritate the hemorrhoids. Taking 1 teaspoon of sat isabgol (psyllium husks) with a glass of warm milk at night is beneficial for vata hemorrhoids.
• Another way to help keep the stools soft is to take ½ to 1 teaspoon of triphala powder at bedtime with warm water.
• Prepare a warm castor oil or sesame oil pack, and sit on it for a while. Both oils are warming; castor oil especially produces a slow, sustained heat that is soothing and healing. Warm up about 3 tablespoons of oil, and pour it onto a handkerchief or other soft cloth, spreading it equally on the cloth (or dip the cloth in the oil).

EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PITTA HEMORRHOIDS

• For pitta-type hemorrhoids, the first step is to follow the pitta-pacifying diet, especially avoiding spicy and fermented foods (see chapter 8).
• For hemorrhoids which become active and inflamed and start bleeding, one should prepare an herbal mixture of:

guduchi 1 part
neem 2 parts
kama dudha ⅛ part

Take ½ teaspoon of this mixture twice a day with warm water.

• If you have rectal bleeding from the hemorrhoid, drink a few ounces of cranberry juice and pomegranate juice (mixed half and half) between meals. That juice will act as a hemostatic, to stop the bleeding.
• Locally, you can apply coconut oil, which helps to control inflammation and irritation as well as bleeding.
• As in the case of vata hemorrhoids, it is important to keep the stool soft to avoid aggravating the condition. To accomplish this, take ½ to 1 teaspoon of amalaki at night with cool water. Or you can take 1 teaspoon of sat isabgol (psyllium husks) with a glass of warm milk at night.
• Steep triphala (1 teaspoon) overnight in a glass of water, and then the next day, early in the morning, after brushing your teeth, drink that tea.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• All types of hemorrhoids respond well to aloe vera juice. Drink ½ cupful of the pure juice 3 times a day.
• Or you can add a pinch of ginger to 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel, and take it twice a day.
• Drink 1 cup carrot juice mixed with 2 teaspoons cilantro juice twice a day on an empty stomach for relief of hemorrhoids.
• Externally, you can also apply a mixture of ½ teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon ghee directly to the hemorrhoid at bedtime. (But remember that the yellow color of the turmeric will stain whatever cloth it touches.)
• After each bowel movement, instead of using dry toilet paper, wash the anal orifice with warm water, and then apply some castor oil to the hemorrhoid. The dry paper may irritate the delicate mucous membrane and aggravate the hemorrhoid. It can also spread some fecal matter to the site of the hemorrhoid and lead to complications.