Home Cures and Treatmentsfor common ailments

Home Remedy Treatments for Hemorrhoids
Here are the most effective home remedies you can take to soothe your achy bottom and keep hemorrhoids from flaring.

Rough up your diet. Dietary fiber — the fiber found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dried beans — passes through the human digestive tract untouched by digestive enzymes. As it travels, it absorbs many times its weight in water; by the time it reaches the colon in combination with digestive waste, it produces a stool that is bulky, heavy, and soft — all factors that make it easier to eliminate without straining. Straining, remember, is a major cause of hemorrhoids. In about half of hemorrhoid cases, consuming more dietary fiber is the only treatment necessary.

Drink up. Be sure to drink plenty of water to keep the digestive process moving right along. A minimum of eight large glasses of water or other noncaffeinated fluid a day is recommended. Fruits and vegetables, which are important sources of dietary fiber, are naturally packed with water and can also help keep you hydrated.

Avoid sweat and strain. Don’t try to move your bowels unless you feel the urge to do so. And don’t spend any more time on the toilet than it takes to defecate without straining. Once your bowels have moved, don’t strain to produce more.

Heed the call of nature. On the other hand, don’t wait too long before responding to the urge to eliminate. The longer the stool stays in the lower portion of the digestive tract, the more chance there is for moisture to be lost, making the stool hard and dry.

Try a different position. It has been suggested that squatting is a more natural position than sitting for moving one’s bowels; unfortunately, Western toilets are not designed to make this possible for most people. Some people find that propping their feet up on a small footstool and pulling their knees in the direction of their chest helps.

Soften it. If eating more fiber-packed food and increasing water intake aren’t enough to solve a severe constipation problem, you might want to talk to your doctor about taking a laxative known as a stool softener (such as Colace or Correctol) or one that contains a natural bulking agent (such as Metamucil and Effer-Syllium). These are only short-term solutions, however–the best way to add fiber is through food. Do not — repeat, do not — use laxatives that act on the muscles of the colon and rectum unless specifically directed to by your doctor; prolonged use of such products, which typically contain bisacodyl, senna, cascara sagrada, or castor oil as their active ingredient, can cause permanent malfunction of the bowel in addition to severe irritation of the anal area. Avoid mineral oil, as well, since it can interfere with the absorption of some essential nutrients, such as vitamin A.

Take a walk. Regular exercise helps your digestive system work more efficiently. Strenuous exercise isn’t necessary, however; a lengthy walk at a brisk pace will do quite nicely.

Keep it clean. Keep your rectal area clean at all times. Residual fecal matter can irritate the skin, but so can vigorous rubbing with dry toilet paper. Use plain water to rinse the area, then pat it dry and dust with cornstarch powder. More convenient, but also more expensive, are premoistened wipes designed for anal care. These wipes cause irritation in some people. If you want to try them, they are available without a prescription at pharmacies and drugstores.

Rinse well. Soap residue can also irritate the anal area.

Skip the soap. If you find that, even with thorough rinsing, soap still irritates the anal area, look for a special perianal cleansing lotion in your drugstore. Follow the package directions.

Soften your seat. If your job demands that you sit all day, try sitting on a doughnut shaped cushion — an inexpensive device that takes the pressure off the sensitive area. And be sure to take short walking breaks several times a day.

Sitz around. Take a sitz bath for 30 minutes, three or four times a day: Sit in six inches of warm water on your doughnut cushion or on a towel twisted into a circle big enough to support your bottom.

Take the heat. Even if you can’t manage a full-scale sitz bath, a washcloth moistened with warm water can soothe the painful area.

Slim down. If you are overweight, you’ll be doing your bottom a favor by getting your weight closer to the desirable range. Of course, you’ll be doing the rest of your body good, too.

Hemorrhoid-Fighting Fiber

One of the most important moves toward healing hemorrhoids is a change in diet. However, it’s best to add fiber to your diet gradually. Too rapid an increase can cause gas, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea. As it is, you can expect some increase in intestinal gas at first, but this will subside in a week or two as your system and the bacteria that inhabit your colon adjust to your new diet.

Gluten free whole grains can be enjoyed by people who may have an allergy to gluten.

Celiac Disease and Allergies

For the millions of Americans who can’t eat gluten – (a protein in wheat) and related grains such as barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticale – must choose their grains carefully. This group includes the nearly 3 million Americans with celiac disease – an autoimmune form of gluten intolerance – who must eat a gluten-free diet for life.

Other people may not have celiac disease, but may be allergic to wheat nonetheless, and must avoid all forms of wheat. A gluten-free diet is also sometimes recommended as part of the treatment for autistic children.
Which Grains are Gluten-Free?

It’s important to note that gluten-intolerant people CAN eat whole grains. In fact, as you’ll see from the list below, a large number of gluten-free grain choices are available.

Grains with Gluten

Wheat, including varieties like spelt, kamut, farro
and durum; and products like bulgur, semolina
Barley
Rye
Triticale
Oats**

**Oats are inherently gluten-free, but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. Two companies (Cream Hill Estates and Gluten Free Oats) currently offer pure, uncontaminated oats. Ask your physician if these oats are acceptable for you. VisitGluten.net for a discussion on oats in the gluten-free diet.

Gluten FREE Grains

Amaranth
Buckwheat
Corn
Millet
Montina (Indian rice grass)
Quinoa
Rice
Sorghum
Teff
Wild Rice

Other Healthy Substitutes for Gluten Grains

Many creative recipes have been developed for gluten-intolerant people, using the gluten-free grains above along with foods like nuts, arrowroot, beans, chestnuts, mesquite, potato, soy, and tapioca, all of which are gluten-free. Some of these ingredients make deliciously healthy breakfast cereals and side dishes, while others are ground into flours for flavorful baked goods such as pizza, desserts, and breads.

For gluten-free baking tips, visit The Savory Palate.
For more information on foods that are acceptable for the gluten-free diet, see the Quick Start Diet Guide at Gluten.net. It was jointly developed by the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG®) and the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Where to Buy Gluten-Free Ingredients

There are nearly 190 companies world-wide that provide over 2600 gluten-free foods and ingredients; many can be found at natural food stores. Some grocery stores carry gluten-free goods. Gluten-free items are available through mail-order at many places including:

By Dr. Mercola

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that many people struggle with. Statistics show that one in ten Americans display the symptoms of IBS, accounting for more than 2 million prescriptions and 35,000 hospitalizations each year. It is also the second highest cause of work absenteeism after the common cold.
Do You Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
It’s important to realize that IBS is completely different from another condition that sounds very similar, namely inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Inflammatory bowel disease is an autoimmune disease that can have very serious consequences. But irritable bowel syndrome, even though it can cause debilitating pain, is a functional bowel disorder. In other words, there are no significant physical conditions that contribute to the problem; hence it’s a functional disease.
So how do you know if you might be suffering from IBS?
Common signs and symptoms include frequent:
• Abdominal discomfort and/or pain
• Spastic colon (spastic contractions of the colon)
• Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
How to Treat IBS without Drugs
Fortunately, there are some simple, basic strategies you can use as an alternative to the drugs that are typically prescribed, such as antispasmodics and antidepressants. These drugs may help control the symptoms but do nothing to address the underlying cause.
Avoid all sources of gluten — The first step for any patient that comes to my clinic with this problem is to go on a gluten free diet. Most people understand this means avoiding all forms of wheat, but you also need to be aware that there are many other hidden sources of gluten in your diet.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, but it’s also found in other grains such as:
• Barley
• Rye
• Oats
• Spelt
Typically, avoiding gluten for a week or two is enough to see significant improvement.
In addition to gluten, food allergies can also play a role so be sensitive to that and start a trial and error process to determine which ones you have.
Get checked for parasites — Another comprehensive strategy, to make sure you’re not struggling with a physical condition that could be simulating IBS, is to have your stool checked for parasites. Some parasites, such as giardia, can sometimes be a contributing factor that needs to be treated.
Tailor your diet to your personal biochemistry — Naturally, you’ll want to pay close attention to your diet. Ideally, you’ll want to eat according to your nutritional type, as you have specific nutritional needs that are based on your personal biochemistry, metabolism, and genetic makeup.
Some people thrive on low-carbohydrate, high-protein and high-fat diets. A typical ratio for a Carb Type might be 40 percent protein and 30 percent each of fats and carbohydrates, but the amounts could easily shift to 50 percent fats and as little as 10 percent carbohydrates depending on individual genetic requirements.
Others require the converse: a high carb, low fat and low protein diet. (However, it’s important to realize that there is a major difference between vegetable carbs and grain carbs, even though they’re both referenced as “carbs.” Grains convert to sugar, which is not something anyone needs in their diet in high amounts.) Others fall somewhere in between these Protein and Carbohydrate types and can afford to be less strict with their ratios of carbs, fats and proteins.
It’s important to realize that if you don’t eat a diet that is suitable for you, you’re likely to suffer health challenges, and a spastic colon is one possibility.
Part of nutritional typing is also to pay attention to the quality of your food. You’ll want to consume high quality, unprocessed food. Remember, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is for processed foods. When you choose foods like this you’re bound to experience physical complications, and it’s no big surprise that one of those complications could be in your gut.
Boost healthy bacteria in your gut — It’s also important to make sure you have enough healthy bacteria in your gut. You can get healthy bacteria from fermented foods or a high quality supplement.
Now, once you lower the amounts of sugar and processed foods in your diet, you’re automatically creating a milieu that will support the growth of good bacteria and diminish growth of bad bacteria. But you can enhance that process further by eating fermented foods or taking a high quality probiotic.
Take your fiber – Taking additional fiber can also be very helpful to control IBS symptoms such as constipation and diarrhea. Fiber such as psyllium tends to be particularly helpful, and is my personal favorite. I use it nearly every day.
Psyllium is adaptogenic fiber, meaning if you’re constipated it will soften your stool and help increase your bowel frequency, and if you have loose stools and frequent bowel movements, it will help with stool formation and decrease the frequency of bowel movements.
If you decide to use psyllium, make sure it is organic as nearly all the products out there are not, and the damage from the pesticide residue in most of the products far outweigh the benefit you would receive from the fiber itself. Metamucil is a classic non-organic psyllium.
Another good fiber is whole, organic flax seed. You can take a few table spoons of freshly ground flax seed per day. Another benefit of flax is that it’s also a high quality source of plant-based omega-3 fats, particularly ALA, which nearly everyone needs on a regular basis.
Address emotional challenges – Last but certainly not least, I’ve found that many people with IBS have an unresolved emotional component that contributes to their physical problem. This is also one of the reasons why antidepressants are frequently prescribed. Meditation, prayer, and psychological techniques and tools like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) are all strategies you can use to effectively address your emotional challenges.
If irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that you or someone in your family struggles with, following these tips and recommendations can help you, and your family, to take control of your health.