Piles or hemorrhoids are a very common problem nowadays. The most common reason is changed diet and lifestyle. It is also very common in pregnant women. Piles are actually bunch of veins which are normally surrounding the external opening anus but when these start to protrude out of their normal place because of over straining due to any reason (constipation & pregnancy) this becomes a disease called piles or hemorrhoids. The pile mass or tortuous veins start to bleed sometime due to rubbing of stool when the patient passes hard stool. Therefore, the treatment of piles lies in understanding the causes as well as pathology or the shape of the piles.
What are Piles?
Piles are dilated or swollen veins around the rectum and anal opening. The pile mass is a collection of small veins which can be correlated as cushions of tissue within the anal canal containing blood vessels. Their supporting tissues and surroundings are made up of elastic fibers and muscles.
The length of anal canal is about 5 centimeters stool passes through rectum. Pile mass or the veins are present in everyone but if there is too much straining due to constipation, indigestion, irregular eating habits and prolonged sitting habits can lead to development of piles. There can be several types of piles few are mentioned below:
1. Bleeding piles
The piles which usually bleed are called bleeding piles. This is a troublesome situation in most of the cases as there is great psychological as well as physiological impact on person’s health. Regular blood loss leads to extreme weakness and anemia. The person may feel dizziness and sometimes fainting. Ayurvedic treatment of bleeding piles is focused on restoring the blood by giving natural remedies which improve the blood count.
Treatment for piles in Ayurveda is giving natural medicines which help in shrinking the pile mass. The best of these herbal remedies are Kanchnaar Guggul tablets.
Kanchnaar Guggul is the prominent Ayurvedic remedy for piles which helps to shrink the pile mass completely and helps in fighting this problem.
Faulty diet, heavy greasy & sticky foods are the reason for congestion in the intestines leading to constipation and toxins formation. The fermentation in the intestines due to consumption of such food leads to problems like acidity, indigestion, gas formation and development of piles. Ayurvedic medicines for piles ( like Kanchnaar Guggul) not only focus on shrinking the pile mass but herbal remedies like Sanjivani vati and Pile Off Capsules help in digestive process leading to less likelihood of piles.
Since constipation is the root cause of piles, therefore Ayurveda lays emphasis on treating the constipation so that stool remains soft and does not cause straining which usually leads to blood loss during defecation.
The Vara Churna works as an Ayurvedic remedy for piles because it helps to soften the stool and clean the intestines from toxins. This combination of herbs work in a synergistic manner to help digestive system in general and is quiet popular anti-aging remedy. It is not an effective Ayurvedic remedy for piles but also helps in acidity, gas formation and indigestion.
The combination of Kanchnaar Guggul, Vara Churna, Sanjivani vati and Pile Off Capsules works as an effective Ayurvedic treatment for piles of all types whether they are dry piles or bleeding piles.
2. Non-bleeding piles
When there is no bleeding in piles but still the pile mass can be felt, it causes pain and discomfort in non-bleeding piles or dry piles. The dry piles can cause a lot of irritation, pain and discomfort.
More about Piles
Piles Prevalence
Piles can affect any gender and there is no fix age in which the trouble can appear, however there is a trend that people between 40-65 age group are affected more. The incidence is equal among men and women. Long sitting hours, drivers, computer operators & officers who are sitting on chair for long hours are prone to piles.
Anatomical description of Piles
The blood supply is abundant in the anal region. Arteries and veins supplying blood to anal region form a rich net like structure surrounding the anal canal and rectum. These veins and arteries network is called hemorrhoids which are rich in blood supply. Any injury during the passage of urine can lead to bleeding which is usually bright red. Most of the times bleeding comes out from the arteries. If the color of blood is dark red then it could be bleeding from the veins.
The position of the piles
The position of the piles is described in clock wise directions. Piles are explained as per their position like 3 o’clock position, 7 o’clock position & 11 o’ clock position etc.
What are Piles according to Ayurveda?
Piles are known as “Arsh” or “Arsha” according to Ayurveda. The literal meaning of Arsh is ‘enemy’. This disease is really true enemy of humans. In Sanskrit it is mentioned “Arivat pranan hanti” i.e. causing discomfort and pain in life like an enemy.
There are 3 major veins surrounding the anal canal as per Ayurvedic texts. These are known as ‘samvarni, visarjani and pravahani’. Just after these major veins there is external anal opening. These veins / arterial meshwork surrounding the anal canal swell up and protrude out if there is too much strain inside the anal canal. They can be dry (non-bleeding) or (bleeding) whenever there is injury during the defecation.
Causes of Piles
The leading cause of development of piles are imbalance of physiological functions of the digestive system. Usually the constipation is the offending reason for faulty digestion. Major cause of constipation is irregular life style and wrong eating habits. Eating when you are not hungry, eating heavy, greasy & sticky food items which are not easily digestible as these items lack fiber that is the major reason for constipation.
Types of Piles
Piles are classified mainly into two types, (1) Internal hemorrhoids, (2) External hemorrhoids.
There is a demarcation line in the anal canal called dentate line. This separates two types of anal skin. The skin above is not quiet sensitive to pain and skin below this line is quiet sensitive to pain.
1. Internal piles
Internal hemorrhoids occur above the dentate line and are usually painless.
They can cause bleeding or they may protrude out of (prolapsed) the anal canal opening when they become quite large.
Internal hemorrhoids are again divided into 4 degrees or grades. Those are,
- Grade 1 or First degree Piles: Grade I piles can’t be seen or felt from outside. Small swelling is seen on inner lining of anus.
- Grade 2 or Second degree Piles: The piles are protruding out of the anus whenever there is an effort to defecate. After passing the stool, pile mass go back inside. They are larger in size than the 1st grade piles.
- Grade 3 or Third degree: This is almost similar to 2nd grade piles but in this case one has to push the pile mass inside with finger. The pile mass comes out with defecation effort but go back only if they are pushed back manually.
- Grade 4 or Fourth degree: In this stage, pile mass are permanently hanging out of the anus. They can’t be pushed back inside.
2. EXTERNAL PILES
External piles are usually very painful and they occur below the dentate line. They can be very distressing and painful. Usually the piles are internal but external piles are also common now.
Symptoms of Piles
As mentioned above ‘ arivat pranan hanti’ i.e. giving pain and discomfort like an enemy is how piles are described in Ayurveda. The other symptoms are –
- Bleeding during, before or after defecation
- Pain in the anal region – can be even without straining in many cases
- Itching in anal region
- Painful bowel movements
- Feeling of a lump in the anus especially during straining
- Frothy mucus discharge with stool
- Constipation
- Painful defecation
The passing of blood from the piles can be very disturbing and discomforting to the person’s psychology as well. Person may become mentally depressed and stressed out to see his blood every other day in the pot. The mental agony needs to be addressed as well.
Blood loss is usually not so much but in some cases it can cause severe anemia if the piles are not treated urgently.
Bleeding from Rectum – Other causes than
There are many reasons for bleeding from the rectum. The blood loss can be due to painful blood clot in the pile mass, infection in the rectum or anal canal, cancer of rectum or colon, ulcerative colitis.
To know the reasons, a detailed history and medical examination is required to be taken by a health expert.
The Ayurvedic treatment for piles described above not only helps in bleeding piles but also in dry piles. Combination of herbs help to improve digestion and clearance. Kanchnaar Guggul helps to shrink the piles in a natural way.
Herbal Remedies for Piles by Planet Ayurveda
As per Ayurveda Piles are known as “arsh”. Imbalance of dosha (Vata, Pitta & Kapha) leads to this disease. So to get proper relief Planet Ayurveda provides best combination of effective herbal remedies such as Piles Care Pack for piles (hemorrhoids). These herbal remedies are prepared from using best quality herbs and strictly follow the principles of Ayurveda. All these herbal remedies of Planet Ayurveda are 100 percent pure, natural and vegetarian. These are free from chemicals, additives and preservatives. Herbal remedies are safe to use as these are free from side effects.
Dosage
- Vara Churna – 1 teaspoonful twice daily with warm water after meal.
- Pile OFF Capsules – 2 capsules twice daily with warm water after meal.
- Triphala Guggul – 2 tablets twice daily with warm water after meal.
- Arshkuthar Ras – 1 tablet twice daily with warm water after meal.
- Suran Vatak – 2 tablets twice daily with warm water after meal.
- Nirgundi Oil – For local application on the affected area.
Product Description
1. Arshkuthar Ras
Arshkuthar ras is a Ayurvedic preparation mentioned in the classics. It is used in the management of piles or haemorrhoids. The preparation is herbo mineral formulation which has ingredients like danti mool (Baliospermum Montanum), snuhi ksheera (extracts of Euphorbia nerifolia), suran churna (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius), and many others. Because it is a herbo mineral preparation it helps in getting faster recovery due to the presence of minerals and herbs in a combination. In addition, the formulation also has its impact on aruchi, aatop, aruchi and aadhman also. The digestive fire is also increased by this formulation. It is the rasaushadhi being mentioned in Ayurvedic texts. The formulation is also helpful in rakta arsh that is bleeding piles as well.
2. Vara Churna
Vara churna is composed of herbs like Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellerica) & Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) that give effective results in gas, acidity & constipation. It works as an effective Ayurvedic treatment for piles.
3. Pile Off Capsules
The Pile Off capsules as the name suggests help to shrink the pile mass, relieves pain and itching. These capsules are useful in bleeding as well as non-bleeding piles. The pile off capsules are 100 % natural and are beneficial in internal as well as external piles or even sentinel tag. When used in combination with Kanchnaar Guggul and Vara churna, they help to eradicate the piles from the root. In case of bleeding piles, the bleeding stops and the pile mass shrinks.
4. Triphala Guggul
Triphala guggul is a very interesting classical formulation which has more than one benefit. Triphala guggul is an effective combination of herbs which help in healing and resolves digestion troubles too along with taking care of piles. The triphala guggul has ingredients like Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Bhibhitaki (Terminalia bellerica), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) and Guggul (Commiphora guggul). The formulation can be given in internal as well as external piles. This works by reducing the inflammation which is present on the hemorrhoidal plexus and reduces pain along with discomfort. It helps in almost all types of anorectal conditions and has an impact on digestion as well.
5. Nirgundi Oil
Nirgundi oil contains herb like Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Kalihari (Gloriosa superba) & Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) mixed in Tila oil (Sesamum indicum) that shrink & shed off piles mass internally. This herbal oil give effective results in piles by reducing pain, swelling, skin tags & abscess conditions.
6. Suran Vatak
Suran vatak is an impressive ayurvedic preparation which gives impressive results in case of Piles. The suran vatak has ingredients like Surana (Amorphophallus campanulatus), Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), Dhatri (Emblica officinalis), vidanga (Emblica ribes), Bhallataka (Semecarpus anacardium) and many others. All these herbs play an important role in reducing the size of the piles by acting on the inflammation. In Addition it also has an impact on digestion as well. It eases passage of stools and reduces excessive gas as well. The suran vatak helps with vitiated doshas as well. Indigestion is also managed with suran vatak effectively.
To buy Piles Care Pack, please visit store.planetayurveda.com/products/piles-care-pack
Dietary Guidelines
- Drink lots of water and other fluids.
- Eat fiber rich foods – Whole grain, bran, cereals, breads with whole grains, fresh leafy vegetables & fruits etc.
- Never hold the urge to pass stool.
- Do not overstrain yourself.
- Avoid irregular eating pattern and adopt a regular lifestyle.
- Lose weight if you are obese.
- Keep the anal region clean.
- Take a break from your long sitting job. Don’t keep sitting for long hours.
- Keep the sitting surface soft so that it does not restrict the blood flow around anal region.
- Avoid alcohol, smoking, greasy, sticky & heavy food items.
More Treatment for Piles
Sitz Bath – A Sitz bath can also be used to treat piles, prostate infections, anal and vaginal fissures as well as recurrent urinary tract infections. Sitz bath is literally what it is sounds like sitting in a shallow bucket / bathtub full of warm water so that it covers your buttocks and hips.
An anti-septic solution like iodine-povidone solution (Betadine) can be added to clear the infection. We would recommend to add decoction of “neem leaves” and “turmeric” as these two are natural antibiotics.
People suffering from hemorrhoids should take Sitz bath daily or may be twice a day. This bath helps in healing and helping with discomfort related to piles.
Home Remedies for Piles
- One can apply mixture of turmeric powder, neem powder & aloe vera juice on the pile mass before going to bed.
- Apply papaya juice mixed with mustard oil on pile mass.
- For painful and protruding piles (Sitz bath & Ayurvedic oils) are the best way to prevent infection and inflammation.
- Boiled radish, carrots & sweet beetroots are rich in natural fiber content. They can be eaten once daily.
- Take fresh green salads daily as it not create constipation & beneficial for piles.
- 1 tablespoonful of psyllium husk is also recommended once daily before going to bed.
