Many factors can lead to piles, but the food you eat is one of the most important. A high diet of fiber and other nutrients can help prevent and act as a treatment food for piles; while certain foods can cause constipation or hard stools, others can also lead to the formation of piles.
Piles are caused by straining the muscles in the anus. This can be caused by constipation, diarrhea, pregnancy, childbirth or even heavy lifting. Piles can also be caused by sitting for long periods of time which causes your blood to pool in your legs and lower body causing a strain on your colon.
For some people, the condition is caused because of a genetic predisposition, while others get them due to constipation or diarrhea. In either case, it’s important to know what you can do about it—and in this section, we’ll be going over the definition, causes, tips to prevent piles, key aspects for searching for a doctor, situations where surgery is necessary and some of the best foods for piles treatment.
A healthy diet is essential for everyone, but if you have been diagnosed with piles, it is vital to ensure your diet includes the right foods. The first thing you should know is that not all food is created equal when it comes to dealing with piles. While some foods for piles can help relieve your symptoms and keep them from worsening in the future, other foods may worsen your symptoms or even cause them altogether! So let’s look at what makes up good and bad choices on food for piles.
What are the best dietary choices for overcoming piles?
Piles are a widespread problem, especially in the western world. Most people have experienced them at one time or another. This is a very uncomfortable condition that affects both men and women. It can be painful and uncomfortable, so it is essential to know the process of curing piles without surgery effectively.
There are many different treatments available for piles, but not all of them are effective. Some can be harmful as well. The treatment of piles can be harmful because it can cause an infection in the anal area. This can lead to severe pain and discomfort, as well as bleeding and swelling. To help you prevent this, here is a brief article that will look at some of the best food for piles.
- Legumes
Legumes are one of the most nutritious foods for piles, including beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas. It is one of the high fiber foods for piles which helps to eliminate waste from your body while also improving your digestive health. When you eat legumes regularly, you will find that they help prevent constipation, reducing the risk of piles in the first place.
Eating more legumes can also help relieve existing piles by increasing blood flow to the area, which helps reduce inflammation and swelling caused by pressure on the veins close to the hemorrhoids. The increased blood flow also helps prevent clots from forming within these veins, which can reduce other symptoms such as pain or discomfort when sitting down for long periods.
- Whole Grains
You may have heard that eating whole grains is an effective treatment for piles—and you’re right to take that advice seriously. Whole grains are rich in fiber and nutrients, which help to reduce constipation and prevent strain on your digestive system. They also help to keep blood sugar under control and ensure healthy digestion, which helps your body process nutrients more efficiently. And if you already have a history of piles, eating whole grains can help prevent future occurrences and keep your bowel healthy and fit.
- Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are a family of plants that include cabbage, kale, and broccoli. They’re all related to mustard greens and share certain characteristics, including their strong flavor and high vitamin C content.
Cruciferous vegetables’ importance in treating piles cannot be overstated. The main reason they work is that they contain a substance called glucosinolate. Glucosinolates are natural chemicals in these vegetables, and when ingested, they can kill off harmful bacteria that cause your piles to flare up.
But how exactly do these natural compounds work? Glucosinolates are plant chemicals that help plants defend themselves against insects and other pests. Certain enzymes create these chemicals in the plant tissue, which are released when an insect bites into the vegetable. When humans eat cruciferous vegetables, we also trigger these digestive enzymes, which help flush harmful bacteria out the body through urination.
- Artichokes
Artichokes are one of those foods for piles that can help your health in several ways. They’re rich in nutrients like iron and vitamin C, which will help boost your immune system to fight off infections more effectively.
They also contain high fiber foods for piles which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly so that digestive wastes are not retained in your colon or rectum, which could cause inflammation or infection.
They also have anti-inflammatory properties thanks to high levels of antioxidants which help reduce swelling around the rectum reducing friction and the pain that follows due to it!
- Root vegetables
Eating root vegetables is an effective curing food for piles. The reason for this is simple: root vegetables are high fiber foods. This helps to keep the bowels healthy and functioning well, which in turn keeps your body clean and free from harmful bacteria. Having regular bowel movements also helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied so that you eat less food overall.
In addition, root vegetables are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin K, which help prevent cancer and can help in curing piles without surgery. They also contain iron, potassium, calcium, and many other essential minerals that our bodies need to function properly while being low in calories!
- Squash
Squash is an effective treatment for curing piles without surgery because it contains a high amount of vitamins and minerals.
It is also a high fiber food and contains many essential nutrients to maintain a healthy digestive system. So, if you are suffering from symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea, squash can help improve these problems.
- Bell Peppers
Eating bell peppers is an effective food for piles. The reason is simple: bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, which can help prevent the body from producing excess mucus and reduce swelling. Balancing your vitamin C intake will help prevent an infection in your rectum.
In addition to being high in vitamin C, bell peppers also contain fiber and beta-carotene, which help to prevent constipation by making it easier for your body to absorb water. Hence, adding bell peppers to your diet regularly can reduce the risk of developing hemorrhoids or other types of anal bleeding.
- Celery
Celery is another high fiber food which helps to maintain regular bowel movement and softens stools so that they pass more easily through your colon. Eating celery also helps to reduce constipation and diarrhea, making the treatment for piles even more effective!
- Cucumbers and melons
Cucumbers and melons are an effective supplement when curing piles without surgery because they contain a compound called cucurbitacin that helps to reduce inflammation. Piles are caused by excessive pressure on the veins in the rectum, causing them to swell and become painful. The swelling can also cause the veins to burst, leading to rectal bleeding.
Cucumber and melon juices help to reduce inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme COX-1, which is responsible for swelling. The juice contains high levels of ascorbic acid, which also inhibits COX-1.
- Pears
Look no further than the pear if you’re looking for natural food for piles. The pear is a good source of essential nutrients like proteins, carbs, potassium, copper and fiber, which helps to relieve constipation and keep your digestive system functioning normally.
Pears are also rich in vitamin C, which helps reduce inflammation and heal wounds. This is why pears are often recommended as a treatment for hemorrhoids.
- Apples
The reason why apples are an effective food for piles is because of their high pectin content. Pectin is a soluble high fiber food for piles that harden stools and ease bowel movements. It also increases stool bulk and reduces transit time through the colon, which helps to reduce inflammation and irritation in the rectum and colon.
So next time you’re suffering from piles, try eating an apple! It might just be the solution you’ve been looking for.
- Raspberries
Raspberries have long been used as a treatment source food for piles. Raspberries are strongly rich in essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E. They also contain anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce swelling in the anal region. In addition, raspberries contain ellagic acid, which helps relieve pain and itching caused by piles. The antioxidants in raspberries also help strengthen capillaries and improve circulation to the area affected by hemorrhoids.
- Bananas
Bananas contain several nutrients that help alleviate the symptoms of piles, such as vitamin C and potassium. Bananas also contain fiber, which helps move things through your digestive tract faster, reducing the instance of food retention in the colon!
- Stewed prunes
Prunes are high fiber food for piles and a good source of potassium, iron, vitamin A, and copper. Unfortunately, they also contain more than 8 grams of sugar in each serving. In addition to being an effective supplement if you’re looking at curing piles without surgery, they have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Some studies have even shown that prunes may help prevent colon cancer, which is why doctors recommend them as part of a healthy diet.
- Fluids
Consuming enough fluids is a great way to maintain healthy bowel movement. The colon is a highly vascular organ that absorbs nutrients and water from food. This process of absorption contributes to healthy bowel movements and regularity.
Drinking liquids also helps flush out toxins from your body and keeps your digestive system running smoothly.
- Citrus Fruits
As we have discussed earlier in this article, eating citrus fruits is one of the most effective ways to not only reduce the occurrence of piles but also treat its symptoms.. Citrus fruits contain a high amount of vitamin C, which helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, making them less likely to break down and cause bleeding when exposed to pressure from the intestine. Eating citrus fruits also helps flush out toxins from your body, reducing swelling in the area around your anus and rectum, thereby reducing pain and discomfort associated with piles.
Foods to Avoid for Piles
Piles, also known as hemorrhoids, are inflamed veins in the anus and rectum. The condition can be painful and cause bleeding. It can also lead to several complications, including anemia, infections, and rectal prolapse (where the rectum protrudes from the anus).
If you have piles, it’s essential to eat a healthy diet to help prevent further complications. Here are ten foods to avoid for piles:
- White flour
White flour is a grain that has been ground into a fine powder. It’s the most common type of flour and can be used in bread and pastries.
White flour has many disadvantages when treating piles. One of the main issues with white flour is that it’s high in carbohydrates, which can make your diet too high in sugar if you eat too much of it. This can cause some serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Another disadvantage of white flour is that it doesn’t have any fiber, which means you may not feel as full after eating white flour-based foods as you would if they had been made with whole grains instead!
This can lead to nutritional deficiencies that affect your overall health and well-being, which is why white flour is among the foods to avoid for piles.
If you have piles, this can make them worse because these are already inflamed tissues that do not heal well. Constipation is a common cause of piles, so if you suffer from constipation as well as hemorrhoids—which makes them even more painful.
- Processed meats
Processed meats are those that have been smoked, cured, or salted—like bacon, ham, sausage, and hot dogs. They’re typically high in sodium and nitrates, which can irritate the lining of your intestines.
And if you suffer from piles, the last thing you want is to increase the irritation in your digestive tract, and hence processed meats are one of the foods to avoid for piles.
- Dairy products
When you eat dairy, your body tries to digest it by producing more stomach acid. This can lead to painful gas or bloating and other digestive issues.
Dairy products also contain lactose, which is difficult for people with lactose intolerance to digest.
Dairy products are a type of food to avoid for piles because they can aggravate and worsen the condition.
- Red meat
Red meat is one of the foods to avoid for piles.
Here are some of the reasons why:
1. Red meat is high in protein, which can cause inflammation.
2. The fat content of red meat can lead to constipation and worsening pile symptoms.
3. Red meats contain purines and uric acid, which can irritate the kidneys, leading to the formation of kidney stones (which we don’t want!).
- Fried foods
The problem with fried foods is that they contain fat. When fat gets heated up, it can become carcinogenic. This is because when fat is heated, compounds called triglycerides break down into smaller molecules called free fatty acids (FFA). When they are formed, they have the ability to penetrate the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream.
Interestingly, FFA also causes more blood flow to the intestines and causes swelling in the veins of your rectum. This causes piles.
This makes it difficult for your body to absorb nutrients, so you’ll have less energy available to digest food or move waste through your colon more easily.
Another reason it’s important not to eat fried foods while having piles is that they tend to be high in sugar and salt—both of which can worsen constipation if you aren’t careful about the quantities and other foods that you consume with them. !
- Snack & salty foods
Snack & salty foods are a widespread cause of piles. The main reason is that they contain high sodium levels and other harmful ingredients. These ingredients increase the risk of developing piles and can worsen symptoms if you already have them.
- Alcohol
There are several reasons why you should avoid alcohol when you have piles:
- Alcohol is a diuretic and can dehydrate your body. This will make it harder for you to pass stools because stools need water to break down properly.
- Alcohol causes blood vessels to expand, which makes it easier for blood to flow through them. This means that your body will lose more blood due to bleeding from hemorrhoids or even internal bleeding.
- Alcohol reduces inhibitions, so you may eat foods that aggravate your piles (spicy or high-fiber foods).
- Spicy foods
Eating spicy foods is a bad idea even on a good day and it goes without saying that it can be extremely devastating especially when you have piles. It can irritate the sensitive skin, causing it to flare up. The reason for this is that the spiciness of food will cause an increase in blood flow to your lower body. This can lead to inflammation and swelling of your hemorrhoids, making them even more painful and uncomfortable.
- Packaged foods
Packaged foods are unhealthy, but the risks become more significant when you have piles.
This is because these foods contain a lot of refined sugar and fat. The body needs to digest your food, which can cause more friction and itching in your rectum area. This can also lead to inflammation and swelling in this area. The last thing you want while having piles is inflammation or swelling!
- Caffeinated beverages
Caffeinated beverages can cause your body to lose water, exacerbating piles.
Like alcohol, caffeine is a diuretic, making you urinate more frequently and in larger quantities than usual. This means you’re losing water and electrolytes in your urine, which can lead to dehydration.
The dehydration from caffeine consumption may also cause your stools to become complex and challenging to pass, worsening the symptoms of piles.
What are the things to keep in mind while undergoing a piles treatment?
You might wonder what the best treatment is if you are suffering from piles. Several options are available to you, and it’s important to understand how each one works to make an informed decision about which is right for you.
- Keep Yourself Hydrated
Hydration is important for everyone, but especially for people who are undergoing a piles treatment. Dehydration can cause discomfort and even complications during your treatment.
Here’s why: dehydration can lead to constipation, which can cause your stools to be dry and difficult to pass. This makes it uncomfortable and painful when you try to have a bowel movement. It also increases the risk of hemorrhoids because they’re more likely to tear or bleed when dry and hard.
In addition, dehydration can make it harder for your body to heal after surgery or treatment. It also makes it easier for bacteria to grow in your body, which can cause infections like urinary tract infections (UTI).
- Get Enough Sleep
Getting adequate sleep is one of the most crucial things you can do for your body. It has countless benefits, from helping you fight illness to increasing your mood. But when it comes to piles treatment and recovery, you must be getting enough sleep.
If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body may not be able to heal correctly. This can lead to long-term problems with your pile’s treatment, including ongoing pain or an inability to treat the problem entirely.
So why does this happen? The main reason is that when we’re tired, our bodies produce less serotonin—the neurotransmitter that helps us feel happy and calm. When we don’t have enough serotonin in our system, our bodies are tenser and less able to heal. This can make your recovery process much harder than it needs to be!
To stay healthy while undergoing Piles Treatment, try getting at least eight hours of sleep every night. If possible, try going to bed earlier than usual so that you have time between treatments where you can rest up before starting another treatment session.
- Eat A Healthy Diet
Your digestive system’s health is paramount to your body’s overall health. A healthy diet can help you maintain a healthy digestive system and prevent many digestive disorders, including hemorrhoids.
One of the main reasons for this is that a healthy diet will help your body absorb the medication you are taking. A healthy diet can also help prevent constipation, making it more difficult for your medicine to work.
Foods for piles high in fiber are good for helping maintain regular bowel movements and keeping the bowels clear of waste material. Fiber also helps control blood sugar levels balanced, reducing inflammation in hemorrhoids.
If you have an ulcer, avoiding high-acid foods and drinks such as tomatoes and citrus fruits is essential. These foods to avoid piles will irritate your stomach lining and could cause bleeding when combined with piles treatment.
Drinking plenty of water is also essential so you do not become dehydrated from taking painkillers or other medications that may cause constipation.
- Don’t Get Stressed Out!!
When you have a piles treatment, it’s important not to get stressed out. Stress is one of the most common causes of piles and can worsen your symptoms.
Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can cause inflammation in your body, leading to more severe symptoms of piles. This means that when you’re stressed about your pile’s treatment, you’re likely to have a worse experience than usual.
It’s also important to remember that stress affects everyone differently—some people may be more prone to experiencing pain during their treatments than others. If you find yourself feeling incredibly anxious about the process, it may be helpful to talk with your doctor about ways you can manage your stress before and during the procedure.
What are key aspects to keep in mind when searching for a piles doctor?
Due to embarrassment, lack of knowledge and other factors, people often seek treatment for hemorrhoids from medical facilities that are not qualified to carry out appropriate treatments.
When you’re looking for a good doctor, there are a lot of things to consider. You want to ensure you find someone qualified for the job who will do their best to help you. Here are five things to keep in mind when searching for a piles treatment doctor:
1. Is the doctor board-certified? This means they have undergone extensive training and testing in their field and demonstrated mastery in their profession.
2. How long has the doctor been practicing? Experience matters when it comes to medical professionals, so look for someone with plenty of experience.
3. Are they taking new patients? If not, they may not be interested in building a practice or may be too busy with existing patients to take new ones on board at this time; it’s worth knowing about before signing up for appointments!
4. Can I get an appointment quickly? It’s essential that you can get in touch with your doctor easily and quickly—especially if you need urgent care! Make sure there’s no wait time before setting up any appointments, so you don’t waste your time waiting for days before getting seen.
In what cases is surgery the best option for piles?
Surgeries for piles, also known as hemorrhoids, are the best option in certain cases. Here are some of the most common cases in which surgery could be a great option:
1. If you have severe perianal swelling and bleeding that does not respond to oral medications or other medical treatments.
2. If you have a prolapse (protrusion) of the hemorrhoidal cushions from the anus. This can cause pain and bleeding, but it can also lead to more serious complications, such as bacterial infection or internal bleeding that requires surgery to repair.
3. If your incontinence worsens due to large or obstructive hemorrhoids.
4. If you have had previous medications for hemorrhoids or if you’ve tried other treatments, nothing worked for you.
Summing It Up
Eating healthy is the best way to prevent piles in the first place. But in case you have been diagnosed with piles, consuming the food we have described above will help ease the pain and discomfort and even help cure the condition. If you eat well, then your body is less likely to start putting pressure on your anal cavity. This puts less strain on your rectum’s blood vessels and nerves, which can help decrease the pain you feel when you have a flare-up.
You don’t have to follow any particular diet or fancy diet plan—make sure you’re eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats (like nuts).
Ayu Health offers a wide range of services to help you improve your diet and overall wellness. From weight loss supplements to piles treatment, we have everything you need to give yourself the best chance of recovering from piles as quickly as possible.
If you need additional resources or would like to speak with a professional, feel free to contact us right away at +91 636-610-0800 or book an appointment on our website. Our expert team is here to assist and support you every step of the way.
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About the Author
Dr. S. Goel
Dr. S. Goel is a renowned Internal Medicine Specialist currently practicing at Ayu Health, Bangalore. He is a Specialist in Internal Medicine, Diabetes HTN, Paediatric Care, and Family Medicine.