Hemorrhoids - A Diabetic Dilemma

Although many diabetics do state they are prone to hemorrhoids on an occasional basis, this condition has more to do with the types of foods you eat and your current lifestyle than it does with diabetes. A diet high in processed foods, low bodily fluids (mild dehydration) and constant sitting, whether from work or pleasure, these all lead to trouble as the final result.

You can be a perfectly healthy individual anywhere in your 20's to 50's and still run into a bout of hemorrhoids occasionally. The key here to avoidance is Prevention. Change up your daily lifestyle by adding a few simple steps including moderate exercise and a few dietary changes and the ultimate reward will be no more painful unpleasant outbreaks of hemorrhoids.
Fiber Up! - preferably with fiber directly from nature. Fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain products need to be a major portion of your daily diet. Supplement these only if more is needed with any of the many sources of supplements, powders and pre-mixed drinks found at many health food or local drug stores.
Another good option is to buy fresh flax seeds and grind them as needed, (stored ground flax seed loses its healthy qualities over time and tends to turn rancid rapidly). Always store the seeds in the refrigerator though. Any shelf-stable ground flax is full of chemical preservatives to keep it shelf stable. By ingesting this chemical cocktail you are negating all of your purpose at attempting a healthier lifestyle.
Low impact exercise (such as walking) for a minimum 10 minute period daily helps to keep your stool soft and moist (it speeds up the rate of flow which foods travel through your digestive tract) thus promoting quicker and easier elimination
Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. This not only aids every other body organ, it also manages to ease elimination by keeping your stool flowing fast and smooth.
Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine in most blends of coffee and teas, both regular and decaffeinated, most alcohols and excessive strong types of spice blends (hot peppers and cayenne peppers). Continuous digestion of all of these leads to dehydration and a build-up of inflammation in your body which aggravates the external skin tissues.
Desk jobs or couch potatoes need to learn to get up and move at least 3 to 5 minutes every hour. Prolonged sitting creates continuous pressure which is detrimental to the sensitive nerves and tissues, thus enabling hemorrhoids to develop and enlarge
Chill out! - or at least learn how to manage your stress levels daily. If you are a type A aggressive personality, all that self-imposed pressure upsets your digestive system by aggravating your nervous system, the control center for good digestion in the human body.

The Road To Recovery

But sometimes it's just too late for prevention and relief is all that's being sought instead. So start by trying a few of these natural therapies instead to jumpstart some much needed relief.
After every bowel movement plus up to 5 more times daily, wash the area down and then apply a "bath" of witch hazel with a cotton ball or tissue. This is an astringent which means it is going to burn and smart some on this sensitive skin but it does rapidly promote healing, thus relief.
For extreme cases, between cleansing sessions apply a thin film of aloe vera gel to further aid in healing and quieting the itch. Hydrocortisone creme or calendula cream can also be used in place of the aloe vera.
Take a warm bath or apply warm compresses to the area for at least 10 minutes every few hours. The warmth promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to the area which promotes faster healing.
For severe cases, check with your local health food store for an ayurvedic treatment gel known as Triphola. This remedy helps to tone and condition your lower GI tract which aids in better elimination, thus lessening your chances of hemorrhoids.
Two other herbs with sustained history of good relief for many people include Butcher's Broom (tightens the weakened blood vessels) and Horse Chestnut (this tones and tightens the weakened, distended veins and tissues.
Standard ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil etc) can be used, as directed on the bottle, for short-term pain and swelling relief while you are waiting for nature's remedies to offer your body some relief.

So, a few simple changes starting now in your daily diet and daily routine is all it takes to ward off any of the nasty sounding after-effects common with this inconvenient diabetic complication.