Piles or haemorrhoids are among the most common ailments today, especially in the Western world. They varicose and often inflamed the condition of the veins inside or just outside the rectum. In external piles there is a lot of pain, but not much bleeding. In case of internal piles there is discharge of dark blood. In some cases the veins burst and this results in what is known as bleeding piles.
Symptoms:
Pain at passing stools, slight bleeding in the case of internal trouble, and a feeling of soreness and irritation after passing a stool are the usual symptoms of piles. The patient cannot sit comfortably due to itching, discomfort and pain in the rectal region.
Causes:
The primary cause of piles is chronic constipation and other bowel disorders. The pressure applied to pass a stool to evacuate constipated bowels and the congestion caused by constipation ultimately lead to piles. The use of purgatives to relieve constipation, by their irritating and weakening effect on the lining of the rectum, also result in enlargement and inflammation of veins and bleeding of the mucus lining. Piles are more common during pregnancy and in conditions affecting the liver and upper bowel, Prolonged periods of standing or sitting, strenuous work, obesity and general weakness of the tissues of the body are the other contributory causes of piles.
Mental tension is also one of the main causes of haemorrhoids. Persons who are always in a hurry often strain while passing stools. They rush through defecation instead of making it a relaxed affair. The pressure thus exerted by the muscles affects the surrounding tissues. The extra real pressure and the resultant congestion of veins ultimately leads to haemorrhoids. There is probably a hereditary factor when involved in the development of piles.
Treatment:
The treatment of the basic cause, namely, chronic constipation, is the only way to get rid of the trouble. To begin with, the whole digestive tract must be given a complete rest for a few days and the intestines thoroughly cleansed. For this purpose the patient should adopt an all-fruit diet for at least seven days. After the all-fruit diet, the patient may adopt a diet of natural foods aimed at securing soft stools.
At Healzen our focus is to cure the root cause and give relief to the symptoms . Functional nutrition plays a crucial role to prevent gastrointestinal disease-
Bland diet is a diet which is mechanically, chemically and thermally non-irritating. Mechanically irritating foods include those with indigestible carbohydrate, such as whole grains and most raw fruits and vegetables. Foods believed to be chemically irritating because of their stimulatory effect on gastric secretion include meat extractives, caffeine, alcohol, and some spicy foods. The capsaicin present in chillies causes shedding of surface stomach cells and may cause peptic distress. Foods believed to be thermally irritating are those ordinarily served at extremes of temperatures, such as very hot or iced liquids may cause pain. This diet prevents irritation to the mucosa, avoids increase in acidity and aids in control of pain. Sippy’s diet, Lenhartz’s diet and Meulangracht diets were given in the past.
Sound total nutrition: There must be optimal overall nutritional intake to support recovery and maintain healthy tissue, based on individual needs and food tolerances.
Protein foods: Milk and protein foods do have some buffering effect but they also evoke gastric secretions more than carbohydrates and fats. Milk should be included as a source of nutrients.
Moderate amounts of food should be eaten. Heavy meals are avoided. Volume of any foods sufficient to exert antral pressure against the stomach wall stimulates gastric secretion through the gastrin mechanism.
The diet should be planned in consultation with patient, taking into consideration his preferences, cultural patterns and economic status.
A short rest before and after meals may be conducive to greater enjoyment of meals. Food should be eaten slowly and chewed well. How one eats is more important than what one eats because fast eating provokes a gastric feeding reflex.
Smoking and Alcohol:
Smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided particularly on an empty stomach. Smoking causes pyloric incompetence and reflux of duodenal juice into the stomach. Smoking also interferes with attempts to decrease gastric acid and pepsin secretion with drugs.
Rest:
Good physical and mental health is basic if the person is to learn to cope with his or her problems constructively. Mental and physical rest is important modification of living and work habits is needed when overwork and physical stress cause exacerbations of the disease. The patient should remember that anxiety and worry can upset digestion.
By trial and error, patients should decide which foods to be included or avoided.