Hemorrhoids are often a painful or itchy, unpleasant experience that most people will have to deal with in their lifetime. There are even two different types of hemorrhoids – exterior, which tend to be the painful ones, and the interior, which may not hurt at all. How can you treat the symptoms of hemorrhoids or even prevent them altogether?

Treatments

The treatments for external and internal hemorrhoids differ, and it is often easier to treat external since you can do most of them at home. For external hemorrhoids, you can take a warm soak in the tub either with clear water or by adding a bit of Epsom salts to the bath to help ease the pain. In addition, you can soak in a salt bath to help reduce itching and swelling that lead to pain. It is possible to use topical treatments like analgesic cream or steroids you can get from your doctor to help in the short-term.

If your hemorrhoids are severe, however, your doctor might recommend having them removed within the first two days of your symptoms appearing. 

Internal hemorrhoids can cause bleeding after painful bowel movements or even due to sitting for extended periods of time. While internal hemorrhoids don't usually cause pain they can cause blood clots and sepsis if they are not treated properly when they become too severe. One from of treatment of internal hemorrhoids can be using rubber band ligation. This is done in the doctor's office with no anesthesia used.

Doctors can also inject the hemorrhoids with a caustic material to deflate the swelling, use heat on them, or a doctor can use staples to fix them in place to prevent them from swelling.

Prevention

How do you prevent them from happening so you don't have to endure any kind of treatment? Well, you can start by drinking a lot of water. Staying hydrated is important to reducing constipation and making bowel movements much easier. Along these lines, eat more fiber, which also helps in aiding your digestion and reducing the instances of harder stools.

You should also avoid sitting for long periods of time, as the lack of activity can lead to hard stools. Exercise is not only great for your muscles but to keep your digestion moving along nicely too. When you do feel the urge to use the bathroom, don't ignore it, go when you are able to and never strain when in the bathroom. The act of straining can actually cause fissures which can lead to very painful hemorrhoids.