Comprehensive Guide to Homeopathic Treatments for Haemorrhoids: Understanding Types, Causes, and Natural Remedies

Homeopathic Medicine for Piles or Haemorrhoids

Definition of Piles or Haemorrhoids

These are swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum. Hemorrhoids can develop inside the rectum (internal hemorrhoids) or under the skin around the anus (external hemorrhoids).

A single vein may be swollen or multiple veins can be swollen like bunches of grapes (commonly found in pregnant women). Nearly three out of four people will experience piles at some point. While hemorrhoids have numerous causes, the exact cause is often unknown.

Causes of Piles or Haemorrhoids

The veins around the anus tend to stretch under pressure and may bulge or swell. Piles can develop from increased pressure in the lower rectum due to:

• Constipation causing excessive straining during bowel movements
• Sitting for long periods on the toilet
• Having chronic diarrhea or constipation
• Obesity and pregnancy
• Low-fiber diet and use of stimulants like caffeine and nicotine
• Anal intercourse
• Regular heavy lifting
• Genetic factors – absence of valves and congenital weakness of vein walls
• Conditions like rectal cancer, colitis, portal hypertension, and liver diseases
• Excessive consumption of spicy foods
• Night shifts and jobs requiring long periods of standing (like traffic police and teachers)

Types of Piles

External Piles

Located at the anal verge (visible part of the anus), covered with skin. Symptoms include itching and irritation in the anal region, swelling around the anus, pain or discomfort, and sometimes bleeding.

Internal Piles

Internal piles lie inside the rectum. They usually can’t be seen or felt and rarely cause discomfort. However, straining or irritation when passing stool can cause painless bleeding during bowel movements, sometimes with small amounts of bright red blood on toilet tissue or in the toilet.

Thrombosed Piles

If blood pools in an external hemorrhoid and forms a clot (thrombus), it can result in severe pain, swelling, inflammation, and a hard lump in the anus.

Location of Piles

Classically situated at the 3, 7, and 11 o’clock positions.

Grades of Piles

Note: Clinical features appear according to the grade of piles, and signs and symptoms vary by type of piles.

Investigations

Per rectal examination is done mainly to rule out rectal cancer or other causes of rectal bleeding. Hemorrhoids cannot be felt by rectal examination unless they are thrombosed or fibrosed.

Proctoscopy: Piles prolapse into the lumen of the proctoscope as cherry red masses.

Complications of Haemorrhoids

• Chronic anemia
• Strangulated hemorrhoids
• Ulceration and secondary infection
• Thrombosis and fibrosis

Prevention

• Increase fiber in diet and fluid intake
• Encourage weight loss and exercise
• Discourage reading in the toilet
• Avoid straining during bowel movements
• Avoid long periods of sitting

Homeopathic Medicines for Piles or Haemorrhoids

In homeopathy, treatments are divided into two categories:

Bleeding Piles: Pain and bleeding from piles during or after stool. Non-bleeding Piles: Irritation and itching at anus with visible hard lumps at the anal opening, often with constipation and hard stool.

1. Aconitum Napellus

Bright red bleeding from anus with heat sensation. Stinging and sharp stitching pain with feverish feeling and anxiety with restlessness. Pain with nightly itching and stitching in anus. Frequent small stools with tenesmus; green stool like chopped spinach. Mucus slimy and green from anus.

2. Arsenicum Album

Internal hemorrhoids with burning pain like coal fire and pressure in rectum and anus, relieved by external warmth or warm water. Burning pain in rectum during and after stool. Bright red hemorrhage during stool and excoriated skin around anus. Sharp stitching and stinging pain in rectum when lying at night.

3. Baryta Carbonica

Constipation with hard, knotty, difficult stools. Hemorrhoids protrude when passing flatus, stool, and during urination. Hemorrhage from anus. External hemorrhoids very painful. Sharp stitching and splinter-like pain in rectum. Excoriation of anus with rubbing until raw. Formication and crawling in anus. Oozing at anus.

4. Calcarea Carbonica

Used for both external and internal hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids itching, large, swollen like bunch of grapes. Hemorrhage during stool and burning in anus during stool. Stinging and sharp stitching pain while sitting and after stool. Constipation with ineffectual urging and straining. Offensive flatus and formication in anus. Prolapse with burning.

5. Collinsonia Canadensis

Sensation of sharp sticks in the rectum, sense of constriction. Vascular engorgement of rectum. Obstinate constipation with protruding hemorrhoids. Alternating constipation and diarrhea with great flatulence. Constipation and hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Stool induced with purgatives. Blind, chronic, external hemorrhoids. Pain in rectum aggravated during stool. Mucus, slimy, sheep-dung-like, black hard stool. Sensation of gravel and sand in rectum. Hemorrhage with constipation. Hemorrhoids alternating with heart palpitations.

6. Hamamelis Virginiana

External hemorrhoids, bluish colored and itching of anus. Hemorrhoids large, swollen, painful. Anus feels sore, raw, with fullness and pulsation in rectum. Black colored hemorrhage from anus. Passive bleeding. Ulceration in anus with profuse bleeding and soreness.

7. Lachesis Mutus

Constipation alternating with diarrhea, worsening at night. Even soft stool difficult to pass, with sudden urging. Hard stool alternating with soft. Offensive stool, tight anus, constriction, contraction in rectum. Rectum inactive, inflamed, with involuntary stool and itching. Pain darting and stitching during coughing, laughing, during and after stool, relieved by warm bathing. Burning during and after stool and while standing. Rectum sore, raw, with sharp stitching, pulsating, pressing sensations after stool. Black hemorrhage. Hemorrhoids bluish, hard, chronic, external and internal, large, swollen, painful during menses, pregnancy, protruding during stool and becoming constricted, strangulated, purplish.

8. Lycopodium Clavatum

Constipation with difficult stool, worse when away from home. Unsatisfactory stool with constriction of anus. Excoriation of perineum and anus with rubbing until raw. Hemorrhage from anus. Hemorrhoids bluish, chronic, external>internal, very painful, worse during touch and pregnancy, better with external warmth. Hemorrhoids protrude during stool. Rectal inflammation and itching worse in bed, while sitting, during and after stool. Pain like burning, cutting, pressing, sharp stitching, tearing during and after stool. Stool first hard then fluid and pasty, brown and yellowish.

9. Muriaticum Acidum

Constipation with difficult stool. Formication in anus. Hemorrhage from anus. Best remedy for hemorrhoids in children and during pregnancy. Hemorrhoids bluish, hot with violent stitching, congested, external (grape-like), itching, large, swollen, worse with motion. Hemorrhoids protruding during flatus, urination, and stool. Extremely sensitive to touch; even toilet paper is painful, worse while walking and wiping, better with external warmth. Involuntary stool during sleep and urination. Anal itching and prolapse while urinating. Rectal pain: burning, cutting, sore, raw, sharp stitching during and after stool. Rectum sensitive with black swelling of anus. Bloody stool, brown, profuse, slender, thin, watery with mucus.

10. Nitricum Acidum

Painful constipation with difficult stool, alternating with diarrhea. Ineffectual urging with insufficient, unsatisfactory stool. Persistent rectal pain. Constriction during stool preventing passage. Excoriation from acrid moisture. Offensive flatus with rectal fullness. Profuse, bright hemorrhage, worse at night, with constipation, during and after stool. External hemorrhoids predominate, chronic, large, swollen, painful, protruding during stool, worse when walking and in warm weather. Itching and inflammation. Continuous pain after stool. Burning and cutting pain in morning and after urination. Pressing, downward pressure before and after stool. Sore, raw rectum after stool and while walking. Splinter-like pain, stitching during stool, stinging, sharp stitching, tearing, tenesmus during and after stool. Prolapse after stool. Ball-like, offensive, mucus, slimy, bloody stool like sheep dung or soft.

11. Nux Vomica

Constipation with frequent ineffectual urging, incomplete and unsatisfactory, feeling as if part remains unexpelled. Alternates with diarrhea. Common in bilious temperaments and sedentary individuals. Results from hemorrhoids, overuse of purgatives/laxatives, gastric derangement, portal stasis, pregnancy, due to constriction of rectum. Frequent ineffectual desire. Constant urging throughout abdomen and rectum. Hemorrhage during stool. Excoriation and fissures during pregnancy. Formication, itching, offensive flatus. Hemorrhoids with backache, chronic, blind, internal, strangulated, large, swollen, protruding, congested in alcoholics, during pregnancy, after purgatives, better with cold water, worse with touch. Rectum sore, raw, burning, stitching, stinging (after mental exertion), tearing, cutting, worse during/after stool and motion. Pressing, downward pressure, worse with motion, before/after stool. Tenesmus relieved after stool. Ball-like and bloody stool.

12. Phosphorus

Constipation alternating with diarrhea, difficult stool, constriction of rectum. Extremely fetid stool or flatus. Long narrow, hard stool like dog’s, difficult to expel. Desire for stool when lying on left side. Involuntary stool when coughing, from fright, on motion. Anus seems relaxed and wide open. Itching and moisture of rectum. Hemorrhage when passing flatus, during and after stool. Chronic hemorrhoids, external or internal, itching, protruding when passing flatus. Rectal inflammation. Pain: burning, cutting, stinging, sharp stitching during and after stool. Bloody, green, black stool; green like scum on a frog-pond; green mucus like sago particles.

13. Ratanhia Peruviana

Hemorrhoids from constipation, ineffectual urging and straining. Rectal pain like sharp stitches as if full of broken glass, splinter-like, burning, cutting, sore, raw during sitting and during/after stool. Dry heat in anus with sudden knife-like stitches. Pain persists long after stool, relieved by warm bathing. External hemorrhoids with smarting and burning like fire, protruding during stool, worse with touch, temporarily relieved by cold water. Anal fissures, very painful, relieved by cold water. Moisture, itching, and formication in anus.

14. Sulphur

Constipation alternating with diarrhea, even soft stool difficult. Hemorrhoids from constipation. Constipation with hypochondriasis, ineffectual urging. Incomplete, unsatisfactory stool. Constipation from portal stasis, during pregnancy. Rectal constriction, spasm. Excoriation, rubbing until raw. Fissures during pregnancy. Hot, offensive flatus like sour or spoiled eggs. Formication while sitting. Rectal fullness. Black hemorrhage. External and internal hemorrhoids, chronic, blind, bluish, ulcerating, large, swollen, moist, strangulated, during delivery, worse when standing, touching, walking, wiping. Involuntary stool when coughing, laughing, sneezing, urinating. Intense itching and redness around anus, worse in warm bed; child afraid of daytime/nighttime pain. Perineal pain during stool, scratching worsens itching. Itching with burning, during constipation, after moisture discharge. Pain during/after stool: biting, burning, cutting, sticking, sharp stitching, sore, raw while sitting, after diarrhea. Tenesmus before, during, after stool. Rectal prolapse, pulsation, anal swelling. Frequent urging for stool.

15. Aesculus Hippocastanum

Marked action on lower bowel, producing engorged hemorrhoidal veins with backache, without actual constipation. Severe pain with little bleeding. Rectum feels dry, aching, full of small sticks. Raw, sore anus. Severe pain after stool with prolapse. Hemorrhoids with sharp shooting pains up the back; blind and bleeding, worse during menopause. Large, hard, dry stool. Swollen mucous membrane obstructing passage. Burning in anus with chills up and down the back.

16. Millefolium

Used for various types of hemorrhage, especially bright red bleeding. In hemorrhoids, used when there is only bright red bleeding. Typically prescribed as mother tincture, 15 drops in water 3 times daily.