Anyone suffering from hemorrhoids always question how long hemorrhoids last. They want to know how long they need to suffer from the condition before they are finally cured. While there are medications readily available these days, some people prefer home remedies and natural methods to cure this condition. However, the problem with the latter is that it may take a while before the condition becomes better.
Lifestyle Changes to Cure Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are a condition wherein the veins located in the anus becomes swollen. It can occur either internally or externally, and cause mild to severe pain and itching. There are several lifestyle changes that can help alleviate the pain, itchiness, and discomfort brought about by this condition. Therefore, it may be better to ask the question what can you do to cure this condition rather than the duration the condition will last. Clearly, acting on the condition in a timely manner will help reduce the amount of time you will have to suffer from this condition.
One of the lifestyle changes you have to make to cure hemorrhoids is to incorporate a high-fiber diet into your daily routine. Substitute white rice and white bread for whole wheat or any other complex carbohydrates sources you can find. Complex carbohydrates contain high amounts of fiber that will help cleanse your intestines for better and more relaxed bowel movement. You should also eat more fruits and vegetables than you normally would as they are great sources of fiber.
Drinking lots of water is also necessary to cleanse the body and to help cure hemorrhoids. Lessen the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink in a day as both can cause dehydration which is one of the culprits of hemorrhoids. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day to keep your body hydrated and to cleanse your body as well. Water will help in giving you better bowel movement and prevent hemorrhoids from occurring.
These are just some of the lifestyle changes you can make that will help cure hemorrhoids. Incorporating them into your life will allow you to heal from hemorrhoids faster than how much time it will generally take for the condition to get better.
Healing Time: Simple Hemorrhoids
People suffering from this condition will recover in different amounts of time but generally, it will take at least 2 weeks before the condition to get better. But in the case of external hemorrhoids, since they go unnoticed for some amount of time, they can get worse and may take an even longer amount of time to heal.
But in the case of simple hemorrhoids, it can actually take only 7 days for the sufferer to be cured. Simple hemorrhoids can go unnoticed and will heal within 7 days. There is slight pain and discomfort associated with it and simple internal hemorrhoids can cause bloody stools. Simple external hemorrhoids will make the anus slightly swollen and can cause itching, pain, and blood stools as well. Eating foods that are rich in fiber as well as drinking lots of water will help heal simple hemorrhoids within 7 days or even shorter.
Healing Time: Prolapsed and Thrombosed Hemorrhoids
While the answer to the question how long hemorrhoids last in the case of simple hemorrhoids is one week at most, the answer for prolapsed and thrombosed hemorrhoids is different. It is still true that a high-fiber diet and drinking lots of water may help both are progressed simple hemorrhoids already and will take more time before they can heal. Prolapsed hemorrhoids will create a larger swollen anus than simple hemorrhoids and can take up to two months before the condition can get better and heal. In the case of thrombosed hemorrhoids, blood clotting and severe pain can be experienced. This condition will take up to three months or more before the condition will get better and finally heal.
But do keep in mind that the abovementioned time frame for healing is subject to the kind of treatment adopted by the patient.
Factors that can affect the Healing Time
The amount of time it will take for hemorrhoids to heal will depend on a multitude of factors. This is why as mentioned above it is necessary that you act upon it immediately rather than wait around for the condition to get better and not do anything at all.
One of the many factors that can affect the healing time is the amount of times the patient has suffered from the condition already. Unlike herpes, hemorrhoids will become worse as reoccurrences happen. For first time patients, healing time will be lesser. It will be easier for you to cure the condition. Therefore, for first time patients, it is highly advised that once the condition is cured, have a more fiber-rich diet and drink lots of water to prevent any reoccurrences from happening. It will only take a few days for first time patients to be cured of this condition. For people who have had the condition several times already, you can expect the condition to heal at a much longer time than your previous healing time. Two weeks is the least amount of time before the condition will become better for reoccurrences. Usually, it takes months for reoccurrences to heal.
Pregnancy is another factor that can affect the healing time. Pregnant women are not advised to take any medications during their pregnancy as it can affect the baby. Therefore, their only means to ease the pain and discomfort brought by hemorrhoids is through natural remedies (and we all know how long natural remedies can take effect). Furthermore, the condition during pregnancy can last until you give birth (but it will usually heal after giving birth).
Hemorrhoids can be very uncomfortable and must be treated immediately. Depending on the level of hemorrhoids, the number of times you’ve had them and pregnancy will the answer to the question how long hemorrhoids last depend. Simple hemorrhoids will heal in a few days whereas progressed hemorrhoids can take months to heal. Reoccurrences will also take more time to heal than first time sufferers. Pregnancy is also a factor that can lengthen the amount of healing time.