Prevention of Hemorrhoids and Hemorrhoidal Flare-ups
Clinical Nutrition Search
High-fiber foods. Eat more fruits, vegetables and grains. Doing
so softens the stool and increases its bulk, which will help lessen the straining
that can cause hemorrhoids.
Strvie to get between 20-30 grams of fiber a day.
Drink plenty of liquids. How much water and other fluids should you
drink daily? The National Research Council (NRC) uses a sliding scale
of 1 milliliter (mL) of water for every calorie burned. This scale is
not for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, infants, children and older
adults who are unhealthy. The NRC says the average man — who burns
about 2,900 calories daily — needs 2,900 mL, or about 12 cups, of water
each day. The average woman — who burns 2,200 calories daily —
needs about 2,200 mL, or about 9 cups, of water each day. For your own
calculations: One measuring cup (8 fluid ounces) of water equals 236 mL.
But these cups don't have to be filled with water. Solid food contains
water. In an average diet, food provides about 3 to 4 cups of water each
day. Men, because they generally are bigger and have more lean muscle
tissue, they usually need more water each day than women do. Total intake should
be about 64 ounces a day (8 cups) of total fluid from all sources.
High-fiber supplements. Over-the-counter products such as Benefiber™
can help keep stools soft and regular. Check with your doctor about using stool
softeners. If you use fiber supplements, be sure to drink at least 8 to
10 glasses of water or other fluids every day. Otherwise, fiber supplements
can cause constipation or make constipation worse. Add fiber to your
diet slowly to avoid problems with gas or bloating.
Exercise. Stay active to reduce pressure on the rectal veins. Increased
pressure can occur with long periods of standing or sitting. Exercise can also
help you lose excess weight and help prevent constipation. Be sure to breathe
properly and avoid heavy straining during exercise.
Toileting. Do not sit longer than 5 minutes on the toilet. Prolonged
time on the toilet with straining can worsen hemorrhoid problems. If you are
not finished in this time frame, try again later.
Avoid straining. Straining and holding your breath at any time creates
greater pressure in the lower rectal veins.
Go as soon as you feel the urge. If you wait to pass a bowel movement
and the urge goes away, your stool could become dry and be harder to pass. Also,
don't try to force a bowel movement if you don't feel the urge.
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