Prevent Constipation

• Foods to eat – High fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables and apples are especially important.  Beets will also help keep stools soft, nourish the liver and add plenty of fiber to provide necessary bulk.  Prunes and grape juice also aid in softening the stool and should be used in moderate amounts.
• Avoid (especially if pregnant) commercial products such as Preparation H, Anusol and Americaine, which contain mercury and may possibly harm the unborn fetus.
• Keep well hydrated – Drink plenty of water and herbal teas.  The colon resorbs a lot of fluid.  If there is insufficient fluid, the stools will be hard and dry and more difficult to pass.
• Exercise – It stimulates the bowel to move.
• Avoid straining – Straining to pass stools may worsen hemorrhoids.
• Relaxation – Relax and allow time when you are having a bowel movement and try not wait when you first have the urge to move your bowels.

Strengthen Blood Vessels

• Bioflavonoids – Include lots of cherries, blueberries, blackberries, rosehips and hawthorne berries in your diet.  High concentrations of bioflavonoids in your diet provide tissue strengthening nutrients which will help to provide stability in the veins themselves

• Vitamins and minerals –  Vitamins A, C, and E are all necessary for optimal integrity of connective tissue as are several other vitamins and minerals.  Therefore, a full-spectrum high potency multi-vitamin and mineral should be part of the treatment plan.

Liver support

Supporting the liver through diet and lifestyle changes can help to prevent or alleviate blood stagnation in the pelvic area.  Avoid saturated fats and substances such as alcohol and nicotine since these contribute to the stress on the liver.  Include artichokes, beets, dandelion root, milk thistle seed, burdock root, turmeric, garlic, onions and dark green leafy vegetables in your diet as beneficial liver foods.

Increase Circulation to the Pelvis

• Exercise! – Especially walking, swimming and cycling.  If you have just given birth, ask your doctor when to start exercising.
• Alternating Hot and cold sitz baths – Immerse the lower half of your body up to your hips in a hot bath for 3 minutes.   Alternate with a cold application for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Repeat this three times for one treatment.  Try to do the treatment twice daily.
• Kegel exercises – These exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.  The squeezing of the muscles cause a pumping action in the blood vessels, improving circulation.  To do Kegel’s, squeeze the pelvic muscles as if preventing passage of urine and stool and hold for 10 seconds.  Repeat ten times, gradually increasing the frequency of this exercise over time.