Ayurvedic Treatment for Piles

Anyone can have piles or hemorrhoids. Mainly it occurs in middle-aged and older individuals. In Ayurveda piles are known as ‘Arsha’. This disease tortures a person’s vital force. This disease becomes the patient’s enemy, thus called ‘Arsha’.

When you do not take care of your eating habits and eat lots of fast food, it affects your digestive fire in a negative way. Digestive fire is also known as ‘Agni’ in Ayurveda. When this ‘Agni’ becomes ‘mandagni’, you suffer from various digestive disorders. Piles being one of them. Piles also result from constipation.

What are piles?

They are swollen veins found in and around the anus and rectum. It is a condition in which a fleshy mass of variable shape, size, and color appears in the anus.

Types of piles

There are two types of piles. They are:

• External piles: These piles are extremely painful and located on the skin around the anus and can be felt easily.
  
• Internal piles: They are located in the inner lining of the rectum and cannot be felt. They are usually painless but the patient suffers from bleeding.

What are the causes of piles?

Straining while passing motions and constipation are the two major causes of piles. But there are other causes as well. They are:

Conditions not treated timely:

When not treated timely, disorders like dysentery, diarrhea, colitis, etc could lead to piles.

Pregnancy:

Post-partum hemorrhoids and pregnancy hemorrhoids are really common. This could be due to the expansion of the uterus and also strain on the rectal wall during childbirth.

Genetics:

It is believed that our genetics play a major role in our health issues. If hemorrhoids are in the family history then an individual can have a major chance of suffering from it.

Sedentary lifestyle:

Researchers believe that a sedentary lifestyle where an individual spends the entire time sitting could be a major reason for this disease.

What are the symptoms of piles?

• Intense itching around the anus
• Painful or itchy swelling or lump near your anus
• Painful bowel movements
• Bleeding from your anus during or after your bowel movements
• Irritation and pain around your anus
• Leakage of stools

Ayurvedic Treatment for Piles

Medication or bhaishajya chikitsa

When suffering from this disease it is better to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner. An Ayurvedic practitioner will check your body type and then accordingly give you medications. Some medicines will not suit you so it’s always better to consult an expert. They might also recommend some dietary changes as per your dosha type.

Herbal application or kshara

In Ayurvedic medicine, kshara karma is considered one of the best medicines for hemorrhoids.

Kshara is a caustic alkaline paste. This paste is a herbal blend and has a cauterizing action. A slit proctoscope is used to apply kshara to the hemorrhoids. The paste then chemically cauterizes the hemorrhoids which might be open and bleeding.

Depending on your dosha you will be advised to diet as you recover.

Surgical intervention or shastra chikitsa

Your medical practitioner may recommend a therapy called kshara sutra. It uses a special medicated thread that is used to tie the hemorrhoids at the base.

This cuts the blood supply to the vein. The hemorrhoid then shrinks in the next 7 to 10 days. It shrivels and detaches on its own. This procedure is taken only when other medications do not work. This is an invasive procedure.

The medical practitioner will decide on your postoperative treatment according to your dosha. He will prescribe some herbs for your healing.

Cauterization or agni karma

External hemorrhoids can be cauterized using infrared heat. Your Ayurvedic practitioner might offer to burn off the hemorrhoids. It produces some pain.

This type of treatment might require five to six treatments over the same number of weeks. There is a potential for increased pain or infection for this procedure.

It’s always better to consult and take 2-3 opinions before going for such procedures.

Takeaway

Kshara chikitsa is safe and has yielded results for people suffering from piles. While Ayurvedic hemorrhoid treatments are effective it is always better to weigh your options.