Piles - How Can Ayurveda Tackle Them?

Piles or Haemorrhoids is a disorder characterized by bleeding from anal opening during defecation. This bleeding can be in the form of drops or spurts. If untreated; mass protruding out from rectum is noticed. Initially this Pile mass gets reduced by itself but later on it progresses further so manual reduction of Pile mass becomes necessary. Later on these pile masses come out even on coughing sneezing, walking etc. Depending of their site of origin; these are divided in to internal and external Piles. 

How can you tell if you have Piles? 
Painless bleeding is the first sign of Piles. If it is not treated at this stage Pile mass protrudes out from Anal opening. The symptoms of piles are – 

Internal Piles: 

1. In first stage, painless bleeding is the only symptom of Piles. 
2. In second stage, pile mass protrudes out from Anus during defecation which gets reduced by itself. In late second stage; Pile mass needs to be reduced manually. 
3. In third stage; Pile masses again come out after manual reduction. During sneezing coughing and walking also pile mass come out. 

External piles: A solid/ semi-solid lump in the anal region which becomes prominent while passing stools is the external haemorrhoid. When inflamed it constitutes of coagulated blood these are known as external haemorrhoids. 

Why do Piles occur? 
Piles occur when pressure in the lower rectum increases unduly. Due to this undue pressure, the blood vessels in the anus and rectum become swollen and bulge out. The causes behind this undue increase in pressure are – 

1. Chronic diarrhoea 
2. Chronic constipation 
3. Pregnancy 
4. Lifting heavy weights 
5. Putting too much pressure while passing stool 

The Ayurvedic Approach To Piles Treatment- 
The ayurvedic approach to treating piles is a mix of exercise, lifestyle changes, diet, supplements and medication. The primary cause of piles being constipation, a large portion of the treatment is focused on improving the patient’s digestive health and bowel movement. 

1. Haritaki churna is recommended to soften stool. 
2. Fibre rich foods like green leafy vegetables salads should be consumed in adequate quantity. 
3. To soften the stools, foods like papaya, amalaki, and figs are advised. 

A regular ayurvedic colon cleanse is very beneficial to keep the digestive system in good condition. Some other measures you should adopt are – 

1. Take plenty of liquids like water, butter milk fruit juices etc. Butter milk is specially beneficial in Piles. 
2. Do regular Exercise 
3. Avoid sedentary lifestyle. 

Along with this Kshar Karma is done at week or 10 days interval. In this treatment specialized Ayurvedic medicine is applied on Pile masses. Kshar Karma stops bleeding and suppresses Pile masses. When these measures do not work and the Pile masses are big enough to remain inside and protrude out often; Ksharsutra ligation of Pile mass is recommended. 

In this treatment; Ksharsutra – a medicated thread is ligated at the root of Pile masses. Medicine released from thread blocks the blood supply of pile mass and Pile mass sheds off within 5-7 days. No hospitalization or bed rest is required in this treatment. Patient can continue his daily routine activities as usual. So Ayurvedic Kshar Karma and Ksharsutra are quite effective in treating Piles in all its stages and Piles can be treated completely without surgery.