Use of laxatives (fiber) to treat hemorrhoids

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Article Date: 22 Oct 2005 - 3:00 PDT

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Laxatives in the form of fiber improve symptoms of hemorrhoids, especially bleeding.

Hemorrhoidal tissue is a normal part of people's anatomy. It is located in the anal canal and plays a role in digestion and anal continence. Problems occur when this tissue becomes loosened from the gut lining, or if it starts bleeding or itching. These hemorroids can often be treated by general practitioners, but may need hospital treatment.

The cause of hemorrhoids is uncertain, but people who have frequent constipation, pregnant women, and women who have recently given birth are at increased risk.

A systematic review of current literature showed that including fiber as a laxative within a person's diet was an effective way of treating the symptoms of hemorrhoids.

"Fiber seems to work well in patients with small hemorrhoids, but those with more severe hemorrhoids may need further treatment that could involve surgery," says lead Cochrane Review Author Pablo Alonso-Coello, who works at the Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain.

Review title: Alonso-Coello P at al. Laxatives for the treatment of hemorrhoids The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 4.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
http://www.interscience.wiley.com
The Cochrane Library newsletter, 2005, Issue 4

What are Hemorrhoids?

For more information on what hemorrhoids are and possible treatments, please see:
What are Hemorrhoids? What are Hemroids?