How to Choose The Best Hemorrhoid Cream
Many people don't know what hemorrhoids are until they start experiencing some of the symptoms like bleeding during bowel movements, constant itchiness around the anus, and pain. It is only when they experience these symptoms that they start to look for information on hemorrhoids and hemorrhoid treatments. Usually their investigation (either by way of the Internet or speaking with their doctor) will lead them to hemorrhoid creams or ointments as a possible solution. But, how does one go about choosing the best cream? This article will provide the information needed to determine what the best cream or ointment would be for someone.
To start off, let's learn a little bit about hemorrhoids. A hemorrhoid is a blood vessel inside the rectum or around the opening of the anus which has enlarged and become swollen. If the blood vessel enlarges inside the anal canal or rectum it is called an internal hemorrhoid. If this occurs around the opening of the anus, it is called an external hemorrhoid. Common symptoms of hemorrhoids include pain or bleeding during bowel movements and itchiness or a burning sensation around the anus. They can be caused from constipation or unhealthy bowel movements, age, obesity, pregnancy, and prolonged sitting. In short, anything that puts pressure on the veins down there can trigger a hemorrhoid. These factors make hemorrhoids a very common health condition, which is why almost half of all adults experience them at some point in their lives. The good news, however, is that they are generally not serious and can be treated with a variety of methods, including creams and ointments.
When looking at treating hemorrhoids, many people choose to use a cream or an ointment to tackle the problem. Although not always the best treatment method, creams and ointments can be effective in providing fast relief. The secret to finding the best cream or ointment is knowing what the person's skin type is, what symptoms one needs to treat, and lastly, the kind of hemorrhoid one has.
To find the best cream or ointment one must know his or her skin type, i.e. dry or oily skin. For example, people who have oily skin would be better off using a cream as opposed to an ointment because the active ingredients in the cream will penetrate the skin faster than an ointment. The reason being is that creams are water based products whereas ointments are oil based. Therefore, if someone has oily skin to begin with and they apply an ointment, it is going to take longer for the active ingredients to take effect. On the other hand, people who have dry skin should use an ointment. The oil in the ointment will trap moisture in the skin and will also act as a lubricant which will make the passage of stools easier. Thus, the general rule of thumb is oily skin people should use creams and dry skin people should use ointments.
Once a person knows whether a cream or an ointment would be better the next step is selecting a product. To do so, it is important to find something that works to relieve the specific symptoms. Certain creams or ointments are better at treating certain problems than others. So, if the main problem is hemorrhoid pain, then it would be better to find a cream or ointment that is for pain relief. If pain is not the issue, but itchiness is, then an anti-itch product would be better. The point is to read the label and find a product that solves the main issue.
Lastly, it is also necessary to know what kind of hemorrhoid needs to be treated. Creams and ointments can both be used to treat external hemorrhoids, but that is not always the case for internal hemorrhoids. Certain creams and hemorrhoid won't go away ointments are for external use only and may not be used to treat internal hemorrhoids. Therefore, for internal hemorrhoids, it is important to read the label and choose something that can be used internally or use suppositories instead.
