Doctor Confirms: This Common Household Item Can Help Treat Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids: For those unfamiliar with the swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum that cause pain, itching, and even bleeding, count yourself lucky. This condition often stems from diarrhea or constipation, and sufferers know how hard it is to find a truly effective remedy. Conventional medicine often suggests surgery as a solution, but alternative medicine offers a broader approach.

"Whether you're a proponent of alternative methods or not, treating hemorrhoids with apple cider vinegar is one of the most effective home remedies available today," explains Dr. Shilpa Amin, a consulting emergency physician who answers users' questions on a U.S.-based site called 'Healthline.'

"You may be able to relieve itching and help heal hemorrhoids using apple cider vinegar, proven as an effective home remedy. The production process of apple cider vinegar involves fermenting apple sugars in a two-step process turning sugars into acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar.

Acetic acid constricts organic tissues like skin, so it may help with the swelling and irritation of hemorrhoids," she writes but cautions with an important recommendation: avoid applying the vinegar directly to hemorrhoids, and pregnant women or those with allergies and various illnesses should not use it without consulting their doctor.

According to Dr. Amin, diluting apple cider vinegar in water can reduce the risk of skin irritation and burns on one hand, and provide some relief from itchy hemorrhoids on the other. Therefore, it's advisable to take an apple cider vinegar bath as follows: add two cups of vinegar to a bowl of warm water, wait 15 minutes, and bathe in this water while adding cold water. "Another method is to dilute apple cider vinegar in water and freeze it in an ice cube tray. When nothing else helps, the cold might make you feel better, and the acetic acid will act on the swelling and itch, even if temporarily," concludes Dr. Amin.