From a distance I watched a young pretty girl climb down from “okada” and
this was what transpired between the okada driver and the pretty girl:
“So as fine as you are, you cannot take care of yourself? See blood everywhere
on my bike” dirty girl! The okada man yelled at the girl furiously.
“Na you sabi”, the pretty girl replied as she painfully limped towards my
direction, not knowing I was the one she came looking for. But what could
have caused the bleeding? I imagined as I intervened between the two of
them. Seeing the blood stain on her skirt, I thought it was as a result of heavy
menstrual flow. Upon close examination and diagnosis, the pretty girl also
experienced the following symptoms:
- Chronic constipation
- Pain or irritation after and while passing stool
- Feeling of soreness, itching and discomfort at the anal region
- Lump on the anus(swelling protruding from the anus)
- Heaviness at the opening of the anus
- Feeling that the bowels haven’t emptied completely
- Soiled undergarments
- Loss of appetite
- Pale face due to excessive bleeding
Piles or hemorrhoids? What are They?
Hemorrhoids popularly known as piles are swollen veins in the lower rectum
and anus, the opening at the end of the rectum through which a bowel
movement passes. Veins around the anus tend to stretch under pressure and it
is as result of this that a person faces difficulty in passing stool. Hemorrhoids
are one of the most common problems of the lower digestive tract. Piles can
be dry as well as bleeding. Even dry piles can result in bleeding if they continue
for a long time.
There are two types of piles – internal piles, not seen but felt, and external
piles, visible around the exterior of the anus region. Internal piles could be
painless and may sometimes cause a lot of bleeding. The internal vein can so
stretch that it can protrude through the anus to outside the body. The vein
may then become irritated and painful. External piles may also protrude
through the anus and can easily be seen and felt. When the swollen veins are
scratched or broken by straining or rubbing, they begin to bleed. Increased pressure from the internal or external veins in the rectum can be one of the reasons piles occur.
Some other causes include low fiber diet, pregnancy, aging, hereditary factors,
chronic constipation, anal intercourse, straining at stool from constipation,
sitting for a long time on the toilet which causes strain on anal structures, life
style, irregular bowel and eating habits.
Nature’s solution to hemorrhoids
It is time to get your healthy life back!
“You no longer have to live with the pain, severe itching and bleeding that
comes with having piles”…. I assured the pretty girl.
I remember infusing the following medicinal plants indicated to alleviate piles
for their astringent (Phyllantus sp.- ite nkwo nwa in Igbo, iyeke in Yoruba);
hemostatic (local alfalfa – sapo in Yoruba and Equisetum –misin misin goro in
Yoruba); anti- inflammatory (Ocimum sp. – nchuawu in Igbo, effirin in Yoruba);
analgesic (Moringa – okwe oyibo in Igbo, ewe igbale in Yoruba and Senna sp.
asuwon in Yoruba); carminative (Allium sativum – garlic); and bitter properties
(Momordica charantia- ejirin in Yoruba).
Several days later, the pretty girl came back, but this walking straight and
looking relieved of the initial symptoms of pile. You can imagine the smile on
her face!
A few other examples of the following plants can alleviate/treat the symptoms
of piles (you don’t necessarily need to use them all at once, and not without
the advice of a health expert):
Lemon juice : topical or internal application for bleeding, internal or external
piles. About 30 mls should be diluted in water and taken each morning before
breakfast-for faster results repeat several times a day.
Senna sieberiana (aridan tooro in Yoruba, ugba –oyibo in Igbo): bark soaked in
water with Eugenia sp. (cloves, kanafuru in Yoruba) and Lannea sp. (orira in
Yoruba).
Aloe vera gel/juice, anti-inflammatory : recommended for people having
acidity, indigestion, lack of appetite, flatulence etc. Consume 20-30 mls 2 to 3
times daily, at least one hour before each meal. The gel is also extracted then
wrapped in fresh leaves of ‘effirin’ and is inserted into the anus two times
daily.
Heliotropium indicum (oriugun in Yoruba) : the whole plant parts are extracted
and applied topically for the retraction of anal prolapse.
Lycopodium sp. (club moss) : the whole plant is dried and about 2 tablespoonful
infused in hot water for thirty minutes. For chronic constipation and piles, it is
recommended to be taken in an empty stomach.
Amaranthus viridis (tete in Youruba, inine in Igbo), Celosia sp. (sokoyokoto in
Yoruba, eli ami-onu in Igbo), waterleaf (gbologi in Igbo, gbure in Yourba) and
Ocimum should be slightly cooked and taken to alleviate congestion that often
aggravate piles.
Ipomoea sp. : (potato) smooth and unreasonably unblemished should be
selected, washed thoroughly and taken as raw as possible.
Mustard seeds : Are powderized and about 10 grams taken with 150 mls of
soya beans powder. 5mls of natural honey can also be added and this is
preferably taken in the morning, everyday.
Sesame seed (Beni seed) : This can be used to make vegetable soup or
decocted by boiling 20 grams of seeds in 50 cl of water till it reduces to about
16 cl. The paste from the fresh-ground seeds can also be mixed with Shea
butter in bleeding piles.
Coconut shell : the fibres of coconut shells are charred, sieved and about 2.5gm
of the powder is infused in boiled water. This should be taken 3x daily,
preferably before meals.
In addition to the above list of herbal remedies for the treatment of piles, it is
also recommended to eat whole grains, cereals, salads, beans, fibre- rich fruits
and vegetables like pawpaw, apples, pears, melons, grapes, onions, cucumber,
and carrot. These are all good for keeping the bowel clean and don’t forget to
drink lots of water too.
Also Sitz bath with warm water or herb is recommended to be done twice
daily. Natural disinfectants like neem (dogonyaro) and turmeric (atale pupa)
powder are helpful. Decoction or infusion of neem and turmeric can be used
with the Sitz bath water. For best results, the herbal remedies should be
administered along with sitz bath. Applying coconut oil or shea butter on the
affected region will be your best bet for quick relief.
To prevent piles:
- Avoid constipation and irregular bowel or eating habits Avoid sweet and oily
- foods
- Try not to restrain urge to defecate or urinate
- Do not sit on hard surfaces for a long time
- Avoid indigestion, flatulence, gas and crash diet programs
- Avoid too much spices and food – Over spiced food could irritate the intestinal
- track and cause problems in piles patient. Preserved foods, canned food, junk
- food, noodles, coffee and soft drinks are very poor in dietary fibre and also
- should be avoided.
- Live a healthy life style and exercise daily.
Natureal 