Key takeaways:

Hemorrhoids can be uncomfortable. But simple home remedies can give you quick and lasting relief.
You can help reduce your symptoms with simple self-care steps like eating more fiber, drinking more water, and elevating your feet.
Home remedies — like sitz baths, hemorrhoid creams, and anti-inflammatory creams — can help to decrease the inflammation around the hemorrhoids, improving your symptoms.

Hemorrhoids are common; they affect millions of adults in the U.S. Hemorrhoids develop when the blood vessels in and around the rectum and anus become swollen and irritated.

Hemorrhoids can lead to symptoms like bleeding, itching, and pain — especially with stooling. So they can make simple things like going to the bathroom or sitting down very uncomfortable.

While many people with hemorrhoids end up reaching out to a healthcare provider for help, there are home remedies that can bring you relief. These self-care tips are the first-choice treatment for hemorrhoids, and most healthcare providers will ask you to try them before more invasive options.

Here are seven hemorrhoid home remedies to try for quick and lasting relief.

1. Fiber

Fiber is a carbohydrate that naturally occurs in some plants. Your body can’t digest fiber, but it’s an important part of a healthy diet. It also helps bulk up your stools so that they can move easily through your colon. Fiber has also been shown to help with hemorrhoid symptoms.

Studies show getting enough fiber reduces hemorrhoid symptoms, especially bleeding, pain, and swelling. Aim to get between 20 g to 30 g of fiber each day. You can do this by eating more fiber-rich foods.

If you can’t eat enough fiber, you can try adding a fiber supplement to your daily diet. Fiber supplements are available over the counter at local grocery stores and pharmacies. You can use any brand — in studies, all fiber supplements worked equally well.

While the data about fiber and hemorrhoids is very strong, keep in mind that the results don’t happen right away. It can take up to 6 weeks to see the effects of fiber on your symptoms, though in some studies people saw results in as little as 2 weeks.

But once you do start seeing improvement, you can expect it to last as long as you keep up with your fiber intake.

2. Water

In addition to getting more fiber, you also want to add more water to your daily routine. Getting enough water keeps your stools hydrated, so they’re softer and less likely to irritate your hemorrhoids.

And fiber works best when your body is completely hydrated. So getting enough water does double duty. The exact amount of water you should drink each day depends on a variety of things. But, for hemorrhoid relief, experts recommend drinking between 1.5 and 2 liters (50 to 68 ounces) of water each day.

Try using a water bottle to keep track of how much water you’re drinking throughout the day. Keep the bottle nearby for easy access. You can also set goals for different times of the day to make sure you get to that 2 L mark each day.

3. Stool softeners

Stool softeners are over-the-counter medications that help stool hold onto fat and water. This makes your stool softer and more slippery so it can pass more easily through your colon without irritating your hemorrhoids. This can help lower how often you experience burning, itching, and bleeding with stooling.

Look for brands of stool softeners that contain docusate sodium. You can take 100 mg of docusate sodium once or twice a day.

But experts recommend using stool softeners in addition to increasing your fiber and water intake. Using stool softeners alone can give you temporary relief, but the results won’t last as long without fiber and water.

Stool softeners start working right away, so your symptoms should decrease within a few days. This can help bridge the gap between when you start taking fiber and when you start seeing results. Once your fiber has kicked in, you can start slowly decreasing your stool softeners and use them only as needed.

4. Sitz baths

A sitz bath can give you instant relief from pain, itching, and burning from irritated hemorrhoids. Sitz baths help increase blood circulation to your hemorrhoids, which helps lower swelling and inflammation.

To make a sitz bath, fill a bathtub or basin with a few inches of warm water. Then sit inside the warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Experts recommend using a warm water sitz bath 2 to 3 times a day if you have hemorrhoids.

You can add baking soda or Epsom salts to the water for extra relief. Epsom salts contain magnesium, which may help relax the muscles around hemorrhoids and lower inflammation.

There are commercially available sitz bath salts and blends marketed for hemorrhoid relief. You can try these as well, though most are made of Epsom salts. There are also sitz bath tubs marketed for hemorrhoid relief. There’s no evidence that these work any better than a simple basin, but you can still give them a try.

5. Hemorrhoid creams

There are many different kinds of hemorrhoid creams that you can buy at your local pharmacy without a prescription. These creams usually contain a combination of medications, including:

Steroids: to lower inflammation
Pain relievers: to help with pain
Astringents: to shrink blood vessels around hemorrhoids
Mineral oil or petrolatum: to coat and protect the skin around hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoid creams can provide instant relief by temporarily numbing the area and reducing inflammation. But after a few hours, the effects will go away and your symptoms will come back. Also, when using these creams for too long, some people develop contact dermatitis, a type of skin allergy. Contact dermatitis can worsen symptoms like itching and burning.

Like stool softeners, it’s best to use these on an as-needed basis.

6. Witch hazel

Witch hazel is a product made from the bark of the witch hazel plant. It contains tannins — antioxidants that work as an astringent, temporarily shrinking hemorrhoids and reducing inflammation.

Witch hazel is available in several forms, including liquids, creams, and pre-moistened wipes. Witch hazel can help temporarily relieve hemorrhoid symptoms, like burning, itching, and pain.

Some people opt for witch hazel cream while others prefer wipes. You’ll notice quick relief, but it might not last long. There’s no limit to how much witch hazel you can use each day. But, like other products, it’s best to use it as needed to help ease symptoms and in addition to fiber and water.

7. Movement

Staying active during the day is great for your overall health. But did you know that exercise also helps your digestive tract move?

When your digestive tract slows down, stool sits around inside it longer, becoming harder and larger. Large, hard stools make you strain in order to have a bowel movement. Straining puts stress on hemorrhoids, making them irritated and more likely to bleed.

You don’t have to go to the gym to get your bowels moving — a daily walk is enough to keep your bowels on schedule. If you already have a regular exercise routine, make sure your activities aren’t worsening your hemorrhoids. If you have hemorrhoids, avoid activities that place strain on the back and stomach muscles, like weight lifting.

When should you see a healthcare provider about hemorrhoids?

If you don’t already have a diagnosis of hemorrhoids, see a healthcare provider if you have blood in your stool or rectal pain. There are other, more serious medical conditions that can cause similar symptoms. Don’t assume you have hemorrhoids until you’ve seen a provider.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with hemorrhoids and home remedies aren’t helping, you should get help. Sometimes fiber and soft bowel movements aren’t enough to ease hemorrhoids.

See your healthcare provider if hemorrhoids are keeping you from going to the bathroom or getting in the way of your regular routine. There are prescription treatment options that can ease your hemorrhoid symptoms. And if those aren’t helpful, there are options, like banding, that can remove your hemorrhoids.

The bottom line

Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels around the anus and rectum. They can cause pain, bleeding, itching, and burning. Most people can treat their hemorrhoids at home with self-care and home remedies, including fiber, water, witch hazel, and sitz baths. Stool softeners and hemorrhoid creams can also provide temporary relief.

If your symptoms aren’t getting better with home remedies, see a healthcare provider. You may need other treatments to help manage your symptoms.

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Written by:

Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP

Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP, is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with over a decade of work in community health. She serves as the medical director of a school-based health clinic at a federally funded health center.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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