Hemorrhoids are an uncomfortable, sometimes even painful, condition which is caused by the swelling and inflammation of blood vessels and veins in your anus and rectum. There are two primary types of hemorrhoids: Internal and external.

Internal hemorrhoids often cause no pain or discomfort, however they can cause bleeding during bowel movements. External hemorrhoids however, tend to be uncomfortable at best, and sometimes can be quite painful or itchy.

Hemorrhoids can heal on their own naturally, but they’re frequently caused by several factors. One major cause of hemorrhoids is thought to be constipation. If your body is not able to easily pass waste through your anus, you’ll end up straining when using the bathroom. This straining action serves to damage the blood vessels in and around your rectum, creating hemorrhoids. Sitting for long periods of time is also a known cause of hemorrhoids, because sitting reduces the flow of blood to the rectum and anus.

There are several ways you can help reduce or eliminate hemorrhoids naturally though. One of which is to drink plenty of water. When your body doesn’t have enough water, the stools you pass end up being quite hard. This causes damage to the rectum and anus, which in turn can cause a hemorrhoid flare up.

By the same token, not getting enough fiber in your diet will cause similar problems. Your body should produce a solid, easily expelled bowel movement at least once or twice each day naturally. When you don’t get enough fiber however, the stool can harden and get backed up in your system, making it difficult for the colon to expel it properly. This is one of the reason’s people strain when using the bathroom, because there isn’t enough fiber bulk in the colon to help the stool expel naturally.

Additional fiber can easily be added to your daily regimen by simply eating more fresh vegetables and grains. You can also get additional fiber with certain herbs too though: Chlorophyll is an excellent one which helps regulate your bowel movements, Alfalfa is another, and Slippery Elm is an excellent herb to use for cleansing the bowels, colon and digestive tract.

Getting additional exercise or movement into your day is another natural way to help reduce, eliminate, or prevent hemorrhoids too – especially if you’re fairly sedentary, or you have a job which keeps you sitting down all day.

Now, while the above methods are excellent ways to reduce, eliminate and prevent hemorrhoids, many people already have them and are desperately looking for some relief. Particularly relief from the itching, burning sensations that usually occur with external hemorrhoids. So, here’s my favorite herbal home remedy for dealing with hemorrhoids fast:

• 1 gel cap of Goldden Seal
• 1 gel cap of White Willow
• 1 gel cap of  pure Aloe Vera juice or gel

Open the gel capsules and pour the ground, powdered herb onto a dish. Stir in enough Aloe vera juice to mix everything well. Now, apply this to the hemorrhoids. Within just a few hours the problems will be drastically reduced, if not completely gone. It’s a good idea to apply the mixture before going to bed, then you can wake up to complete relief in the morning.

If you have internal hemorrhoids, the same recipe can be used. You’ll need to insert a small amount of the mixture into your anus however, so that it can reach the hemorrhoids hiding inside.

The urinary tract is the body’s filtering system for removal of liquid wastes. While women are more affected by urinary tract infections than men, they are painful for either sex and can morph into a kidney infection if not properly treated. Most UTIs can be treated with prevention–dietary discipline and use of some herbs.

The most common cause of UTIs is bacterial organisms which reside in the vicinity of the vagina and rectum. These organisms enter the urinary tract via the urethra. Once these organisms have entered the urethra they ascend up to the bladder and, rarely can ascend up into the kidney. There are several ways bacteria can enter the urethra but one of the most common causes of UTIs in females is sexual intercourse. Those females who have multiple sexual partners and have frequent intercourse are also more prone to UTIs, compared to females who are in a monogamous relationship. There are some rare unlucky females who get a UTI every time they have intercourse.

The symptoms of UTI are usually easily identified. The majority of females will have painful urination or a burning sensation during urination. Other associated symptoms may include frequent urination and an odd ache in the lower abdomen and genital area. These symptoms generally do not spontaneously disappear unless the individual is treated.

In most cases, the treatment of UTIs is relatively simple. However, sometimes the bacteria may spread and cause a severe infection of the kidney. Unlike UTIs, infection of the kidney is a much more painful condition, associated with fevers, back pain, vomiting, and nausea; most require admission to the hospital and patients have to be given intravenous antibiotics.

The diagnosis of a UTI is straightforward. In many females the symptoms are so typical that the physician simply prescribes an antibiotic. However, the correct way to make a diagnosis is to collect a clean specimen of urine and analyze it for bacteria and the presence of white blood cells. In many cases, the patient calls the physician over the phone and describes the symptoms. The physician usually calls in a prescription and if the symptoms disappear, the diagnosis was correct and there is no need for further testing.

However, if a female is pregnant, confirmation about the bacteria must be made. This is because if inadequately treated, the bacteria can cause serious complications, including a miscarriage. On the other hand, if there is no infection, the pregnant female is saved from taking any antibiotics that may potentially harm her fetus.

Reference: Herbs for the Urinary Tract

Why would anyone want to have a period if that means heavy bleeding, clotting, and pain every month for 30 years? Well, menstruation and painful periods are two different subjects, but marketing is targeting menstruation as a problem in general.

A few years ago millions of menopausal women were warned to stop taking estrogen after the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study showed adverse effects of hormone replacement therapy outweighed the benefits because it put women at much greater risk for heart disease. In direct conflict with its earlier study, the WHI now says that hormone replacement therapy is good for your heart.

Confusion

How can women get it right? During her fertile years, a woman is told to take birth control pills (synthetic hormones) to prevent pregnancy . . . unless she has irregular periods.

If she has irregular periods, she’s told to take birth control pills to regulate her period, but too much estrogen can cause her to have painful periods.

In that case, she should take menstrual suppression drugs like Lybrel so she never has a period again.

But what about all the reasons you weren’t supposed to take birth control pills like blood clots and cancer?

The Role of Hormones

Synthetic hormones are made to mimic natural hormones. They do the job, but don’t have the same benefits.

For instance, natural progesterone gives protection against heart disease and cancer by forming metabolites that calm the brain and helps us sleep. Natural progesterone is also key in forming nitric oxide which helps blood flow to the heart.

Synthetic hormones do not convert into metabolites so there is no benefit to the brain or heart. Also, it is well documented that every synthetic progesterone increases risk of breast cancer. The risk compounds for every year of use.

Any synthetic progestin–birth control pills–will increase your risk of breast cancer. The younger a woman starts using a birth control pill, the more likely she’ll get breast cancer.

Another aspect of synthetic hormones is that they suppress all the natural sex hormones including estradiol–the natural estrogen your body makes which you need for brain function, bone function, cardiovascular health.

Menstruation is a sign of health, but there are many negative connotations about menstruation, and drug companies are marketing to these negative connotations. Menstrual suppression drugs such as Lybrel are marketed as lifestyle drugs.

When women stop menstruating before menopause, it’s usually a sign of illness such as a metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovaries, extreme stress, or over exercising.

If a woman is having problem periods, it’s usually a sign that her hormones are out of balance. A doctor can help with this issue by checking thyroid function. A thyroid deficiency will cause an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone causing heavy bleeding and discomfort.

Or, it may be a dietary issue–heavy sugars and starches can throw off hormones too. This often happens as a woman approaches menopause, but lately young women experience it as well due to the amount of endocrine disruptors in the environment and poor diet in general.

If you examine the research behind menstrual suppression drugs, you will find it mostly focuses on problem periods, PMS or dysmenorrhea, but there is little research on menstruation itself.

In marketing campaigns, menstruation is treated as a health problem that needs to be managed. Hormones/birth control pills are repurposed as a lifestyle drug and a means for women to opt out of having periods.

When women stop menstruating some of the problems they can experience are:

6x greater risk of blood clots
4x greater risk of dieing from a stroke
4x greater risk of heart attack
3x greater risk of migraine headache
2x greater risk of high blood pressure
2x greater risk of cancer (cervical, breast, endometrial)

But on the bright side, you won’t have a period.

References:

• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause
• No More Periods? The Risks of Menstrual Suppression and Other Cutting-Edge Issues About Hormones and Women’s Health