HEMORRHOIDS (Almoranas)

Symptoms:
If there is contaminated gas and blood in the body which cannot get out, the veins and capillaries around the anus become swollen due to the pressure, and ultimately remain swollen. When this happens it is called 'developed piles.' When developed piles appear outside the anus they are called 'external,' and when the appear inside they are called 'internal.'

When, under pressure of the Apana Vayu (vital energy controlling the lower abdominal organs), blood starts oozing out of the developed piles, they are called 'bleeding piles.' But not all piles bleed. If, instead, they are painful, aching, burning or itching, they are called 'dry piles.'

Causes:
Constipation due to the defective functioning of the liver is the main cause of piles, but generally no serious ailment can develop for one reason only. Like other serious diseases, piles is a disease of the entire system, so there are many other reasons for its development also. The first and foremost of these reasons is lack of physical exercise and the second is sexual over indulgence. Straining at stool often aggravates the disease. Remember that without constipation and defective functioning of the liver one can never suffer from piles.

Treatment:
Morning - Utks’epa Mudra, Uddayana Mudra, Janushirasana, Shalabhasana or Mayurasana, Agnisara Mudra, Padahastasana and Ashvinii Mudra.

Evening - Agnisara Mudra, Bhastrikasana, Sarvaungasana, Matsyamudra, Shashaungasana and Ashvinii Mudra.

Diet:
If the patient of piles feels hungry early in the morning, he or she may eat some sweet or sour juicy fruit. At noon take a lot of leafy vegetables, or soup made from leafy vegetables, along with a small quantity of rice or fresh ruti (chapati-- flat bread made from whole wheat flour.) Arum (Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Bl) curd water, soup, figs, mana kacu, patol, tomato, spinach, green pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo Linn), squash, (Lagenaria vulgaris Seringe), and nuneshak are particularly beneficial. The patient should drink a glass of curd water twice a day.

Do’s and Don’ts:
It is not possible to achieve a permanent cure by removing the developed piles through surgery or through stopping the bleeding by any method, because if the root causes are not eliminated, the disease may attack again at any moment, or the contaminated gas and blood in the body may cause some other disease. Therefore, though it may not be improper to employ some temporary expedient to stop severe bleeding at the critical stage, the liver has to be restored in order to obtain a permanent cure. If the liver becomes healthy, the piles will disappear without any treatment.

The patient has to be careful to have a sharp appetite at noon. With piles all extra alkaline food must be carefully avoided. It is desirable for the patients to avoid eating plantain spath, plantain flower, plantain fruit or meoya fruit. At the critical stage of the disease fasting is always recommended. During fasting, plenty of water, and, if desired, sweet or sour citrus juices mixed in water may be consumed. Piles patients should not eat hot (i.e. spicy), salty or rough foods.

Some remedies:
1. After defecation wash the anus with alum water. If one applies slightly warm neem ghee prepared from tender young neem, or margosa (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) leaves on the developed piles, the disease will be cured within a few days. It is desirable to use this neem ghee at bedtime also.

2. In the early morning take 2 tolas of dugdhaksira juice on an empty stomach. This will bring good results.

3. In cases of severe bleeding, drinking 1 tola of kuksima, or in its absence durba juice twice a day will produce good results.

4. A very favorable result can be obtained if 1 tola of husked black sesame seeds mixed with 2 tolas of butter are taken early in the morning.

5. The developed piles will gradually disappear, if, applying a piece of simula cotton soaked in kuksima juice on them like a bandage they are exposed to the sun every day for a few days.
6. 2 tolas of myrobalan pulverized in cow's urine, taken regularly along with cane gur (raw sugar) over a period of twenty one days, by licking it, will have a wonderful effect.

7. Slowly sipping old raw sugar of dates, mixed in water, early in the morning, will relieve the severity of piles.

8. Vyapaka shoaca before and after meals is a must for all piles patients.

Source: YOGIKA CHIKITSA