Lifestyle advice
Lifestyle advice
Constipation and straining during bowel movement can make piles worse. To help avoid this, you can recommend the following:
Eat a high fibre diet with fruits, vegetables and wholegrain food
Drink plenty of fluids, at least eight glasses a day (preferably water)
Go to the toilet immediately when you need to pass stools
Try to avoid straining during bowel movement
Exercise regularly as it can help stimulate regular bowel movement1
Other advice you can give your customers includes: use damp toilet paper to wipe their bottom; use an ice pack wrapped in a towel to ease discomfort; have a warm bath to ease itching and pain; keep their bottom clean and dry; don’t wipe too hard after a bowel movement; cut down on alcohol and caffeine; and avoid painkillers containing codeine (which can cause constipation).4
When to refer3,4
Customers should be advised to see their GP if:
There is no improvement after 7 days of treatment at home
They have persistent or severe symptoms
Customers should be advised to always get any rectal bleeding checked out to rule out more potentially serious causes.