Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, are bulging veins in the anus and rectum that cause pain, itching, and rectal bleeding. They may be internal or exterior.

Internal hemorrhoids in the rectum are usually not visible or felt. External hemorrhoids appear on the anus's outer skin.

Hemorrhoids are quite prevalent. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), one in every twenty Americans will encounter them at some point.

They usually go away on their own after a few weeks, but they can cause mild to severe discomfort.

Here are several home remedies and treatments that can help reduce their impact.

1. OTC ointments
OTC ointments and lotions, such as Preparation H, are available in practically every drugstore and can provide instant relief. Some may even help your hemorrhoid heal faster by reducing swelling. However, if you use hydrocortisone cream, don't use it for more than a week at a time.

2. Stool softeners
Stool softeners or fiber supplements, such as psyllium, can make stool softer, reduce constipation, or make it easier to have quick, painless bowel movements. Many of these stool softeners come as powders, capsules, and liquids that you take orally one to three times per day.

3. Home remedies
- A warm Epsom salt bath. Warm baths can help relieve hemorrhoid inflammation. After each bowel movement, take a warm bath or sitz bath for 20 minutes. Adding Epsom salt to the bath can provide further pain relief.

- Cold compresses. Apply ice packs or cold compresses to the anus for 15 minutes at a time to alleviate the swelling. Cold compresses can be a highly effective therapy for large, painful hemorrhoids.

- Witch hazel. It can alleviate itching and pain, the two most common symptoms of external hemorrhoids. Because it is a natural anti-inflammatory, it can also help to relieve edema.

- Aloe vera gel. Hemorrhoids and skin disorders are frequently treated with aloe vera gel. It is known to contain anti-inflammatory qualities that may aid in reducing discomfort.

- Tea tree oil. It is a natural antibacterial that may aid in the relief of pain, itching, and discomfort. Tea tree oil may also aid in the battle against germs that can cause infections in damaged or irritated skin.

4. Medical or surgical treatment
- Nifedipine ointment with lidocaine. This is for discomfort and swelling caused by blood clots in hemorrhoids.

- Corticosteroid creams or ointments on prescription. Analpram (hydrocortisone with pramoxine) helps with itching and swelling.

- Rubber band tying. A rubber band is wrapped around your hemorrhoid to cut off blood flow, causing the hemorrhoid to shrink in a matter of days.

- Sclerotherapy. A chemical is injected into the hemorrhoid, which hardens the blood vessel walls and causes the hemorrhoid to shrink.

- Coagulation via infrared light. Infrared light breaks down tissue in the anus, causing blood flow to the hemorrhoid to decrease and the hemorrhoid to shrink.

- Excisional hemorrhoidectomy. A surgeon will use a knife and other equipment to remove the hemorrhoid from your anus or rectum while under general anesthetic. Excisional hemorrhoidectomy can cause major pain for several weeks and is only used in extreme circumstances if other therapies have failed.

- Hemorrhoidopexy using staples. A surgeon uses a circular stapling device to bind the hemorrhoid back into the anal or rectal tissues so that it no longer stands out and causes pain or discomfort while sitting or going to the restroom. Although it is less painful and invasive than an excision, it does not always prevent the hemorrhoid from returning.

- Doppler-guided hemorrhoid artery ligation. A surgeon uses an ultrasound instrument to locate the artery that supplies blood to the hemorrhoid. The surgeon will next sever the blood vessel and sew the hemorrhoid back onto the anal or rectal tissues.