Haemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum. These inflamed veins are often painful; they cause symptoms like itching, general discomfort, and even bleeding in some cases. Haemorrhoids are most commonly caused in people who suffer from constipation and have to push very hard during bowel movements regularly. Haemorrhoids do not hold the risk of many serious medical complications; however, the condition is a quality-of-life issue that can make your daily life uncomfortable. If left untreated, haemorrhoids can advance, which would require medical treatment and even surgery in some cases.
The primary cause of haemorrhoids is lifestyle and dietary factors. If you have a low fibre diet and are regularly dehydrated, it increases your chance of haemorrhoids. Similarly, if you already have haemorrhoids, certain food items can exaggerate your symptoms. These food items can irritate your stomach, increase your constipation symptoms, and lead to pain, irritation, and advancement of your haemorrhoids.
In this blog, you’ll learn about five foods to avoid, along with better alternatives that can help reduce pain, prevent constipation, and support faster relief from piles. So, which foods should you avoid if you have haemorrhoids? Let’s find out.
Diet is directly related to haemorrhoids. It can cause, advance, and even heal haemorrhoids. Without altering your diet, it is not possible to get long-term relief from haemorrhoids. Think of it like this: if you have foot pain while running, and you’re trying to ice your hands while you run every day, will your foot pain ever go away? Your body is not an endurance test; it doesn’t have to be pushed to the limit. For medical conditions like haemorrhoids, you don’t get stronger or grow muscle or anything; you just get sick, and your symptoms start affecting other parts of your body slowly.
On the contrary, moderating and changing your diet helps your body soften stool and pass it easily during bowel movements. While this alone cannot treat haemorrhoids, but it at least does not worsen the condition further.
If you have ever had spicy food, the common experience shared by all human beings globally is that it makes the next bowel movement somewhat painful and uncomfortable. If you have spicy food when you already have haemorrhoids, it will worsen your symptoms and cause more burning and discomfort. Spicy food doesn’t contribute to your risk of forming haemorrhoids, but it can worsen your existing haemorrhoids by making your condition harder to manage. If you’re already diagnosed with haemorrhoids, it is important to opt for mildly seasoned food and choose boiled vegetables and soft food that’s both easy on your stomach and digestive system. This will help you slowly heal your condition.
Better Alternatives: Opt for milder seasonings like turmeric, cumin, or herbs for flavor without irritation.
Junk food, which typically refers to food items that are packaged and sold as fast food, is low in nutrients. They contain unhealthy fats and are low in fibre. When you consume such food in large amounts, especially when you have haemorrhoids already, it slows digestion and increases your risk of constipation. In fact, junk food also increases your risk of hypertension and high cholesterol levels in your body, so it should be avoided anyway. If you have haemorrhoids already, consider switching from junk food to natural food like fruits and vegetables. You should also consider having whole grains, as it supports smooth digestion.
Better Alternatives: Replace chips with roasted nuts, fried snacks with roasted chickpeas, and fast foods with homemade, balanced meals using whole ingredients.
Red meat is often considered bad for people with haemorrhoids since it is harder to digest, has little to no fibre content, and can cause symptoms like constipation. This is because regular red meat consumption can increase the time between your bowel movements and contribute to harder stools. This can worsen existing symptoms and also cause difficulty passing stool. The alternative is to switch to a lighter protein source. You can choose lean meats or choose vegetarian protein sources like lentils or beans. Each of these options will help you heal faster without compromising your protein intake.
Better Alternatives: Lean proteins like chicken, fish, or plant-based options such as legumes, tofu, and lentils.
Caffeine or alcohol causes dehydration. If you consume caffeine and alcohol regularly, you have to drink a lot of water to rehydrate yourself. Most people fail to rehydrate as required, and if you already have haemorrhoids, it causes further strain. Why? Because dehydration causes stool to become hard, it makes it harder to pass. Alcohol and caffeine consumption can worsen haemorrhoids and delay healing. The better option is to stop your caffeine and alcohol consumption when you’re on the mend for haemorrhoids. Replace that with drinking more water and other fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, or even tea and other herbal beverages.
Better Alternatives: Choose water, coconut water, fresh fruit juices, herbal teas, or buttermilk for hydration.
Lactose intolerance is a real problem among many Indians, and in fact, it is one of the most underreported allergies in people. Since the symptoms of lactose intolerance are not severe, it is often misunderstood or untreated. If you already have haemorrhoids and you have lactose intolerance, consuming dairy products can worsen your symptoms. This is mainly because dairy products cause abdominal gas and bloating among people with lactose intolerance. This can, in turn, increase the risk of constipation and also make it difficult to pass stool. The added strain this can cause will only worsen your existing haemorrhoid symptoms.
Better Alternatives: Oat milk - Rich in soluble fiber → helps soften stools, Almond milk - Light and easy to digest and Plant-based yogurt with probiotics - Soy or almond yogurt with live cultures helps digestion.
If you have haemorrhoids, managing your condition is much more than just avoiding certain food items. You also have to replace each food you take out of your diet with something that can actually help you manage your condition. This includes food that can help you support healing and reduce discomfort. Some of the best foods include:
Fibre is the key to softening your stool and reducing constipation. Adding food like spinach and other fresh greens, fruits like apples, and whole grains to your diet can increase your fibre intake significantly. This helps improve your stool and bowel movements, which prevents further irritation to your haemorrhoids. However, there’s something important to consider here: if you’re not used to a high-fibre diet, please consider adding fibre to your diet slowly. Otherwise, it can have negative effects on your health.
While this is not a specific food, this advice works well for people suffering from haemorrhoids. Unless your comfort food is spicy and rich in spices, you’re good to go. Generally, curd rice, khichdi, soups, steamed and boiled food are all considered soothing and easy-to-digest food that’s good for your health. If you want, you can also have boiled lean meats and beans to ensure the soothing food is also still meeting your daily protein intake.
Again, while not a specific food itself, this category of food, which includes coconut water, buttermilk, fruit juice, and electrolytes are good for your overall health and they especially help minimise the symptoms of haemorrhoids. If you have haemorrhoids, you have to also consider just drinking more water in general to manage your symptoms and promote healing.
A high-fibre diet may not be possible in some cases if you have other medical conditions that prevent you from consuming dietary fibre from normal food sources. In such cases, you can consider adding specific stool-softening foods to your diet that can help you get the same benefits without any other impact on your health. Examples include flaxseeds, soaked raisins, and isabgol. It is important to note that stool-softening foods are best consumed with advice from your healthcare provider.
While diet and lifestyle measures often provide relief, advanced or chronic piles may need medical intervention. At MASSH Hospital, patients gain access to cutting-edge technology and experienced specialists who personalize treatment based on severity.
Small and consistent changes to your diet are the key to treating haemorrhoids safely and surely. It is important to understand that haemorrhoids are not formed in a day, and they can’t be treated in a day, either. So, diet changes need to be consistent and planned. This will help you manage haemorrhoids in the long term and also avoid flare-ups. Here are some tips that will help you significantly.
Haemorrhoids can be treated naturally at home with the right mix of dietary and lifestyle changes. However, that’s not true for all cases. Haemorrhoids can sometimes get to an advanced stage where homemade remedies and lifestyle changes are no longer enough. What is the point when diet alone isn’t enough to treat haemorrhoids anymore? Let’s find out.
Since haemorrhoids are a medical condition it presents symptoms. Here are some symptoms you should note. If these symptoms persist, it may be time for you to choose medical treatment for your haemorrhoids.
If you have the symptoms mentioned above, you should consider visiting a doctor. You don’t have to wait to see if the symptoms go away on their own. Even noticing blood in stool once or twice warrants a medical checkup. This will help you get the condition diagnosed as early as possible.
Also called Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy, MIPH is a keyhole surgical technique that lifts and staples prolapsed hemorrhoidal tissue back into position.
Benefits:
This state-of-the-art technique uses a high-precision laser beam to shrink hemorrhoids safely and effectively.
Advantages:
Even after treatment, piles can recur if underlying habits are not improved. Prevention is key:
Haemorrhoids can be very painful and difficult to manage unless you follow adequate management measures. This is why it is important to avoid certain food items and take care of your health in the process. Subtractive haemorrhoid treatment is effective, but also remember to add good lifestyle and dietary habits to your life for long-term relief. For more information about haemorrhoid (Piles) treatment, feel free to reach out to our specialists at the MASSH Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi through our website. We can help you create personalised treatment plans that are able to help you manage haemorrhoids and maintain a healthy lifestyle in general.
1. What are haemorrhoids?
Haemorrhoids are swollen veins in your anus or lower rectum that are caused by excessive straining when passing stool. These swollen veins are painful and cause irritation. The swollen veins can also bleed during bowel movements.
2. How do you manage haemorrhoids at home?
The best way to manage haemorrhoids at home is to avoid its triggers. So, you must stop eating spicy food, consuming alcohol, having junk or processed food, and limit your red meat intake. This process will help you manage the symptoms of haemorrhoids and treat the condition over time.
3. What is the best food for haemorrhoids?
The best food for haemorrhoids is comfort food that is easy to digest. So, khichdi, curd rice, soups, and boiled vegetables often rank highly when it comes to food that helps relieve the symptoms of haemorrhoids. You can also consider adding stool softening food to your diet. It will help you reduce your risk of haemorrhoids worsening.
4. What food should I avoid with haemorrhoids?
If you have haemorrhoids, you should avoid caffeine, alcohol, red meat, spicy food, and processed/junk food. These food items can irritate your excretory system and also put stress on your digestive system in a way that adds to your risk of constipation.
5. When should I visit a doctor with haemorrhoids?
If you experience blood in your stool more than once, you should consider visiting a specialist in South Delhi. Other symptoms, like irritation and pain in your anal region, are also symptoms you should not ignore and discuss with your doctor if they persist.
MASSH Super Speciality Hospital Gastroenterology Team
Our highly experienced gastroenterologists have expertise in advanced treatment options for haemorrhoids. Their clinical focus includes the management of complex haemorrhoid-related medical complications. Treatments are often accompanied by lifestyle and metabolic guidelines for long-term sustainable haemorrhoid management.
This blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified gastroenterologist in Delhi for proper evaluation and treatment recommendations.
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