The hemorrhoid is quite an embarrassing illness.
Some patients would not like to disclose that they are suffering from piles.
Consequently, the true prevalence of pathologic hemorrhoids is not known.
Many people prefer to get home remedies for hemorrhoids usable in the privacy of their homes.
Essential oils for piles are popularly used as a natural remedy.
Among the essential oils, tea tree oil for hemorrhoid treatment is one of the most preferred.
This oil is exceptionally useful for reducing the symptoms of hemorrhoids.
However, this may not help much with the internal inflammations inside the rectum or burst piles.
Hemorrhoids: An Overview
According to a WebMD article, hemorrhoids are inflamed veins in the lowest part of your anus and rectum.
It is caused by overstretching of the walls of the tiny blood vessels. The veins become so thin that they irritate and bulge out, especially when you pass stool.
Swollen or inflamed hemorrhoids are also called piles.
Hemorrhoids can be either internal or external.
Internal hemorrhoids are deep inside the rectum and cannot be seen or felt. They don’t generally cause pain or irritation, as pain-sensing nerves are very few there.
A blood-tinged stool is the main symptom of internal hemorrhoids.
External hemorrhoids appear just outside and around the anus. They cause severe pain, itching, and bleeding as numerous pain-sensing nerves are present.
External hemorrhoids can prolapse or get bigger and bulge outside the anal sphincter.
Hemorrhoidal symptoms have, over the centuries, been treated with incantations, voodoo, quackery, dietary modifications, and the application of a hot poker.
Currently, prescription medicines for treating hemorrhoids include:
- Steroid,
- Anesthetic,
- Dietary supplement,
- Medical procedure,
- Cauterization,
- Rubber band ligation,
- Freezing,
- Sclerotherapy,
- Stapled hemorrhoidopexy.
Natural remedies like tea tree oil, witch hazel, Epsom salt, or sitz bath effectively treat external hemorrhoid symptoms.
What Is Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant, which is found on the northeast coast of Australia and New Zealand.
This oil, also known as melaleuca oil or ti-tree oil, has a fresh camphoraceous odor, and its color ranges from pale yellow to colorless and clear.
In folk medicine, tea tree oil treats various skin and hair conditions, including dandruff, acne, lice, herpes, and other infections.
This oil has antimicrobial properties beneficial for treating the common infections on skin and hair caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses.
It also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce the symptoms of inflammation like swelling, pain, and itching.
Although it has been used in traditional medicine, little evidence supports these uses.
According to the American Cancer Society, “despite years of use, available clinical evidence does not support the effectiveness of this oil for treating skin problems and infections in humans.”
Benefits Of Using Tea Tree Oil For Hemorrhoids
Some reports suggest that the anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties of TTO are useful for reducing the itching and swelling caused by hemorrhoids.
Some early research found that a gel made with tea tree oil decreased symptoms, but studies are lacking.
Some of the therapeutic properties of this oil are exceptionally valuable for the home treatment of painful hemorrhoids.
The anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, and antiseptic properties of TTO help most in reducing the symptoms of piles.
It helps in easing the inflamed capillaries and ruptured tissues.
It soothes and alleviates the stinging, itching, and burning discomfort associated with severe hemorrhoids.
It prevents microbial infections that can occur in the inflamed areas of the skin around the anus.
When this oil is applied to inflamed wounds, it helps clot blood and stop bleeding.
Ways To Use Tea Tree Oil Treatment For Piles
This oil contains powerful chemical ingredients that can irritate and burn the skin without diluting them.
For this reason, the TTO remedy for piles is a careful process.
Before use, dilute the TTO in suitable carrier oils like coconut oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil, or olive oil.
It is important to note that TTO is strictly unsuitable for internal consumption as it contains toxic contents unsafe for health.
TTO quickly breaks down in the presence of oxygen and sunlight. For this reason, keep the oil tightly closed in its container without direct exposure to sunlight.
It is most effective to dilute the oil before you treat it.
If you are using homemade remedies for hemorrhoids that contain tea tree oil as an ingredient, it must be stored in tightly closed tubes or tubs.
In folk medicines for piles, TTO is combined with other natural ingredients.
Like witch hazel extracts, shea butter, and glycerin.
Let us look at some of the best ways you can use TTO to treat piles in babies and adults.
Topical application
After the bowel movement, use a sitz bath for 15 minutes.
Clean and dry the anal area with clean tissue paper.
You can apply the diluted tea tree oil to the hemorrhoid-affected area using a cotton ball.
For local application, dilute four drops of TTO in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or sweet almond oil.
For fast relief, you could repeat the treatment three times a day.
Always cleanse the hemorrhoids-affected area before you locally apply the oil to hemorrhoids.
Adding oil to a warm water bath
Add ten drops of TTO to the warm water you will use for the bath.
Allow the hemorrhoids affected area to remain soaked in the oil-treated warm water for 10 minutes.
It is best to use it in the bathtub or sitz bath.
Washing or soaking the piles in a warm water bath can give excellent relief from the itching, pain, and swelling caused by the disease.
You can also add other essential oils for hemorrhoids like clove oil, lavender oil, frankincense oil, or myrtle essential oils. to your bath. Cypress essential oil also helps treat hemorrhoids.
Hot or cold compress
Add a few drops of TTO to 1 liter of warm or ice-cold water.
Soak a clean, soft cotton towel or pantyliner in the oil-treated water; squeeze the excess water out.
Use the oil-soaked towel to compress the affected area.
You can also pull over the briefs or panty to fix the towel or liner to hold the compress in place for a few hours.
Using oil suppositories
Suppositories are useful for treating internal hemorrhoids.
For hemorrhoid treatment, you may find herbal remedies such as suppositories in organic medical stores.
You can also prepare homemade TTO suppositories.
However, before you proceed with suppositories, it is important to consult your doctor on the viability of the treatment.
Recipe and procedure for tea tree oil suppositories:
Take a tablespoon of melted coconut oil and add five drops of tea tree oil.
Transfer the well-blended oil mixture into a suppository mold and place the mold in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Insert the pencil-shaped frozen and solidified oil blend into the anus and place it deep inside the rectum.
Use the TTO suppository treatment for piles once or twice daily.
It is best to use the suppository treatment before sleeping at night. As you lie down on the bed, the oil mixture conveniently stays in the rectum without leaking out.
Side Effects Of Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil contains toxic elements that can harm your system if taken internally.
It contains chemical properties that may irritate or burn the skin tissues if used without dilution.
TTO is not suitable for minors or pregnant women.
Do not spill even a little undiluted TTO into your eyes, nostrils, mouth, or open wounds.
Keep the TTO concentration below 10% after diluting carrier oils or water.
If TTO is consumed internally, it may cause health issues such as:
- nausea
- stomach pain
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- allergic reactions
- headache
- high blood pressure
- hallucinations
- drowsiness.
Using undiluted TTO on the skin may cause side effects like:
- itching
- burning
- rashes
- allergic reactions
- scars.
While using TTO for hemorrhoid treatment, avoid the oil penetrating the rectal canal as far as possible.
The mucus membrane in the rectal canal is highly delicate and sensitive; it may not withstand the harshness of TTO.
Initially, you should try a very small dose of tea tree oil on the hemorrhoids-affected area to see if any side effects occur within an hour or two.
If you experience any physical discomfort after using TTO, you should discontinue this oil for piles treatment.
The Final Thought
As you have already read, tea tree oils have a few potent therapeutic properties that can effectively reduce the symptoms of piles.
Using tea tree oil treatment for hemorrhoid relief rightly and intelligently can bring you fast relief from pain, itching, and swelling caused by the disease.
You may combine TTO with regular treatments or other natural remedies to fast-cure piles. Witch hazel and apple cider vinegar remedies are popular.
You can accelerate the healing process by having a hemorrhoid-friendly diet and exercising along with the treatments.
Tea tree oil may help reduce the symptoms of piles, but it is not a stand-alone medicine you should entirely depend on. It helps shrink hemorrhoids.
If you haven’t started improving within two days of using tea tree oil for piles, you should consult a doctor for regular treatments.
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