Definition: Hemorrhoids (HEM-uh-roids)- swollen and inflamed veins in your anus and lower rectum.
If you Google or ask your doctor, “What causes hemorrhoids?” you may get one of the following answers. #1 constipation #2 pregnancy #3, “No good reason at all! ”
Here’s the thing: the human body does NOT do anything for “no reason at all.” There’s always a reason. As you already know, chronic straining during bowel movements can lead to hemorrhoids. So, I won’t get into the proper diet and drink enough water to avoid constipation. I want to look at a lesser-known reason for hemorrhoids…the liver.
The Liver
The liver has around 500 known metabolic functions. A few of those functions are raising and lowering your blood sugar levels by storing or releasing glycogen, producing bile salts, plasma proteins, amino acids and cholesterol, breaking down hormones, making CoQ10, removing ammonia, activating and storing vitamin D, iron, b12 and vitamin A, oxidizing fats for energy, making blood coagulation products and changing sugar into fats such as triglycerides and neutralizes toxins! Wow, and I used to think it was just for processing alcohol. On top of all of that workload, all of the blood from the digestive organs passes through the liver via the portal vein. When the liver is overloaded, it causes backup flow in the digestive organs. This backup pressure contributes to intestinal bloating and pooling in the venous system. The most common vein to become engorged is the hemorrhoidal vein. No amount of preparation H is going to fix the problem if the liver is backed up.
The liver has two stages of detoxification, each requiring specific nutrients. If the second stage is not working as quickly as the first, it could make the situation worse! If you’re planning on optimizing your liver detox pathways, seek assistance from a functional nutritionist or ND.
Action steps to rid Roy:
- Learn self-abdominal massage >>> Make Shift Happen, a constipation cure online course <<< Even if you are not constipated, this course will teach you self-abdominal massage to decongest the abdomen, which will improve blood flow.
- Be kind to your liver. Get the proper nutrients for each stage of liver detoxification. Ditch the chemical body products and make-up. Your liver has to deal with everything you put in and on your body.
- Control your blood sugar. Get a blood sugar meter. If your liver is constantly regulating blood sugar, it can’t do its other several hundred jobs efficiently.
- Get a Visceral Manipulation™ treatment to improve liver motility and function and reduce intestinal congestion.
- Do your Liver Sounds.
- Stinging Nettle Leaf infusions. Nettles are a vascular tonic. Put one ounce by weight in a mason jar, fill it with boiling water, put the lid on, and let it steep for at least four hours or overnight. Strain it and put the infusion in the fridge. Nettle infusion is wonderful cold, but you can also drink it warm. Drink 3-4 cups a day several times a week.
Again, many folks suffer from hemorrhoids without ever having constipation, but I feel a hemorrhoid post wouldn’t be complete without talking about constipation. Since it can be a complex topic, I’ve dedicated an online course to it. There are more than 27 causes of constipation! So, getting to the root of the issue is essential.
In the Make Shift Happen course, you will learn specific massage techniques for each area of your colon as well as small intestine massage. You will also learn about nutrition, herbal remedies, exercises, and other ways to relieve constipation, gas, and bloating.
Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.