Taboo subject hemorrhoids: How do you clean your butt, dear proctologist?

You can’t say that in general terms, says Zieker-Fischer. Sitting on the toilet together with pressing the toilet for a long time causes negative effects. Gravity causes blood to flow towards the anus. This strains the rectum, including hemorrhoids. “Diarrhea with too much pressure also has this effect.” Diarrhea, according to Zieker-Fischer, is the frequency of stools more than three times a day with no apparent consistency.

Zieker-Fischer says this assumption is wrong. Studies show that men sit on the toilet longer and more often than women. However, women will likely suffer from hemorrhoids just as often as men. The problem is that men are more shy than women, so they often put off going to the doctor for a long time and are therefore more likely to present themselves with advanced hemorrhoids. “This is exactly why I want to break the taboo on hemorrhoids.”

“This is an exaggeration,” says Zieker-Fischer. Of course, if you sit on a hot surface for hours, blood vessels expand. “But if you turn on the heated seats on the way to work when it’s cold, you don’t have to worry about your hemorrhoids.” Sitting on stone-cold ground doesn’t affect them either, he adds. However, it can lead to anal vein thrombosis, which presents as a painful lump on the anus and is often confused with hemorrhoids.

Zieker-Fischer says hygiene has no effect on the growth of hemorrhoids, but does affect the pain. He recommends sitting on the toilet as little as possible and avoiding stretching the skin of the anus with toilet paper as much as possible. «The golden start for cleaning the anus is the lower shower. You can stand under the shower or sit on the edge of the tub and gently clean it with a shower head and warm water.» Zieker-Fischer says he only recommends toilet paper for the worst and advises against wet wipes. “The preservatives they contain can irritate the skin.”

“It is almost impossible to return to the original state without medical support.” He advises against the creams you buy from pharmacies without the advice of a doctor. “They usually only relieve symptoms and make many wait until they see a proctologist.” The more advanced a disease is, the more complex its treatment becomes. Depending on the stage – there are four – hemorrhoids can be hardened with syringes or tied with a rubber band, on which some of them die. In more advanced stages, only surgery can help.