Taboo subject hemorrhoids: How to clean your butt, Mr. Proctologist?

Zieker-Fischer says you can’t say that in general. Sitting on the toilet for a long time can cause negative effects along with straining. Gravity allows blood to flow downwards towards the anus. This puts pressure on the rectal area, including hemorrhoids. “Diarrhea with a lot of pressure also has this effect.” According to Zieker-Fischer, diarrhea is defined as the frequency of defecation more than three times a day and its consistency is not clear.

Zieker-Fischer says this assumption is wrong. Research shows that men sit on the toilet longer and more often than women. However, women probably suffer from hemorrhoids just as much as men. The problem is that men are more embarrassed by this than women, so they often postpone going to the doctor for a long time and are therefore more likely to present with advanced hemorrhoidal disease. “That’s why I want to remove the taboos surrounding hemorrhoids.”

“This is an exaggeration,” says Zieker-Fischer. Of course, if you sit on a hot surface for hours, blood vessels will dilate. “But if you turn on the seat heating on your way to work when temperatures are low, you won’t have to worry about hemorrhoids.” He adds that sitting on cold surfaces such as stones has no effect on them either. However, it can lead to anal vein thrombosis, which manifests as a painful swelling in the anus and is often confused with hemorrhoidal diseases.

Zieker-Fischer says hygiene has no effect on the growth of hemorrhoids, but it does have an effect on the pain. He recommends spending as little time as possible sitting on the toilet and applying toilet paper to the skin of the anus as little as possible. “The gold standard for cleaning the anus is the butt douche. You can do this by standing in the shower or sitting on the edge of the tub and gently cleansing with shower and warm water. Zieker-Fischer says she only recommends toilet paper for the worst-case situations and advises against wet wipes. “The preservatives they contain can irritate the skin.”

“Without medical support, a return to the original state is almost impossible.” It advises against creams you buy from pharmacies without a doctor’s advice. “They often just relieve symptoms and allow many people to wait until they see a proctologist.” The more advanced a condition is, the more complex it becomes to treat. Depending on the stage – there are four of them – hemorrhoids can be destroyed with injections or tied with a rubber band, after which part of them dies. In more advanced stages, only surgical intervention can help.