Where There Is No Doctor 2011 175
VARICOSE VEINS
Varicose veins are veins that are swollen, twisted, and often painful. They are
often seen on the legs of older people and of women who are pregnant or who have
had many children.
Treatment:
There is no medicine for varicose veins. But the
following will help:
♦ Do not spend much time standing or sitting with your
feet down. If you have no choice but to sit or stand for
long periods, try to lie down with your feet up (above
the level of the heart) for a few minutes every half hour.
When standing, try to walk in place. Or, repeatedly lift
your heels off the ground and put them back down.
Also, sleep with your feet up (on pillows).
♦ Use elastic stockings (support hose) or elastic bandages
to help hold in the veins. Be sure to take them off at night.
♦ Taking care of your veins in this way will help prevent chronic sores
or varicose ulcers on the ankles (p. 213).
PILES (HEMORRHOIDS)
Piles or hemorrhoids are varicose veins of the anus or rectum, which feel like little
lumps or balls. They may be painful, but are not dangerous. They frequently appear
during pregnancy and may go away afterwards.
♦ Certain bitter plant juices (witch hazel, cactus, etc.) dabbed on hemorrhoids
help shrink them. So do hemorrhoid suppositories (p. 391).
♦ Sitting in a bath of warm water can help the hemorrhoid heal.
♦ Piles may be caused in part by constipation. It helps to eat plenty
of fruit or food with a lot of fiber, like cassava or bran.
♦ Very large hemorrhoids may require an
operation. Get medical advice.
If a hemorrhoid begins to bleed, the bleeding
can sometimes be controlled by pressing with
a clean cloth directly on the hemorrhoid. If the
bleeding still does not stop, seek medical advice.
Or try to control the bleeding by removing the clot
that is inside the swollen vein.
anus
First, clean the anus with soap and water. Use
a blade that has been sterilized by boiling to cut
a small opening in the hemorrhoid. Use sterilized
tweezers to pull out the clot. Put pressure on the
cut with a clean cloth until bleeding stops.
hemorrhoid
blood clot
CAUTION: Do not try to cut the hemorrhoid
out. The person can bleed to death.