Most haemorrhoids — piles — heal on their own within a few days if you stop straining and keep your stools soft. The core treatment is simple: eat plenty of fibre (fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread, cereals), drink lots of fluid, go to the toilet as soon as you feel the urge, and don’t push hard or sit there scrolling on your phone. A warm bath eases itching and pain, and a pharmacist can recommend creams or suppositories to calm the symptoms while healing happens. See your GP if there’s no improvement after a week of home treatment, or if piles keep coming back.
Piles are swollen blood vessels inside or around the anus, and they are far more common than anyone admits — constipation, pregnancy, sitting for long periods and straining on the toilet are the usual culprits. They’re graded from 1 (small, internal) to 4 (permanently prolapsed), but most people dealing with a first flare-up have grade 1 or 2, which respond well to home treatment.
Soften your stools — this is the main treatment
Hard stools and straining are both the cause and the reason piles won’t heal. Fix the stools and you fix the problem. Eat plenty of fibre: fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils, porridge, wholemeal bread and high-fibre cereals. Drink lots of fluid — water, squash, herbal tea all count; alcohol and excess caffeine don’t help since they can be dehydrating. If diet alone isn’t enough, fibre supplements such as ispaghula husk (Fybogel is the well-known brand) or a gentle laxative from the pharmacy will keep things moving. Avoid codeine-based painkillers like co-codamol while you’re healing, because they cause constipation.
Change your toilet habits
Go as soon as you feel the urge — delaying lets more water absorb from the stool, making it harder. Don’t strain: if it’s not happening, get up and try later. And don’t sit on the toilet longer than you need to; the scrolling habit genuinely makes piles worse by increasing pressure on the veins. A small footstool to raise your knees can make passing stools easier, mimicking a more natural squatting position.
Ease the symptoms
- Warm baths: sit in a few inches of warm water for 10–15 minutes, a couple of times a day — it soothes itching and relaxes the area
- Cold packs: an ice pack wrapped in a towel, applied briefly, eases swelling and discomfort
- Creams and suppositories: a pharmacist can suggest preparations to relieve pain, itching and swelling — they won’t cure piles, but they make healing far more comfortable
- Paracetamol: for pain; avoid ibuprofen if your piles are bleeding
- Keep clean and dry: pat rather than rub after washing, and use damp toilet paper or fragrance-free wipes rather than dry paper
Diet underpins all of this — our guide on how much sugar you should eat a day is a useful companion piece for rebalancing what you eat, and how to strengthen your immune system covers general recovery habits that help your body heal.
Piles in pregnancy
Pregnancy makes piles very common — the growing uterus presses on pelvic veins, pregnancy hormones relax blood vessel walls, and constipation is more frequent. The reassuring news is that pregnancy piles usually resolve on their own after the birth. In the meantime, the same fibre-and-fluids approach applies, plus warm baths and avoiding standing for long stretches. Most over-the-counter pile creams are considered safe in pregnancy, but always check with your pharmacist or midwife first, as a few products aren’t recommended. Anything inserted rectally should be discussed with a healthcare professional. And mention persistent or heavy bleeding to your midwife rather than assuming it’s piles — in pregnancy it’s always worth getting checked.
What a pharmacist and GP can do
A pharmacist is a good first port of call: they can recommend creams, suggest laxatives or fibre supplements, and advise on cold packs — and many pharmacies have a private consultation area if you’d rather not discuss it at the counter. See your GP if symptoms are getting worse, there’s no improvement after a week of home treatment, piles keep recurring, or you notice any change around the anus that isn’t normal for you. The GP can prescribe stronger medicines and check nothing else is going on. The NHS piles page sets out the full self-care checklist.
If home treatment isn’t enough
Persistent piles can be treated in hospital, usually as an outpatient. The most common procedure is banding (rubber band ligation): a tiny band is placed around the pile to cut off its blood supply, and it shrivels and falls off within about a week. Other options include injections, electrotherapy and, for severe grade 4 piles, surgery (haemorrhoidectomy) under general anaesthetic. These are effective — but every specialist will tell you they only stay effective if the fibre, fluids and no-straining habits continue afterwards.
FAQs
How long do haemorrhoids take to heal?
Small piles often settle within a few days once straining stops and stools are soft. Larger or prolapsed piles can take a couple of weeks. If there’s no improvement after a week of proper home treatment, see your GP.
Can piles go away on their own?
Yes — grade 1 piles frequently resolve without any treatment beyond softer stools and better toilet habits. Creams and baths ease symptoms while your body does the healing.
What should I not do with haemorrhoids?
Don’t strain or sit on the toilet for long periods, don’t use codeine-based painkillers, don’t take ibuprofen if piles are bleeding, don’t wipe aggressively, and don’t ignore the urge to go.
Are haemorrhoids dangerous?
Piles themselves are not dangerous, but rectal bleeding should never be assumed to be “just piles” without consideration — persistent bleeding, changes in bowel habit or unexplained weight loss warrant a GP visit to rule out other causes.
Can exercise help piles?
Yes. Regular exercise helps prevent constipation, which is the main driver of piles. Avoid heavy straining activities like very heavy weightlifting during a flare-up, and favour walking, swimming or cycling.
