If you have hemorrhoids, or inflammation, you might want to take sitz baths. What to know
As uncomfortable of a topic as it may be, hemorrhoids affect some 10.5 million Americans every year and are a real pain in the butt. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lowest part of one's rectum that cause discomfort and pain, especially when having a bowel movement. They're especially common in cases of constipation, obesity and during pregnancy. In addition to pain, they can cause swelling, bleeding and itching. They're rarely dangerous and usually go away on their own, but there are multiple treatment options to alleviate hemorrhoids symptoms.
In rare cases, surgery is recommended, but topical applications and other medications can ease pain and itching. The most common recommendations, however, consist of home remedies. Such treatments include things like increasing one's daily fiber intake, ice packs to ease swelling and sitting in a sitz bath for hemorrhoids several times a day.
What is a sitz bath?
A sitz bath, or hip bath, is a bath in which a person sits in "shallow, warm water" to "reduce inflammation, swelling, itching and pain in the area around the anus and vagina," says Kellie Kruger, MD, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
They work by "relaxing muscles and enhancing blood flow that aids in recovery from painful conditions," says Adam Tenforde, MD, director of running medicine for Mass General Brigham in Boston, Massachusetts. They can be a helpful treatment option for the aforementioned condition of hemorrhoids, or for "postpartum swelling and pain after having a baby," says Kruger. Sitz baths are also sometimes recommended to treat bladder or yeast infections, cancer radiation treatments, anal fissures, perianal fistulas, uterine cramps, inflammatory bowel disease, and to soothe the area after rectal surgery or an episiotomy.
The soaking process of sitting in a sitz bath can promote perspiration and "is both therapeutic and cleansing," says Solomon David, MD, a colorectal surgeon at NYU Langone Health. "Many of my patients also find it stress-relieving and relaxing," he adds. Along with sitting "in a regular bathtub filled with a few inches of warm water," David says, "sitz baths can also be taken using specialized equipment, such as a sitz bath basin that fits over the toilet seat."
How do you make a sitz bath?
While a sitz bath "is generally warm water only," explains Kruger, some people also use mineral bath salts such as Epsom salt to enhance the experience, though such additions may cause skin irritation for some users. "I recommend that patients talk to their healthcare providers about whether to use sitz baths by themselves or whether there is any benefit to adding Epsom salts," advises Kruger.
Instead of water alone or adding mineral salts, many people choose to add just a bit of baking soda to prepare their sitz bath. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is among the most common and inexpensive items sold in a drug or grocery store. Only one tablespoon of baking soda is needed if using a plastic sitz bath basin, but it's recommended to add between 4 tablespoons and 2 cups of the chemical compound when taking a sitz bath in a bathtub − depending on the condition of the area one is treating.
How long should you stay in a sitz bath?
Though frequency and duration recommendations vary from doctor to doctor, they usually range from 10 minutes to 40 minutes per sitting, and most people sit in a sitz bath three to four times a day until symptoms diminish. Kruger recommends sitting for 15 minutes at a time.
It's also important to remember to lower oneself carefully into one's sitz bath to be careful with the injured area that's being treated. Also, don't let the water level get too high. "The shallow water level soaks only the hips and buttocks areas with very warm, not hot water," explains David. Water temperature should be between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius or about 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
When finished, pat dry the wet area and leave the skin open to the air to make sure everything dries completely. And if you're using a plastic sitz bath, remember to clean it between uses.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a sitz bath? How to make one and when to use Epsom salt.
