Survey shows 140 herbs for treating pile

Many indigenous plants have been used since time immemorial for curing various

ailments and thus lessening human suffering without the actual knowledge of the

active ingredient which caused relief. The potentialities of some of these plants

have been established.

About 80 per cent of  Western pharmaceuticals have their origin in plants and even

now, screening of plants for chemicals to find new pharmaceuticals is rapidly on the

increase. Many nations have set up ethnobotanical facilities to study traditional

medicine or specific projects to study the plants used in traditional medicine for

various health problems such as haemorrhoids.

Many people across the globe experience the discomfort and pain associated with

hemorrhoids. Although they can be embarrassing to talk about, anyone can get

hemorrhoids, even healthy young people in good shape.

Hemorrhoids, also called "piles", are swollen tissues that contain veins. They differ

depending on their location and the amount of pain, discomfort, or aggravation they

cause. When they are located in the wall of the rectum and anus, they may cause minor

bleeding, itching in the anus area, or protrusion during bowel movements.

Hemorrhoids are unique to humans - no other animal develops them. Although they can

occur at any age, they are more common as people get older. Among younger people,

they are most common in women who are pregnant.

Often described as "varicose veins of the anus and rectum," hemorrhoids are enlarged,

bulging blood vessels in and about the anus and lower rectum.

The exact cause of hemorrhoids is unknown. However, the upright posture of humans

alone forces a great deal of pressure on the blood vessels that takes away blood from

the rectum, which sometimes causes them to bulge.

Other contributing factors include chronic constipation or diarrhea, straining during

toileting, faulty bowel function due to overuse of laxatives or enemas,  heredity and

spending long periods of time (e.g., reading) on the toilet.

Researchers in a survey of indigenous plants used in the treatment of haemorrhoids in

South-Western Nigeria found that a total of 143 plants were used for its treatment.

It involved major towns and cities such as Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo,

Ago-Iwoye and Lagos.

The survey entitled, "Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used in the Treatment of

Haemorrhoids in South-Western, Nigeria" was documented by the 2011 edition of the

Journal of Advances in Developmental Research. It was carried out by Mike O. Soladoye

from the Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo

University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State in collaboration with Michael O. Adetayo; Emmanuel

C. Chukwuma and Amusa N. Adetunji.

The most prominent among these plants were Senna Alata (Asunwon oyinbo in Yoruba), 

Gongronena latifolium (Madunmaro in Yoruba), Axonopus compressus (Idi in Yoruba),

Anogeiessus leiocarpus (Ayin in Yoruba), Pteleiopsis suberosa (Okuku in Yoruba),

Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba), Khaya spp (Oganwo in Yoruba) and garlic.

From the opinion of the 25 people interviewed, if internal haemorrhoids is not

treated, it can lead to external haemorrhoids and, as such the special diet that was

recommended, apart from herbal recipes, is vegetable which should be slightly cooked.

They include green spinach, Amaranthus viridis (Tete in Yoruba), Celosia (Sokoyokoto

in Yoruba) and water leaf (Gbure in Yoruba) as well as Occimum gratissimum (scent

leaf,  Efinrin ajase in Yoruba and  Nchuanwu in Igbo).

Of the group sampled, 52 per cent suggested that herbal tea is the most effective

option in treating haemorrhoids, 16 per cent said herb powder (Yoruba -Agunmu), and

eight per cent confirmed rubbing concoction while 12 per cent confirmed that herbal

paste / lotion are more effective. Only eight per cent suggested herbal juice and the

remaining four per cent herbal gins.

Interestingly, the survey indicated that the acceptance of herbal medicines and

herbal practitioners by the educated class, the problem of finance and the

maintenance of medicinal plants are still of much concern, though some measures of

progress have been made in the past.