Sitz baths are a part of a larger group of naturist therapy, called hydrotherapy which actually means ‘water cure’ and which involves the use of water in order to get pain relief and to treat various diseases and conditions. A sitz bath is actually a form of hydrotherapy applied to the rectal part of the body in order to speed up the healing and recovery form many illnesses, including hemorrhoids.

The main benefit of sitz baths is that almost anybody can do them at home, provided they know how and that they have the required ingredients. Being especially made in order to clean the lower area of the body, a sitz bath can be improvised with the help of a small recipient like a plastic bowl for example, or something bigger according to needs. There are also special products designed to serve as portable sitz baths, however they are not necessary as a number of household items can be used instead.

After finding a suitable recipient for the stiz bath, place it if possible over the toilet so that you have easy access to it. Then you should tend to the main ingredient which is hot water. Pour a reasonable quantity of hot water but not so much as to overflow the container. Make sure that the water is hot enough, but not too hot, because the body has to tolerate the heat for a while.

In order to make it more efficient you can add herbal extracts to the hot water. But before you do so, make sure that you know what you’re doing and that you don’t add something that could make the condition worse than it is. A well know plant that works as an astringent in hemorrhoid cases is witch hazel so it would be a good idea to add some extract or even straight forward bark and/or leaves (be sure to thoroughly clean them before though). Another option is to purchase sitz bath solutions which are especially made for this purpose and which have a combination of medicinal plant extracts.

After preparing the sitz bath solution, you should sit in the hot water for about 10-20 minutes. Make sure not to use soap because it might contain substances like perfumes and coloring agents that can irritate the hemorrhoids. After soaking in, be sure to gently clean the area using a cotton towel, or even better, with some medical pads for hemorrhoids if you happen to have some. Repeat the process several times a week in order to get the best results.

Although a sitz bath is a very good solution for getting some pain relief and to reduce swellings, it rarely acts like a cure only by its self. In order to have the best results, the sitz bath should be only one of your many weapons in the fight with hemorrhoids. It is advisable that you also try a natural hemorrhoid remedy in the same time.