Taking care of hemorrhoids at home is the number one priority of hemorrhoid sufferers. This is mainly because having hemorrhoids is embarrassing and most of us cringe at the thought of having to talk about it with our doctors. If you suffer from hemorrhoid pain, one of the things that helps the most is being strict with your diet during the days of inflammation.

I just read an article on the New York Times website that highlighted why it is so difficult to keep up with a good diet strategy that leads to hemorrhoid relief at home. The article, titled, “Is Sugar Lethal?” talks about the negative impact sugar has on our bodies and our nutrition. When I read this, I thought about how difficult it is to feel satisfied when I consume a lot of sugar.

It seems to me that common habits like having a sweet tooth make it harder for people to eat enough grains, vegetables and fruit. This is a kind of vicious circle we put ourselves in. The doctor (Robert Lustig) the New York Times article refers to says that sugar is toxic; he goes on to compare its effects on the body to that of alcohol. The digestive system, and in this case the anal system, is often the victim of bad nutrition. A lot of the time when we eat sugar-rich foods, we no longer have space for the fruits, vegetables and grains our body should naturally crave. We eat to satisfy our cravings—not our digestive comfort. When you are treating hemorrhoids at home, you must consider eating better and exchanging a little bit of habitual pleasure for nutritional health. The best hemorrhoid treatment for home use will not be as effective if you don’t take diet changes seriously.