As if external hemorrhoids weren't enough to deal with on their own, they can start bleeding too! How much more messy and embarrassing can these things get? Fortunately, there are quite a few ways of dealing with bleeding external hemorrhoids, many of which are available at home or cheaply at your local pharmacy.

Bleeding from hemorrhoids ranges from a light tracery to heavy bleeding, and what tactic you take will depend on the kind of bleeding you suffer from. If you are having heavy hemorrhaging problems, the first thing you'll want to do is apply pressure to the area with clean toilet paper or a clean cloth. This will induce clotting so that the bleeding slows and eventually, stops. No matter what kind of bleeding you suffer from, you'll want to wear clean, relatively loose, plain cotton underwear. While this sort of granny underwear may have to be the least attractive sort in the history of clothes, it absorbs excess moisture well and doesn't irritate or constrict the area in question. Sitting on a towel-wrapped icepack is the next step to take because the cold constricts the blood vessels in the area, slowing any bleeding.

Astringents are a useful home line of defense against hemorrhoidal bleeding. Such things as witch hazel, aloe vera juice, or even apple cider vinegar, applied with a clean pad, all serve to clean, disinfect, and dry the area. This both helps stop the bleeding and ensures that infection doesn't start to rear its ugly head. When applying anything to an external hemorrhoid, remember to pat gently instead of scrubbing or rubbing. If you've developed a scab over the open wound, rubbing it off is the last thing you really want to do!

Once you get to the pharmacy, you may want to look into either getting a squat toilet or a footstool to put your feet up on while you use the toilet. Getting your knees up above your hips takes strain off of the area. This not only helps with bleeding but eliminates one of the core causes of the hemorrhoids, unnatural strain on your pelvic floor. The toilet position we are accustomed to taking removes almost all muscular support from the hemorrhoidal cushions, which places pressure on the hemorrhoidal veins to start protruding downwards, which leads to hemorrhoids. Taking the pressure off by raising your knees above the level of your hips gives much needed support to those hemorrhoidal cushions.

When looking for a hemorrhoidal cream to assist with bleeding external hemorrhoids, getting one with a local anesthetic, an astringent, and a vasoconstrictor is probably your best bet. Some of the most common anesthetics include lidocaine and benzocaine, witch hazel, aloe, and calamine are the most popular astringents, and phenylephrine, ephedrine, and epinephrine are the vasoconstrictors cleared for topical use. Getting a combination of these ingredients will ensure the best possible cream for bleeding external hemorrhoids.

Hopefully, this brief outline has given you a starting point for dealing with your bleeding hemorrhoids instead of suffering from them. Look carefully at all your options for more permanent treatment, and your hemorrhoids will hopefully be a thing of the past.