How a Better Diet Can Reduce Anal Itching
For people with that embarrassing problem of anal itching, it is often enough to put on some soothing cream and hope things subside. But there is more you can do if you want to reduce the chance of it occurring in the future.
One of the main areas to look at is diet. We live in a world where many of us get into bad eating habits. We don’t have the time to make a proper meal or we snack on something that isn’t quite good for us. Then there’s what we drink. Too much alcohol or caffeine can cause stomach problems and that in turn can lead to a bout of anal irritation.
Pruritus Ani can strike at any time and if you have a chronic problem then it is always best to seek medical advice. In the meantime, it may well be the right moment to take a closer look at your diet.
Did you know that eating too many citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, or even tomatoes, can cause anal itching? The same is true of over spicy food like curries. Having a well-balanced diet leads to what people in the old days called ‘a better constitution’ and may be enough to stop you having to reach for that soothing anal cream.
Stay Regular
With the pace of life today, we often neglect our diet and that can lead to conditions such as constipation that cause you to strain while on the toilet. The trick is to have enough fibre in your diet which should include those nice green vegetables, oats and barley, bananas and apples, wholemeal bread, and nuts and seeds.
It’s not only the increased ease of bowel movement that will help prevent you getting a nasty anal itch that a high fibre diet benefits. It can improve your heart health, lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes, help combat weight gain and decrease the chance of bowel cancer.
Have You Got a Food Allergy?
Keeping us regular isn’t the only way that food affects us. Many people have an allergy or intolerance to certain types of food that can cause irritation and things like constipation or loose bowel movements. If you suffer from IBS, this can also be exacerbated by the wrong foods and it’s estimated that 4 out of 100 adults has some kind of food allergy.
If you periodically suffer from an itching anus and think it may be something to do with a food allergy or intolerance, one of the things you can do is to keep a food diary and see if anything matches up.
Eating Healthily
Maintaining optimum bowel health is about eating the right things. Processed foods all the time are not very good for us and they can cause problems down the line. Try to eat fresh foods and reduce the amount of red meat you consume. Go for oily fish such as salmon and sardines, or white meat like chicken, for a healthier protein boost. And reduce the amount of bad fat you eat.
If you have a healthy diet not only might it reduce the chances of an itchy bum but also make you feel better and more energised.