Overview
- New clinical advice from the American Gastroenterological Association makes more fiber and less time on the toilet the starting point for most cases.
- Men are urged to aim for about 38 grams of fiber a day and women for at least 25 grams, yet few people meet those targets.
- Experts advise avoiding sitting or scrolling on the toilet for longer than about five minutes because unsupported seating raises pressure on anal veins.
- The update finds limited evidence for sitz baths and many over-the-counter creams, and it restricts topical steroids to brief use of about two weeks.
- Clinicians are told to confirm hemorrhoids with a physical exam, often with anoscopy, and to reserve procedures like banding or infrared coagulation for persistent or severe cases.