Therapeutic effect of Achillea millefolium on the hemorrhoids; A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial

Introduction: Hemorrhoids are prevalent diseases affecting health and well-being, and treatments are generally symptomatic. Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) has long been used to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases. The present work was performed to assess the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of A. millefolium as an ointment on the symptoms of hemorrhoids. Methods: Hydroalcoholic extract of A. millefolium was prepared and formulated as the ointment 5%. The study was performed on 54 patients diagnosed with grade 1 and 2 internal hemorrhoids referred to the Kowsar Clinic of Ardabil from September 21, 2020 to December 21, 2020. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups of treatment and placebo, and received the ointments three times a day for ten days. Lifestyle modification and laxative administration were recommended for all the patients. Symptoms (pain, discomfort during defecation, bleeding intensity, bleeding frequency, and itching) were compared before and after treatment. Results: The mean score of pain, discomfort during defecation, severity and frequency of bleeding, after treatment in the treatment group was significantly lower than that of placebo group (p< 0.05). There was no significant difference in term of itching between two groups (p = 0.069). Discussion and conclusions: According to the results, the ointment containing 5% hydroalcoholic extract of A. millefolium reduced most of the symptoms of grade 1 and 2 internal hemorrhoids, so it can be evaluated in further studies as a promising new and safe treatment.