Plants Used in Anatolian Traditional Medicine for the Treatment of Hemorrhoid

Hemorrhoidal disease is a benign perianal disease, which is basically caused by vasodilation on pleux haemorrhoidalis vein, which affects mainly individuals at their active ages, and it is believed that the number of cases is much higher than the actual reported number. The majority of the patients' complaints consist of pain, itching, bleeding and feeling of discomfort. Any patient with these symptoms requires a careful review of their personel history and a physical, digital examination. The treatment options are evaluated in a wide spectrum from conservative to surgical procedures. The main goal of the treatment is, in acute phase, relief of the symptoms quickly and in chronical phase prevention of the relapses. Before going to surgery, depends on the grade of the disease, human being very often apply local topical treatments, plant based intestinal regulators, plant based phlebotonics and anti-inflammatory drugs to improve or prevent the worsening of hemorrhoid. In this review, a brief information was given about hemorrhoid, in further the plants that were applied in traditional medicine, their latin, Turkish and common names, parts of the plants and their method of application in treatment of the symptoms in Anatolia. The data showed that herbal remedies included 170 from 60 different plant families used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Although there are many natural based antihemorrhoidal preparations presence in the world, just a few safe antihemorrhoidal preparations prescribed in Turkey. This review will be a guide to discovery of different effective natural compounds from plants of different families such as Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Rosaceae, which are highly rich in terms of antihemorhoidal compounds flavonoids and terpenes.