If you have a painful case of hemorrhoids, you may figure that hemorrhoid surgery is the only option. Indeed, hemorrhoid surgery can give patients lasting relief. However, it's not always necessary. Doctors often recommend trying one or more of the following hemorrhoid non-surgical  treatments before turning to surgery.

Dietary Changes

Perhaps the simplest way to help ease hemorrhoid pain is to change your diet. Focus on eating more foods that are really high in fiber, which will soften your stools and make them easier to pass. Good sources of fiber include fruits, veggies, and whole grains. You can also take a fiber supplement; there are many that now come in tasty, gummy candy forms. Also focus on drinking more water. Keep a bottle with you, and sip water throughout the day.

A high-fiber diet and better water intake can give you some relief within a few days, and it can also allow hemorrhoids to heal over time, as you will not have to strain to defecate and risk worsening the hemorrhoids.

Prescription Hemorrhoid Creams

Maybe you've used over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams but have not felt like they have made a big difference. Ask your doctor to prescribe a stronger cream, which is likely to have a more profound effect. Then, make sure you use this cream regularly. A lot of people make the mistake of only applying the hemorrhoid cream when they are in serious pain. If you apply it several times per day, even when you are not in pain, it will help reduce the size and severity of your hemorrhoids over time.

Coagulation Treatments

If your hemorrhoids are still painful after changing your diet and using prescription hemorrhoid creams, then you may want to talk to your doctor about a treatment called coagulation. This is a non-surgical treatment that can be performed on an outpatient basis. A laser will be used to create scar tissue in and around each vein that has created a hemorrhoid. This will basically kill the hemorrhoid tissue. Your body will slowly reabsorb the tissue from those veins in the weeks and days following the procedure. There maybe some discomfort as you heal, but not nearly as much as with surgery.

The treatments above can be really effective for most mild to moderate cases of hemorrhoids. Surgery is really only needed for the most severe cases and for cases in which the hemorrhoids bleed extensively.