Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Box , Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Haemorrhoids are one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in humans. In Tanzania, particularly in the Tabora region, medicinal plants MPs are used by traditional healers THs to treat haemorrhoids, but no study has explicitly attempted to compile these treatments. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather ethnobotanical data from 44 THs on MPs used to treat haemorrhoids, parts used, preparation methods and administration routes.
The collected ethnobotanical data were analysed by computing percentage frequencies and relative frequency citations. Twenty-six MPs belonging to 19 families and 25 genera, used to manage haemorrhoids, were documented. Fabaceae was the dominant family four species , whereas shrubs constituted a high proportion Decoction Most MP materials Aloe vera L. Among the recorded MPs, 12 are reported for the first time for the treatment of haemorrhoids. The recorded MPs are believed to possess anti-inflammatory properties that aid in managing inflammation associated with bowel diseases, including haemorrhoids.
This study has documented valuable MPs used to manage haemorrhoids and provides a basis for further studies to discover efficient and affordable anti-haemorrhoid drugs.
Keywords: Ethnomedicine, herbalists, piles, Sikonge, traditional remedies, Urambo. Haemorrhoids, also called piles, are swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum. The ailment is mainly caused by increased pressure in the veins due to straining when trying to have a bowel movement, or any activity that causes strain.
As pressure increases, blood pools in the veins increase, which causes them to swell, thus stretching the surrounding tissue Peery et al. The most common and severe effects of haemorrhoids are perianal thrombosis, and incarcerated prolapsed internal haemorrhoids with subsequent thrombosis Carey and Whelton The disease is considered a significant cause of morbidity and has economic as well as social impacts on society Riss et al.
