engleski

Unguent with propolis extract – new approach in conservative treatment of haemorrhoids

Introduction: Haemorrhoids are symptomatic in approximately 4% of the general population and in the 50% of the people aged over 50 years. Initial therapy for chronic symptoms of the haemorrhoidal disease is conservative which implies topical therapy with one of the commercially available unguents. In this respect it should be highlighted that the use of propolis in human medicine has a very long tradition and today there are several proven beneficially activities of this compound on human health, such as its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancerogenic, adstringent and anti-inflammatory activity, with the latter one been specially emphasized. The World Health Organization now considers propolis an important part of dietetics and a natural cure. Flavonoids in propolis represent main compounds responsible for its various curative effects. The aim of this study was to determine the efficiency of unguent with propolis extract (which contains minimally 115mg/kg of flavonoid galangin) in relief and suppression of the haemorrhoid disease type I and II symptoms which include bleeding, pain, itching and straining of the haemorrhoidal veins and its efficiency in preventing the relapse of these symptoms. Materials and methods: The prospective cohort epidemiological study lasted from November 1st, 2008 until February 28th, 2009 and included 46 participants of both genders with the mean age 53.6±14.3 (range 23 – 80) years which were suffering from the symptoms of the haemorrhoidal disease type I or type II for which they had been treated by their chosen general practitioners. During the enrolment of the participants in the study (first contact with their physician) they were asked to fill out the questionnaire providing us with the basic anamnestic data such as: age, gender, weight, height, additional illnesses, duration of their symptoms connected with the haemorrhoidal disease, the intensity of their symptoms connected with the haemorrhoidal disease (they have scored those in the scale from 0 to 3 with 0 meaning without symptoms, 1 mild symptoms, 2 moderate symptoms and 3 heavy symptoms), data on their general nutritional habits, data dealing with the features of their bowel movement (frequency of weekly bowel movement including the data on constipation or diarrhoea), presence or absence of family history of haemorrhoidal disease and the type of job that they are working (job during which they are mainly sitting down or standing or job during which they are moving around quite often). Each participant that had been included in the study was monitored during 3 months and the evaluation of his or her symptoms was conducted on the day of his or her enrolment in the study (0 status), and 1, 2 and 3 months after the continuous usage of tested unguent (status after 1, 2 or 3 months of continuous therapy). Results: During the study period the large decrease in intensity or complete disappearance of studied symptoms (bleeding, pain, itching and straining of the haemorrhoidal veins) has occurred in all patients and none of the patients has reported the exacerbation or relapse of any of the mentioned symptoms. In the end of the treatment with tested unguent there were 40 patients or 87.0% (40/46) of them that were completely without any of the four studied symptoms of haemorrhoidal disease. Conclusions: The tested product (unguent with propolis extract) efficiently affected all the studied symptoms of the haemorrhoidal disease thus presenting the highly efficient new approach in the conservative treatment of the haemorrhoids.

Unguent; Propolis; Haemorrhoids; Flavonoids

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