Taking a sitz bath involves sitting in hot water to relieve pain or swelling in the anus or the entrance to the vagina. This sitz bath may have been recommended by your doctor if you have hemorrhoids or anal fissure, or if you have recently given birth naturally and it has damaged your tissues. Regardless of the damaged area, preparing a sitz bath is an effective and soothing way to relieve the injury. There are specialized kits, but you can just use your tub.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Run a sitz bath in the tub
Step 1. Clean the tub
It's amazing how dirty a tub can be, especially when you know that's the place you use to clean yourself anyway! Remember that you are taking a sitz bath to speed healing of damaged tissue, so you need to be sure that the environment in which you take your bath is sterile.
- Use a bleach-based cleaner to sterilize the tub before running your sitz bath.
- Thoroughly brush the tub to make sure you have removed all traces of soap and other bath products that have accumulated on the surface.
- Rinse the tub well to remove soap and cleaning product residue.
Step 2. Adjust the water temperature
It is very important that the water used for the sitz bath is warm, but not hot. The temperature should not be so disagreeable as to cause irritation or inflammation. Water that is just hot enough will increase blood flow to damaged tissue, speeding up the body's healing process in that area.
Dip your finger in water or drop a drop or two on the sensitive area of your wrist to test the temperature
Step 3. Fill the tub with 8 to 10 cm of water
Make sure you put a stopper on the bottom of the tub so that the water does not run out, then run the water until there is enough to allow you to completely submerge the tub. the area of your body that causes pain.
Step 4. If you want, you can mix soothing actives in the water
You don't need to add anything to the water, as the high temperature alone will already be enough to make you feel better. However, there are many items that can be added to address different issues. Ask your doctor for advice on what to add to your bath.
- Salt is a good addition to a sitz bath, regardless of your reason for taking the bath. Raise the temperature a little higher than you want and add ¼ cup of salt to the water. Mix well until the salt dissolves completely, then allow the water to cool until it reaches a more comfortable temperature.
- If you are suffering from an infection of the vagina, add 1/2 cup of table vinegar to the salt water solution.
- A herbal treatment is a good solution to treat hemorrhoids, as well as damaged tissue following trauma such as childbirth for example. Mix in your bath water 1/2 cup of Epsom salt, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of witch hazel, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 8 drops lavender essential oil and 8 drops of chamomile essential oil.
Step 5. Enter the sitz bath
You should make sure that the area that is causing you pain is completely submerged in the hot water and you should stay in the water for at least 15-30 minutes.
Run hot water as soon as necessary to maintain bath temperature
Step 6. When you are done, pat yourself dry
After the sitz bath, you should act very gently on the damaged tissue. Don't rub yourself in like you normally would to dry yourself. Instead, use a soft, clean towel, then pat and dab the area until it is dry.
Rubbing can cause irritation and injure you further
Method 2 of 2: Use a sitz bath kit
Step 1. Purchase a sitz bath kit
You can usually find this type of kit in the "medical supplies" section of your supermarket or drugstore. If you cannot find a seat bath kit in a store near you, you can easily purchase one on the Internet.
The kit includes a basin that can be placed over the toilet bowl, a bag containing a sitz bath solution, a plastic tube for spraying water and a clamp to control the flow through the toilet. tube
Step 2. Clean the basin
Even if your kit is new and straight out of the box, you need to be careful not to put damaged parts of your body at risk of infection. Thoroughly clean the basin using a product containing bleach. Rub well and rinse with water.
Step 3. Prepare the sitz bath
Once your bath is ready, you can sit back and relax while the bath takes effect. But first, you'll need to set it up.
- Pass the tube through the hole in the basin to circulate the solution in the bath. If you have trouble locating this hole, refer to the instructions that came with the kit.
- Slide the entire tube into the center of the basin and secure it to the bottom of the basin. Refer to the diagram associated with the instructions supplied with the kit if necessary.
- Use the forceps to block circulation through the tube. He must not start to flee when you are not yet ready!
- Fill the solution bag with hot water or whatever solution you want to use to treat your damaged tissue.
Step 4. Put the basin and the bag in place
Make sure you have raised the toilet seat and place the basin on the bowl below. It would be best to hang the bag on some kind of hook, but what matters most is that it is raised so that the liquid flows downwards.
Step 5. Sit on the basin
You will probably have to move around a bit to find the most comfortable position. Do not hesitate to change position as much as necessary throughout the bath so as not to be embarrassed.
Step 6. Remove the clamp on the tube
Remove the pliers that hold the hot water in the raised pocket. The nozzle at the bottom of the basin will start to diffuse upwards, so you must make sure that the solution is well directed towards the area to be treated. To do this, you can adjust your position or that of the pipe.
If you need to change the position of the hose, do not forget to shut off the water supply using the pliers. Otherwise, you will put it everywhere
Step 7. Relax
By now, the solution should have gradually diffused from the pocket if your kit has worked properly, so you will have a few minutes to relax in the solution. Even after the bag has emptied and there is no more water coming out of the hose nozzle, you can simply stay in the water that has been in the basin for as long as you want..
Step 8. When you are finished, pat yourself dry
After the sitz bath, you should treat the damaged tissue very gently, so do not rub yourself in the usual way to dry yourself. Use a soft, clean towel, then pat and dab the area until it is dry.