Hemorrhoids or Piles Symptoms and Treatments

What are Hemorrhoids or Piles?

Hemorrhoids or Piles as they are also known refer to the condition that occurrs when the veins around the anus or rectum become inflammed and in turn lead to little swellings that feel like little bubbles under the skin. These can result in causing pain to the sufferer.

Hemorrhoids can appear after straining to go to the toilet. Other factors that can also contribute include but are not exhaustive, pregnancy, aging, chronic constipation or diarrhea, and anal intercourse.

Hemorrhoids can be both internal and external, meaning outside the anus or inside the anal tract.

How do I know if I have got Hemerrhoids or Piles?

Many anal and rectum problems, including fissures, fistulae, abscesses, or irritation and itching, also called pruritus ani, have similar symptoms and are incorrectly referred to as hemorrhoids and as such could be mis-diagnosed.

Hemorrhoids are not a life threatening condition and usually clear up in few days though sometimes can use a little extra to help clear them up as they can be quite painful.

Although many people all over the world have hemorrhoids, not everyone will experience the symptoms. The most common symptom of internal hemorrhoids is the smearing of blood showing on the toilet paper or in the actual toilet bowl. However, an internal hemorrhoid may protrude through the anus outside the body, becoming irritated and painful. This is known as a protruding hemorrhoid and is a very common occurance. For some reason many people suffer with the condition and yet seem to feel embarrassment when trying to treat it.

External hemorrhoids include painful swellings or a hard lumps around the anus that results when a blood clot forms and the veins start to swell.. This is known as a thrombosed external hemorrhoid.

How are Hemorrhoids diagnosed?

If you suspect that you have hemerrhoids then you should in the first instance visit a doctor to confirm that it is hemerrhoids as there are other diseases that can produce the same symptoms as hemerrhoids such as colorectal cancer. A thorough evaluation and proper diagnosis by the doctor is important any time bleeding from the rectum or blood in the stool occurs. The Doctor can check the anus and rectum looking for the swellings around the area and is also able to perform a process called the digital rectum exam. This will be carried out with a lubricated gloved finger enabling him or her to look for abnormalities.



Closer evaluation of the rectum for hemorrhoids requires an exam with an anoscope, a hollow, lighted tube useful for viewing internal hemorrhoids, or a proctoscope, useful for more completely examining the entire rectum.

How common are Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are a very common condition in both sexes. About half of the population of every contry has had some kind of hemorrhoids by age 50. Pregnant woman are also very likely to develop hemorrhoids due to hormonal changes in the female body and the presure of the unborn child on the womans abdomen.

To rule out other causes of gastrointestinal bleeding, the doctor may examine the rectum and lower colon, or sigmoid, with sigmoidoscopy or the entire colon with colonoscopy. Sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are diagnostic procedures that also involve the use of lighted, flexible tubes inserted through the rectum.

What is the Treatments for Hemerrhoids?

Medical preactitioners treatment of hemerrhoids are normaly aimed at relievig the symptoms, such as frequent baths throughout the day along with use of suppositaries or creams on the infected areas.

Preventing the recurrence of hemorrhoids is a very difficult this to stop. Once someone has had hemerrhoids there is a greater chance that they will re-occcur but relieving the pressure and straining of constipation can help reduce the frequency. Doctors will often recommend increasing fiber and fluids in the diet.. A softer stool makes emptying the bowels easier and lessens the pressure on hemorrhoids caused by straining. Eating the right amount of fiber and drinking six to eight glasses of fluid-not alcohol-result in softer, bulkier stools. .

Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In addition, doctors may suggest a bulk stool softener or a fiber supplement such as psyllium (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel).

Sometimes the hemorrhoids can be surgically removed or treated endoscopically and this is used to shrink the hemerrhoidal tissues. Sometimes this can be done with a visit to the doctor but more usually would be done at a hospital.

Different methods may be used to remove or reduce the size of internal hemorrhoids. These techniques include Scolerothrapy, rubber band ligation,hemorrhoidectomy and infared coalulation.

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