Some estimates suggest around three quarters of Americans will experience hemorrhoids. Many hemorrhoids will disappear in several weeks on their own. Some are more stubborn and can make life very uncomfortable.
Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to relieve the pain these swollen veins in your anus and lower rectum can cause. Read on to find out about treatment options for relieving hemorrhoids.
What Causes Hemorrhoids?
The veins around your anus have a tendency to elongate under pressure. They may then swell and expand. Hemorrhoids can happen as a result of an increase in pressure in the lower rectum. Common reasons for what causes hemorrhoids are these:
Straining when you’re having a bowel movement
Spending extended periods sitting on the toilet
Experiencing severe diarrhea or chronic constipation
Obesity
Going through pregnancy
Having a diet that is low in fiber
Heavy lifting as part of work or exercise
External Hemorrhoids and Internal Hemorrhoids Explained
Hemorrhoids, often referred to as piles, are a little bit like varicose veins. How hemorrhoids can make you feel and how to treat them is to some extent dependent on their type, internal or external.
External Hemorrhoids
External hemorrhoids develop under the skin around your anus. These may become bleeding hemorrhoids. Here are some of the things that can happen:
Itchiness or soreness in the area near the anus
Pain and irritation
A swelling or series of swellings close to the anus
Internal Hemorrhoids
Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the rectum itself. You normally would not be able to see or feel them, and they don’t usually cause discomfort. However, straining or irritation when passing a stool can lead to:
A painless loss of blood when you have a bowel movement
A hemorrhoid pushing through the anal opening resulting in pain
If blood pools in an external hemorrhoid and goes on to create a clot, this can lead to severe pain and a hard lump next to your anus.
Bleeding Hemorrhoid Treatments to Relieve Pain and Irritation
You might only experience mild pain, swelling, and inflammation from your bleeding hemorrhoids. Treatment can be effective in a few simple steps:
Eating High-Fiber Foods
If you consume more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains you will soften your stool. This can help reduce the kind of straining that can make the symptoms of hemorrhoids worse.
Preparation H, Hemorrhoid Cream, and Topical Treatments
You can apply popular products such as Preparation H for immediate relief. You might also try a hemorrhoid cream bought over the counter or a suppository that contains hydrocortisone. Witch Hazel pads or a numbing agent can help too.
You should avoid using over-the-counter steroid creams for more than 7 days unless your doctor has advised you to do so.
Soaking in a Warm Bath or Sitz Bath
Bathing your anal region in plain warm water for around 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day can bring relief from itching. Sitz baths will fit on top of your toilet.
You can combine these home remedies with oral pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
How Do I Get Rid of Hemorrhoids?
Sometimes a painful blood clot or thrombosis forms within an external hemorrhoid. In these cases, your doctor will know how to get rid of hemorrhoids. Removing them brings almost immediate relief.
Your doctor will carry out this procedure under local anesthesia. For best results, you should undergo an external hemorrhoid thrombectomy within three days of the clot developing.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
Sometimes hemorrhoids can cause continual bleeding and constant pain. In these circumstances, your doctor might suggest another minimally invasive procedure.
These kinds of treatments can take place at your doctor's office or another outpatient facility. They don’t normally need anesthesia. Here are some of the options available.
Rubber Band Ligation
Your doctor will attach one or two small rubber bands around the bottom of an internal hemorrhoid. This restricts blood circulation. The hemorrhoid shrinks and will drop off within 7 days or so.
You might experience a little discomfort and, although bleeding might occur up to 4 days after the procedure, it’s rarely serious.
Sclerotherapy
During a sclerotherapy procedure for hemorrhoids, your doctor will inject a chemical solution into the hemorrhoid tissue. This will shrink it. The injection will typically cause little or no pain. It sometimes has less effect compared with rubber band ligation.
Coagulation
A coagulation procedure uses laser, infrared light, or heat to relieve hemorrhoids. The treatment will make small, bleeding, internal hemorrhoids harden and then wither. There are typically no side effects or discomfort with this procedure.
Surgical Procedures
Only a small fraction of those with hemorrhoids will need to undergo surgery. Sometimes surgery is used after other procedures are not successful. You may also have particularly large hemorrhoids. In these cases, your doctor might recommend one of these treatments.
Hemorrhoidectomy Hemorrhoid Removal
Your doctor will select from a variety of techniques to address more serious hemorrhoids and take away any excess tissue which causes bleeding. The medical team will carry out this kind of surgery with local anesthesia. They’ll combine this with sedation, spinal anesthesia, or general anesthesia.
Hemorrhoidectomy is the best and most thorough way to treat the most serious hemorrhoids and those which keep coming back. You might experience some pain after the procedure which prescribed medications will relieve.
Hemorrhoid Stapling
Doctors refer to this procedure as a stapled hemorrhoidopexy. The treatment will stop the blood flow to the hemorrhoidal tissue. Doctors usually only carry this procedure out to treat internal hemorrhoids.
Stapling typically causes less pain than hemorrhoidectomy. Patients will get back to regular activities more quickly. However, this procedure might cause greater long-term risks. These can include an increased chance of hemorrhoid recurrence or rectal prolapse.
Seek Medical Help Now
You may have already tried treating your hemorrhoids at home. You might also be looking for a longer-term solution. The best place to start is by visiting your doctor. They will be able to advise you of the best course of action.
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