What is hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your rectum or anus. The type of hemorrhoid you have depends on its location.
- Internal hemorrhoids involves the veins inside your rectum. Internal hemorrhoids are usually painless but may bleed painlessly.
- prolapsed hemorrhoids may stretch down until they bulge outside of your anus. Prolapsed hemorrhoids can return on their own inside your rectum. Or you can gently push it back inside.
- External hemorrhoids involving the veins outside the anus. They can be itchy or painful and can sometimes crack and bleed.
Symptoms
If you have hemorrhoids, you may feel a soft lump at the edge of the anus. You may also see blood on the toilet paper after wiping or in the toilet bowl after a bowel movement. You may feel an itch in that area. Or you may feel pain. The pain is most likely to occur after a bowel movement or strenuous activity, such as heavy lifting.
What causes hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are caused by increased pressure in the veins in your anus or rectum. One of the main causes is that you have to push when you try to have a bowel movement. This can happen if you are constipated or have diarrhea. It can also happen if you sit on the toilet for too long. Hemorrhoids are also caused by obesity, heavy lifting or any other activity that puts you under stress.
How are hemorrhoids diagnosed?
You probably already know if you have hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can often be diagnosed just by looking at them. But if you have internal hemorrhoids, your doctor may do a quick test to confirm. He or she will use a gloved, lubricated finger to feel in and around your rectum. Your doctor may also order a sigmoidoscopy. During a sigmoidoscopy, he or she will insert a small camera to look into your rectum. They may also perform an endoscopy. A small instrument called a laparoscope is inserted several inches into the anus to examine the anal canal.
It is important to see your doctor if you notice bleeding from the rectum. You need to make sure that the cause is hemorrhoids and not something else. Bleeding from the rectum or anus or bloody stools can be a sign of a more serious disease such as cancer.
Can it be prevented or avoided?
Nearly everyone gets hemorrhoids at some point. But certain things can make you more likely to get them. People whose parents had hemorrhoids are more likely to develop the condition. Pregnant women often get hemorrhoids due to stress during pregnancy and childbirth. Being overweight or standing or lifting too much can make hemorrhoids worse.
Treatment
Most of the time, hemorrhoid symptoms go away after a few days even without treatment. Otherwise, treatment focuses on pain relief. Talk to your GP before using hemorrhoid medication.
Here are some things you can do to help if you have hemorrhoids:
- Take a warm bath.
- Clean your anus after each bowel movement. Do this by patting it lightly with damp toilet paper or a damp pad, such as a baby wipe.
- Use an ice pack to reduce swelling.
- Use acetaminophen (1 brand: Tylenol), ibuprofen (1 brand: Motrin), or aspirin to help relieve pain.
- Apply a cream containing witch hazel or numbing ointment containing lidocaine to the area. You can use creams that contain hydrocortisone to relieve itching or pain.
Painful hemorrhoids usually go away on their own after 1 to 2 weeks. If you continue to cause problems, talk to your doctor. Rubber band ligation can be used to treat internal hemorrhoids. It involves placing a small rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid. This stops blood flow to the area and the hemorrhoid will disappear. Internal hemorrhoids can be destroyed by injecting chemicals into them. You may need surgery to remove hemorrhoids (hemorrhoidectomy) if your internal hemorrhoids are prolapsed or very large.
Living with hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoid symptoms can come and go. Many things can affect them, especially straining to have a bowel movement. Use these tips to help prevent constipation:
- Include plenty of fiber in your diet. Fresh fruits, leafy greens, wholegrain breads and cereals are good sources of fiber.
- Drink plenty of water (except alcohol). Eight glasses of water a day is ideal.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid laxatives, except bulk-forming laxatives like Fiberall, Metamucil, etc. Other laxatives can lead to diarrhea, making hemorrhoids worse.
- When you feel the need to have a bowel movement, don’t wait too long to use the bathroom.