| This is very sensitive area of your body. Too private. | | | | area and decrease burning and itching.Remember that |
| Nobody likes when something is wrong over there. | | | | local anesthetics may cause allergy.Analgesics |
| However it happens.Hemorrhoids occur practically in | | | | (menthol, camphor) relieve pain and itching as |
| everyone. Though hemorrhoids cause problems in 1 | | | | wellVasoconstrictors reduce swelling in the perianal |
| out of 25 people. Mostly those are people between 45 | | | | area. Though they may have side effects. Better |
| and 65 years of age.You find a blood on toilet tissue. | | | | discuss with your doctor.Protectants (kaolin, cocoa |
| Bright red blood. Ok, now what? You do not know | | | | butter, lanolin, mineral oil, starch, zinc oxide or calamine, |
| why you bleed. It could be rectal cancer by the way. It | | | | glycerin, etc) create a physical barrier to prevent |
| could be hemorrhoids.So? What are the | | | | contact of stool and the skin. This reduces irritation, |
| hemorrhoids?They look like cushions. They contain | | | | itching, and burning.Similarly, some agents - astringents - |
| blood vessels, some muscle and elastic fibers. People | | | | dry the skin. That helps to relieve burning, itching, and |
| often call them piles.Not everything over there is a | | | | pain as well.To kill or at least suppress bacteria and |
| hemorrhoid. There could be other problems. Fissure, | | | | other organisms use antiseptics. Boric acid, phenol, |
| abscess, fistula, pruritus (itching), condylomata (sort of | | | | resorcinol and many others can be used. Again better |
| hanging skin caused by viral infection), viral and | | | | to discuss with your doctor or at least pharmacist. |
| bacterial skin infections can happen in that, so sensitive | | | | Many of these drugs are sold |
| area.It is worth to talk to your doctor.How would a | | | | over-the-counter.Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids |
| scenario of hemorrhoids look?A 46-year-old female | | | | decrease inflammation and relieve itching, but may |
| presents with complaints on rectal discomfort, | | | | cause skin damage. They should be used for few |
| occasional bright red blood on toilet tissue and | | | | days only.Sitz bath may also help in relieving the |
| prolapsing tissue in of anal area. This is probably | | | | symptoms.When those methods fail your doctor may |
| internal hemorrhoid.Another scenario brings a patient | | | | perform one of the following:Sclerotherapy (causes |
| who complains on severe rectal pain and prolapsed | | | | scarring of the hemorrhoid).Rubber band ligation. The |
| tissue. | | | | rubber band cut off blood supply and hemorrhoid heals |
| The severe pain happens in external hemorrhoids. | | | | with scarring.Side effects of any of the treatment may |
| The pain follows thrombosis (thrombosis is the blood | | | | be infection of fat and other tissues surrounding the |
| clot in your blood vessels).There are four degrees of | | | | anal canal, especially if patient has diabetes cancer, |
| internal hemorrhoids.It may be interesting for you to | | | | AIDS.Another option - electrotherapy and infrared |
| know because first, second and sometime third | | | | photocoagulation. Works the same way, cause |
| degree can be treated by banding only. Fourth degree | | | | scarring of the tissue. |
| and sometime third degree requires surgery.Do not | | | | Cryotherapy uses cold to cause inflammation and |
| forget non-hemorrhoid causes of symptoms. | | | | scarring. Practically the same, though more time |
| To check with your doctor is worthwhile because | | | | consuming.Let say your medical treatment fails. What |
| there could be other problems, including cancer or anal | | | | do you do then? |
| fissure. (By the way for anal fissure medical treatment | | | | Well, you go to surgeon and treat it |
| alone may heal it in 90% of cases).How are | | | | surgically.Operations are done in less than 10% of |
| hemorrhoids treated?Well first you need to understand | | | | patients. Though it depends.Surgical procedures include |
| how do hemorrhoids happen. Several reasons lead to | | | | Dilation. It is when surgeon stretches your anal |
| hemorrhoids:Constipation and extra straining | | | | sphincter.Ligation. Often a Doppler probe helps to |
| Chronic Diarrhea and loose stools | | | | measures blood flow and finds the individual artery.The |
| Long sitting or standing | | | | doctor ties off the artery.Sphincterotomy. It is when |
| Weight lifting | | | | sphincter is partially cut. Whole idea is to reduce the |
| Obesity | | | | pressure.Hemorrhoidectomy. Hemorrhoidectomy |
| Pregnancy and childbirth | | | | makes sense for patients with third- or fourth-degree |
| Inherited tendency to hemorrhoids.So, avoid all this and | | | | hemorrhoids. The hemorrhoids are cut out.Stapled |
| you are free.Obviously this list of reasons is too | | | | hemorrhoidectomy. Stapler cuts off the ring of |
| wide.The list of measures is wide too.Increase the fiber | | | | expanded hemorrhoidal tissue.There are different |
| in your diet.Eat more cereals, fruits, vegetables, grains, | | | | considerations why to do this and not that type of |
| etcPsyllium and methylcellulose are supplemental types | | | | treatment. And vice versa.There are complications |
| of fiber.Exercise, avoid long standing or sitting, don't | | | | (pain, difficulty urinating, bleeding several days after |
| strain, keep the anal area clean.Increase liquids in your | | | | surgery, scarring, infection, stool incontinence). |
| diet.Use stool softeners, stool-bulking agents (not a | | | | Complications happen relatively rare, but they are still |
| tasty ones, but what can you do).Treat diarrhea with | | | | there. |
| anti-motility drugs and fiber.Not every of these | | | | Better talk to you surgeon.I hope you be OK.You |
| methods are proved scientifically. Nonetheless they are | | | | were not alone.It looks like Napoleon Bonaparte, Carter, |
| included in the standard recommendations for | | | | Hemingway, Tennyson, Lewis Carroll also were |
| hemorrhoids treatment.To treat itching or discomfort | | | | suffering from hemorrhoids.Aleksandr Kavokin, |
| you may use suppositories, ointments, creams, and | | | | MD1994 Russia,PhD1997 Russia - Immunology and |
| gels. You may find that all in your local | | | | Allergy, postdoc at Cancer Center at Med U of South |
| pharmacy.These products contain protectant and | | | | Carolina, postdoc at Yale - Cardiology, Molecular |
| anesthetics (pain relievers). Local anesthetics numb the | | | | Medicine. |