Hemorrhoid Relief, Causes and Treatments

Posted by on March 9, 2011

Learn about hemorrhoid relief, treatments and causes

Hemorrhoid ReliefBefore outlining hemorrhoid treatments, it is important to understand what hemorrhoids are and what causes them. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that protrude from the anus; these veins cause itching, discomfort and anal bleeding in some cases. There are a number of hemorrhoid causes. Some of the most common ones are anal sex, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, carrying heavy objects, and constipation. A woman that has just given birth is also prone to hemorrhoids.

There are many and varied ways to find hemorrhoid relief. Over the counter creams can help to not only shrink the hemorrhoids but also provide relief from pain and itching. A sitz bath is also quite effective and can be purchased at a local pharmacy or internet retail website. The bath should be filled with warm water; a person should then sit in it several times a day for between fifteen to twenty minutes at a time. Suppositories have also been known to bring hemorrhoid relief.

Homeopathic hemorrhoid treatments are also very effective. They can be made using common ingredients and herbs and do not cause negative side effects. Some herbal teas that are known to bring hemorrhoid relief are comfrey, black tea and witch hazel. Homeopathic hemorrhoid treatments can be easily purchased in tablet form from an online retailers or health store.

There are also simple things that a person can do to get rid of hemorrhoids quickly. A person with hemorrhoids should start by looking at his or her diet. Constipation will make hemorrhoids infinitely more painful and is frequently the cause of hemorrhoids in the first place. It is important for one to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. One should exercises on a regular basis; if regular forms of exercises are painful then swimming and yoga is advisable.

In some extreme cases, surgery may be needed to treat the hemorrhoids. While this is rarely the case, a person with hemorrhoids should consult a medical professional. A doctor will be able to provide on with personalized advice that can help one to get rid of hemorrhoids quickly.

Once a person has had hemorrhoids, he or she will be more susceptible to them in the future. It is important to maintain healthy habits as these frequently prevent hemorrhoids from returning. Eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise can enable a person to stay hemorrhoid free. One should also avoid drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, as these beverages dehydrate the body and can frequently lead to constipation.

Hemorrhoid Relief

Hemorrhoid relief is not hard to find. There are many ways to go about getting rid of hemorrhoids. It is important to start by consulting a doctor, as a doctor will be able to recommend the best course of action. One should also work towards having healthy eating habits and exercising regularly, as these two simple activities will not only help one to get rid of hemorrhoids a lot faster but also prevent hemorrhoids from returning in the future. Getting hemorrhoid relief instantly will certainly increase the quality of your life.

What are Hemorrhoids

Posted by on February 2, 2011

The anal canal is lined with tissues and veins. When the veins get swollen and inflamed they are called hemorrhoids. The common name for them is “piles”.

There are two types of hemorrhoids. Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the anal canal and are mostly painless. External hemorrhoids develop around the anus opening and can be quite painful. Both internal and external hemorrhoids can exist at the same time together.

Symptoms
A person can have hemorrhoids for a long time and be unaware. Some common symptoms include:

  • Bleeding and painful sensation while passing stool
  • Itching and irritation around the anus
  • Pain around the anus
  • Painful sensitive lumps and swelling around the anus
  • Stool leakage into underwear

Causes
Hemorrhoids generally develop from excess pressure in the anal canal between the rectum and anus. There are many reasons for their formation:

  • Irregular bowel movements caused by either diarrhoea or constipation.
  • Obesity and excess body weight
  • Pregnancy
  • Less fibre in diet.
  • Anal sexual intercourse

Treatment
There isn’t a permanent cure for hemorrhoids. There is no guarantee that they will not reappear after treatment.

Home Treatment
The initial steps at treating hemorrhoids can be done at the home very easily.

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) creams, ointments and painkillers to relieve itchiness and pain.
  • Moist wipes for anal hygiene.
  • Warm water wash.
  • Ice pack or cold compress to reduce swelling.

Medical Treatment
When home treatment do not help, medical / surgical intervention is required.

  • Out-patient non-surgical procedures –
    • Incision – A cut made on the blood clot around an external hemorrhoid.
    • Rubberband ligation – A special elastic band tied round the base of the hemorrhoid resulting in it falling off within a week.
    • Sclerotherapy – A chemical injection into the vein wall causing it to collapse and shriveling up the hemorrhoids.
    • Infrared coagulation – Infra red rays directed to the hemorrhoid burning up the tissues.
  • In-patient surgical procedures –
    • Hemorrhoidectomy – The surgical removal of hemorrhoids.
    • Stapled hemorrhoidectomy – Cutting a strip of the vein-filled wall resulting in the hemorrhoids being pulled back to their normal anatomical position.
    • Doppler guided transanal hemorrhoidal dearteriailzation – Ultrasound Doppler that ties up blood arteries and stitches the prolapsed hemorrhoid to its original position.
    • Cryosurgery – Freezing hemorrhoid tissues.

Prevention
The way to prevent hemorrhoids is to have soft stool. Simple lifestyle habits can be adopted:

  • Keeping body weight and obesity in check
  • Eating fibre-rich food
  • Drinking plenty fluids
  • Not straining or forcing bowel movement
  • Not controlling the sensation of bowel movement.
  • Being physically active
  • Maintaining body hygiene

Conclusion
Hemorrhoids are mostly benign and not life-threatening. However they can be very painful and cause a lot of discomfort. Simple lifestyle and diet habits will go a long way in keeping them away.

Internal and External Hemorrhoids

Posted by on February 2, 2011

The anal canal has a lining of tissues and veins. When the veins near the anus gets swollen and inflamed they are called hemorrhoids. A common term for them is piles.

Hemorrhoids are common occurrences most frequent to adults between the ages of 45 – 60 years. It is also common during pregnancy.

Hemorrhoids develop when excess pressure is put in the anal canal resulting in the lining getting strained thus inflaming the veins. Common causes for this pressure happening includes excess body weight, pregnancy, chronic constipation and diarrhea.

Types of Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are generally categorized into internal and external types depending on their location of whether they are inside the anus or outside it.

Internal Hemorrhoid

Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the rectum. This area does not have nerve cells and therefore this type of hemorrhoid is normally painless.

One can have an internal hemorrhoid and not even be aware of it. When excessive pressure is applied to them they can bleed and make the person aware of their presence.

Internal hemorrhoids develop due to a number of causes including constipation, obesity and high-fat / low fiber diet.

There are four surgical classifications of internal hemorrhoids:

Grade IFirst degree hemorrhoids – These bleed when strained during bowel movement, but they do not come outside the anus.

Grade IISecond degree hemorrhoids – When passing stool, these hemorrhoids protrude (prolapse) outside the anus but they subsequently return back inside after the bowel movement.

Grade IIIThird degree hemorrhoids – When passing stool, these hemorrhoids protrude (prolapse) outside the anus and have to be manually inserted inside the anus.

Grade IVFourth degree hemorrhoids – This occurs when the anal sphincter muscle spasms and traps a protruded (prolapsed) hemorrhoid cutting off the blood supply. These are also called strangulated hemorrhoids. These hemorrhoids need medical treatment.

External Hemorrhoid

External hemorrhoids develop outside and around the anus. These blue-black lumps are situated under the skin and are painful due to the presence of nerve cells. Sometimes the blood clots develop and they become thrombosed external hemorrhoids.

Symptoms of bleeding and anal itching and irritation are caused by straining, rubbing or cleaning around the anus. Anal sexual intercourse, excess body weight, pregnancy and age are also causes for the formation of external hemorrhoids.

Treatment for external hemorrhoids are mainly focused on relieving the symptoms and pressure on the anal canal. Treatment can be simply soaking in a tub of warm water, ice-packs to reduce swelling, over-the-counter (OTC) medication and ointments for pain and itchiness relief and taking stool softners. Should these not give relief then surgery is the last option as these can be painful as they might involve surgical removal of the hemorrhoid or burning it off the anus area.

Conclusion

Internal hemorrhoids are most common and even then hemorrhoids are not life-threatening or very discomfortable. However if one is extremely unlucky then both internal and external hemorrhoids can exist at the same time making

Hemorrhoids and Pregnancy

Posted by on February 2, 2011

Hemorrhoids develop when the veins lining the anal canal get inflamed and swollen from excess pressure and strain. Hemorrhoids are a common development both during and after pregnancy.

Hemorrhoids can be internal (inside the anal canal) or external (lumps that appear outside and around the rectum). Mostly painless, they can however be uncomfortable causing irritation and itchiness in the rectum area. Bleeding during passing stool can also occur.

Cause

Hemorrhoids can occur during pregnancy and post-delivery. If one has had hemorrhoids before, there is increased chance of it recurring during pregnancy. Genetics also plays a factor for hemorrhoids being formed.

During pregnancy, especially during the third trimester, the growing foetus increases pressure on the uterus and subsequently on the veins in the lower body. Pregnancy hormones can cause the uterine walls to relax, which can make them swell more easily. Due to the growing uterus, constipation is a common side-effect. This in turn puts additional strain on the anal canal.

Post-delivery, the body can take upto six weeks to reverse the hormonal and biological changes during pregnancy. Factors like big babies, a long delivery labour and severe constipation play to the internal body imbalance and hemorrhoids can develop.

Prevention

Hemorrhoids can be avoided even during pregnancy by adopting simple lifestyle and diet habits:

  • Adequate amount of fluids (water, juices, milk shakes) should be taken in a day to keep the body hydrated and prevent formation of dry stool. Caffeine and alcoholic beverages should be avoided as they have the opposite effect.
  • High-fiber content diet should be followed including fruits, vegetable and whole grain.
  • Proper personal hygiene in keeping the area clean goes in a long way also.
  • Don’t restrain bowel movement. When the sensation arises one should not control it as this puts pressure in the uterine and anal canals.
  • Exercise and physical activity should be maintained. Excess body weight and obesity beyond the growing baby will add further pressure to the uterus.
  • Standing or sitting in one position should be avoided. While lying down, it should be on the left side to relieve pressure.
  • Avoid lifting and carrying heavy objects as this action strains the lower body

Treatment

Most hemorrhoids that develop during pregnancy dissolve post-delivery and surgical intervention is not required. Treatment of hemorrhoids during pregnancy is mostly directed at relief from the symptoms.

  • Ice-packs around the rectum to soothe swelling
  • Warm water soaks and baths to relieve itchiness
  • Using moist wipes instead of dry toilet paper to clean after passing stool.
  • Medical options are to be taken with strict consultation with your healthcare provider
    • Stool softners to make the stool soft and thus less painful when it passes through the anus
    • Over-the-counter creams and ointments to reduce itchiness and inflammation
    • Painkiller

Conclusion

Hemorrhoids are not life-threatening. Pregnancy is a beautiful period in a woman’s life. Simple lifestyle habits can be adopted to make the most of this wonderful phase.