Procedures For Hemorrhoids Treatment
Some hemorrhoids cant be managed with conservative treatments alone, either because symptoms persist or because an internal hemorrhoid has prolapsed. Fortunately, a number of minimally invasive hemorrhoid treatments are available that are less painful than traditional hemorrhoid removal and allow a quicker recovery. These procedures are generally performed in a surgeons office or as outpatient surgery in a hospital.
Band it. The most commonly used hemorrhoid treatment in the United States is rubber band ligation, in which a small elastic band is placed around the base of a hemorrhoid . The band causes the hemorrhoid to shrink and the surrounding tissue to scar as it heals, holding the hemorrhoid in place. It takes two to four procedures, done six to eight weeks apart, to completely eliminate the hemorrhoid. Complications, which are rare, include mild pain or tightness , bleeding, and infection. Other office procedures include laser or infrared coagulation, sclerotherapy, and cryosurgery. They all work on the same principle as rubber band ligation but are not quite as effective in preventing recurrence. Side effects and recurrence vary with the procedure, so consult your physician about whats best for your situation.
Can Hemorrhoids Be Prevented Or Avoided
Just about everyone has hemorrhoids at some time. But some things may make you more likely to get them. People whose parents had hemorrhoids may be more likely to get them. Pregnant women often get hemorrhoids because of the strain from carrying the baby and from giving birth. Being very overweight or standing or lifting too much can make hemorrhoids worse.
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Signs Your Hemorrhoids Require Medical Intervention
You may, understandably, not like to talk about it, but hemorrhoids are pretty common. They affect about 10 million adults in the United States annually. Its estimated, in fact, that as many as three in four adults will experience problems with hemorrhoids at some point in their lives.
Take a walk down the pharmacy aisle at your local grocery store and youll likely find plenty of treatments that promise to help. But what do you do when home remedies dont work? Is there a medical treatment that will help heal your hemorrhoids and resolve your pain?
Yes, says Dr. Betsy Clemens. And the good news? Effective hemorrhoid treatment doesnt always mean surgery. In fact, most of the time it does not.
Dr. Clemens leads our team here at Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Shes a specialist who is well known for her medical expertise as well as her passion for making her patients feel comfortable when addressing this sometimes embarrassing condition.
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Differentiating Between The Two
You might also be referred to a specialist to perform an internal examination. The procedure, called sigmoidoscopy, examines both your rectum and part of your colon with a lighted instrument.
Your symptoms could also be the result of a more serious condition, such as an infection, an abscess or cancer. Before trying to self-treat, have a doctor rule out these other possibilities.
Signs Of Thrombosed Hemorrhoids
A thrombosed hemorrhoid is a hemorrhoid that has developed a blood clot inside. This can happen to both external and internal hemorrhoids. Signs and symptoms of a thrombosed hemorrhoid include:]
- Sudden onset of pain
- Constant pain following sudden onset of pain
Thrombosed hemorrhoids have the following characteristics:
- Blue or purple in color
- A lump or bulge
A thrombosed hemorrhoid will often hurt, but are not generally dangerous.
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How Are Haemorrhoids Treated
Mild symptoms may go away after a few days without any special treatment. In most cases your doctor will recommend measures to relieve constipation if you have it.
If your haemorrhoids are causing you pain or discomfort, ask your doctor or chemist about medicated creams or ointments that may ease your symptoms.
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Hemorrhoids: Signs Symptoms And Complications
For most people, the signs and symptoms of hemorrhoidsitchiness, swelling, discomfortwill be mild and respond to home remedies. In a minority of cases, however, hemorrhoid signs and symptoms will be severe enough that they require treatment from a physician. Rarely, hemorrhoids that cause significant blood loss or a blood clot can be life-threatening. It’s important to note that one of the chief calling cards of hemorrhoids, blood in or on the stool or on toilet paper, should never be considered normal. While the cause could indeed be hemorrhoids, a more serious condition could be afoot.
Hemorrhoids can come with external and/or internal symptoms, depending on how they form.
External Hemorrhoids
If the hemorrhoid becomes inflamed and engorged with blood it may look bluish-purple and be painful, not only during a bowel movement but even when walking or sitting.
The symptoms of external hemorrhoids can include:
- Tenderness when wiping
Internal Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids on the inside of the rectum, called internal hemorrhoids, might not cause symptoms and might only be discovered or diagnosed when they cause bleeding.
The symptoms of internal hemorrhoids can include:
- Bleeding during bowel movements
- Pain in the case of prolapse
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Is There A Distinction With The Way The Blood Would Look If Its From A Hemorrhoid Vs Rectal Fresh Blood From Colon Cancer
Both hemorrhoid blood and colon cancer bleeding from the lower rectum is red rather than brown. Its often described as a bright red or fresh looking.
Its scary to see blood on the toilet paper after you wiped following a bowel movement, and even more alarming when you see blood mixed with your stools.
Typically, bleeding from hemorrhoids usually occurs in the setting of having constipation or frequent straining upon having a bowel movement, says Dr. Neil Sengupta, MD, a general gastroenterologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago, and GI Research Foundation Scholars Award Recipient.
Bleeding typically is small volume, may be on the top of stools, or present only on the toilet paper after wiping, continues Dr. Sengupta.
Colon cancer may lead to more significant bleeding or blood intermixed amongst stools.
The actual appearance of the blood is the same, meaning, its the same shade of red, whether its from a bleeding hemorrhoid or a cancerous tumor in the lower colon.
Its not as though a certain shade or red means it must be colon cancer.
The shade changes depending on where in the colon the bleeding is originating.
The higher up in the colon, the darker the blood because its older, and it may even appear black when mixed with the stools.
But hemorrhoid blood is always a fresh looking or bright red. It may even be pink if a little is mixed in with a combination of residual fecal smear or urine on the tissue paper.
Is Hemorrhoid Fissure Surgery Worth It
Hemorrhoid fissures can be so painful and disrupt your life so much that you may need surgery.
One of the best surgeries for hemorrhoid fissures is called lateral internal sphincterotomy.
This surgery is invasive and can require a lot of pre and post-operative maintenance, like watching your diet, taking and not taking certain medications, and the recovery time can be anywhere from two to three weeks.
If your fissures do not heal on their own within a few days or weeks, or you are experiencing rectal bleeding more often than not, talk to your doctor to see if a hemorrhoid fissure surgery is worth it for you.
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Blood From Hemorrhoids Or Colon Cancer
Stools themselves are not bloody because the stool is formed in the colon .
Colon cancer can be present with bloody stools because the stool has time to mix with blood in the colon.
Blood on toilet paper can also be caused by any of the following:
The above four possible sources of minute bleeding can be aggravated by aggressive wiping or by using a paper towel to wipe rather than gentler tissue paper.
However, any rectal bleeding should be evaluated by a physician or gastroenterologist to determine whether any diagnostic testing is necessary to exclude a serious cause of bleeding, says Dr. Sengupta.
Another serious cause other than colon cancer or an ulcer is Crohns disease.
A bleeding hemorrhoid, though a nuisance, is not a serious medical condition but it should be treated and managed.
Dr. Senguptas research interests involve optimizing the care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with gastrointestinal bleeding. Specific interests include GERD, colon cancer screening and fatty liver disease.
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Seton And Staged Fistulotomy
A seton is a suture, rubber band or vessel loop passed through the fistula tract, where it allows drainage and converts an inflammatory process to a foreign body reaction, causing perisphincteric fibrosis. This often causes shortening of the tract and decreases the amount of sphincter involved, allowing for subsequent fistulotomy in cases where initially too much sphincter muscle was involved. Cutting setons work through progressive tightening of the seton, and create a gradual fistulotomy with scarring of the tract over time. Although their use has been reported to have healing rates of over 90%, they can cause sphincter injury, and have therefore lost favor . A meta-analysis of cutting setons showed incontinence rates of 12% with higher rates for higher fistulas .
Overall, there is a relative lack of data regarding the use of setons . Non-cutting setons are often placed to treat sepsis and cause fibrosis of the tract, followed by fistulotomy weeks later, resulting in success rates of 62-100% with incontinence rates of 0-54% . One retrospective review of patients treated by seton for high transsphincteric fistulas had gradual healing of the tract in 75% of patients . Half of these patients had the tract migrate all the way to the surface, while the other half required fistulotomy .
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When To See A Doctor
Blood in the stool is never normal and should always be discussed with a physician, even when it is thought to be from a hemorrhoid.
Blood in the stool is most often the result of hemorrhoids bright red blood is characteristic. Stools that have darker red blood or that appear tarry might be related to another condition, particularly one associated with an area higher up in the digestive tract. In the event of these symptoms, it might be necessary to have testing to rule out other conditions.
Hemorrhoids Doctor Discussion Guide
Hemorrhoids Treatment And Reducing Your Risk
The first step, however, is talking to your primary care or family doctor about these symptoms. Most of the time, theyre signs of hemorrhoids, which a primary care doctor usually can treat successfully. If you have hemorrhoids, you likely dont need to see a specialist like me at first.
Of course, diet also plays a role in developing the symptoms of hemorrhoids. Not getting enough fiber in your diet can make the stool in your colon bulkier and drier, which increases the chances of becoming constipated. If youre not drinking enough water, your colon will pull more out of the food you eat, which leads to the same problem.
Controlling your hemorrhoids symptoms usually focuses on addressing the causes of constipation. Your doctor likely will recommend that you increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Vegetables and fruits, particularly fruits with peels, are a great way to increase the amount of fiber you eat. Foods with bran and oats, such as bran cereal or oatmeal, also pack on the fiber. If dietary changes arent enough, or for people who arent ready to change their diets, over-the-counter fiber supplements like Benefiber or Metamucil can help.
Youll also need to make sure youre getting enough fluid each day. Adults should drink 48 to 64 ounces of fluid per day. Among its many other benefits, getting enough fluid makes the stool softer and less painful to pass.
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When Do I Need To See A Health Care Provider For Hemorrhoids
You should see your health care provider if you
- Still have symptoms after 1 week of at-home treatment
- Have bleeding from your rectum. Hemorrhoids are a common cause of bleeding, but other conditions can also cause bleeding. They include Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, and . So its important to see your provider to find the cause of the bleeding.
Bleeding During Bowel Movements
There are many underlying causes of rectal bleeding, including hemorrhoids. Blood associated with internal hemorrhoids is typically bright red, causes no pain, occurs with bowel movements, and may be mild to moderate in amount.
You cant assume, however, that your symptoms are due to hemorrhoids. If youve never been diagnosed with hemorrhoids or have noted a change in the characteristics of the bleeding youve associated with hemorrhoids, see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Hemorrhoids and rectal prolapse can cause similar symptoms in your rectum. However, there are significant differences in how the two conditions manifest. Understanding the signs and symptoms of hemorrhoids versus rectal prolapse can be vital in making sure you receive the proper treatment.
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What Do I Need To Know About Hemorrhoids
Generally, hemorrhoids are more irritating than dangerous, although severe bleeding is possible infections are rare. Usually, infections only occur in people who avoid talking to a doctor about their symptoms and a prolapsed hemorrhoid loses blood flow. It is always a good idea to see a doctor when you experience painful bowel movements or other symptoms.
Hemorrhoids generally occur after bouts of constipation or diarrhea. Straining to pass hard stools, in particular, can irritate these sensitive tissues. With hemorrhoids, you can expect to experience burning and swelling during and after using the bathroom, and you may see bright red blood on your stool or on the toilet paper.
How To Tell If You Have Internal Hemorrhoids
This article was co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 109,660 times.
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How Do I Know If I Have A Hemorrhoid Or A Fissure
Dr. Rx
In severe cases, blood pressure medications can also be used to provide blood flow that can help with healing. Dr. Kumar
Hemorrhoids tend to be painful or bleed, but not both. Fissures, on the other hand, tend to bleed and be painful. A doctor can see and feel the difference during a rectal exam.
Is It Hemorrhoidsor Something Else
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or seek care at an emergency room.
It can be a shock to look down at the toilet paper after going to the bathroom and seeing bright red blooda classic symptom of hemorrhoids. But hemorrhoids are no big deal, right? Just wait a few days, maybe pick up some cream from the pharmacy, and life will go back to normal. Unfortunately, its not that simple.
About 75 percent of adults will have symptomatic hemorrhoids to some degree in their lifetimes. Of these, only about one-third will need medical attention to treat the problem. So how do you know when to get medical help?
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Hemorrhoids Or Colon Cancer
Colon cancer and hemorrhoids are very different conditions, but they can produce blood in the stool. Seeing blood in the stool can be alarming, especially if you have never experienced it before. Most likely, you may have been straining when having a bowel movement and the bleeding is due to a hemorrhoid. In other cases, blood in the stool could be an indication of something more serious. Lets take a look at both hemorrhoids and colon cancer so you can be informed.
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Dietary Fiber And Home Remedies
A daily fiber intake of 2535 grams is suitable for most adults. Alongside an increase in dietary fiber, its essential to drink plenty of fluids per day. This helps to soften stools, makes them easier to pass, and helps promote good wound healing.
You may wish to take fiber supplements to increase your daily intake.
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Similarities And Differences In Risk Factors
Age is one of the biggest risk-factor differences between hemorrhoids and fissures. In general, people’s risk for hemorrhoids goes up as they get older. Fissures, on the other hand, often happen among young people. Even babies can get fissures, and they’re most common in people between the ages of 20 and 40.
Do You Have Hemorrhoids
If you have any of the symptoms that have been described, then you may have hemorrhoids. If so dont ignore these symptoms, especially if you are experiencing occasional or frequent rectal bleeding.
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Talk with a physician and have them diagnosed or rule out other serious conditions which these symptoms could potentially be indicative of. Your health is very important, be wise and take care of yourself.
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