What Causes Internal And External Hemorrhoids And Simple Ways To Treat Them
Hemorrhoids are usually caused by increased pressure due to pregnancy, being overweight, or straining during bowel movements. By midlife, hemorrhoids often become an ongoing complaint. By age 50, about half the population has experienced one or more of the classic symptoms, which include rectal pain, itching, bleeding, and possibly prolapse . Although hemorrhoids are rarely dangerous, they can be a recurrent and painful intrusion. Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do about hemorrhoids.
Whom Do Hemorrhoids Affect
Although most people think hemorrhoids are abnormal, almost everyone has them. Hemorrhoids help control bowel movements. Hemorrhoids cause problems and can be considered abnormal or a disease only when the hemorrhoidal clumps of vessels enlarge.
Hemorrhoids occur in almost everyone, and an estimated 75% of people will experience enlarged hemorrhoids at some point. However only about 4% will go to a doctor because of hemorrhoid problems. Hemorrhoids that cause problems are found equally in men and women, and their prevalence peaks between 45 and 65 years of age.
Will My Insurance Cover Sclerotherapy
Insurance companies do not provide coverage for sclerotherapy when it is performed for cosmetic reasons. Some insurance companies cover sclerotherapy for specific medical conditions. Your insurance company may request a letter from your physician concerning the nature of your treatment. Please contact your insurance provider to verify coverage before you consider the procedure.
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How Are Bleeding Hemorrhoids Treated At Home
A bleeding hemorrhoid is usually a sign of irritation or damage to the wall of the hemorrhoid. This should resolve on its own over time, but there are several things you can do at home to speed up the process and soothe any discomfort.
However, if theres no clear source of bleeding or if the bleeding doesnt go away within a week, see your doctor.
Experts note that hemorrhoids are often self-diagnosed, which can be dangerous. Many medical conditions, including cancer and inflammatory bowel disease , can have similar symptoms. For this reason, its important to receive a proper diagnosis from your doctor.
If you have been diagnosed with a hemorrhoid thats itchy or painful, start by gently cleaning the area and reducing inflammation. These strategies can help:
Next, try to soften your stools to keep your digestive system in good working order and reduce your risk of further irritation or damage to a bleeding hemorrhoid. Here are some tips:
If youre still noticing blood or a lot of discomfort after a week of home treatments, you may need to revisit your doctor for additional treatment.
If home treatments arent providing any relief, there are several surgical treatments that can help. Many of them can be done in the office and dont require general anesthesia.
These include:
If your bleeding hemorrhoids are larger or more severe, your doctor may recommend more advanced treatment, such as more extensive surgery.
How Do You Make Hemorrhoids Go Away Fast
The fastest solution in forcing hemorrhoids to disappear is usually with the help of the above and fiber. While its best to find your fiber through meals, many doctors advise their patients with hemorrhoids to add a supplement to help contribute to their daily fiber intake.
Continuing with a fiber supplement and fibrous diet will also ensure that you do not experience another hemorrhoid flare-up.
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Don’t Let Hemorrhoids Be A Part Of Your Life Forever
You have hemorrhoids. They last and last. They are painful, annoying, and embarrassing possibly causing itching, discomfort, and bleeding, swelling and difficulty with hygiene. But you are not alone. An estimated 75% of people experience hemorrhoids symptoms, a common problem, at some point, but only an estimated 4% of people go to the doctor for help.
No wonder its a problem so many people cant get rid of once and for all!
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your anus and lower rectum, similar to varicose veins. There are many causes, such as straining during bowel movements or increased pressure on veins during pregnancy. Hemorrhoids may be located inside the rectum , or they may develop under the skin around the anus .
Signs Your Hemorrhoids Warrant A Doctor’s Visit
Your doctor may also check for blood in the stool, examine the muscle tone of your anus, and perform a rectal exam to diagnose internal hemorrhoids. This is done in the doctor’s office with a gloved, lubricated finger and an anoscope . Your doctor may also recommend additional tests to rule out other causes of bleeding, especially if you are over age 40.
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What Medications And Other Products Treat Hemorrhoids
Medications are used to control symptoms by softening the stool, decreasing the inflammation of the hemorrhoids, and treating the pain. Stool softeners work by increasing the water and fat content within the stool allowing it to be passed more easily. Docusate sodium is the most often recommended drug in this class .
Inflammation can be controlled with over-the-counter creams or suppositories. Some brand ingredients include low dose topical anesthetics to help with symptoms. Others contain astringents that help shrink the swollen tissues. Both may contain low dose steroids to decrease inflammation. People with diabetes should check with their pharmacist or health care professional before using OTC hemorrhoid treatments. If the medication contains a vasoconstrictor it may elevate blood sugar levels if absorbed in large amounts. Prescription-strength lidocaine or hydrocortisone may be offered by the health care professional.
Grade 2 and 3 hemorrhoids are initially treated the same way, using techniques to destroy hemorrhoids. These include injecting the hemorrhoid vein to make it sclerose or harden, using rubber bands to choke off the blood supply and make the hemorrhoidal tissue shrivel, or other procedures that cause the mucosa to shrivel and die.
Time For Hemorrhoid Removal
Your doctor can tell you about medical procedures to remove or reduce hemorrhoids. You might consider these options if, despite all the ordinary measures, your hemorrhoids continue to bleed, start to bleed or hurt more, or begin to interfere with bowel movements. In the meantime, self-care will get most men through hemorrhoid flare-ups.
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Getting Rid Of Hemorrhoids
Preventative Tips To Take Before Exercising Or Walking With Hemorrhoids
The fear of discomfort is what makes some reluctant to exercise. Practicing self-care during a hemorrhoid flareup not only makes exercise more comfortable, but it helps the issue clear up faster. Here are some tips on how to make your walking routine easier by taking care of yourself.
- Appropriate clothing: Friction easily makes a hemorrhoid flareup worse. The best favor you can do for yourself is to wear non-restrictive and breathable clothing while exercising. Underwear, shorts, or pants that ride up or are restricting are likely to cause friction. Additional irritation makes exercise unpleasant and could slow the healing process.
- Clean hygiene: Put on clean underwear. Be sure to keep your backside clean and dry before and after exercise.
- Drink water: It has always been important to stay hydrated for exercise, but when you are working out with hemorrhoids, getting enough fluids is even more important. Dehydration causes constipation and makes bowel movements more difficult. So, after working up a sweat, be sure to replenish your fluid loss.
- Healthy eating: What comes in does affect what comes out. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fiber helps with hemorrhoids as it keeps you regular and makes bowel movements smoother.
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Can Bleeding Hemorrhoids Cause Anemia
Complications from hemorrhoids are rare, such as anemia.
Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells, and this condition can bring on symptoms of feeling tired, weak, shortness of breath, and sometimes, loss of consciousness.
In most cases, your case of hemorrhoids must be severe enough to induce chronic bleeding.
Of course, if you are experiencing chronic loss of blood from hemorrhoids, tell your doctor or call emergency services immediately.
This is a rare side effect derived from hemorrhoid complications, and it could indicate a more serious gastrointestinal disease.
Do not try to treat severe hemorrhoids with chronic bleeding at home yourself or you could be putting yourself at risk for additional complications.
Eat Too Many Refined Grains
Refined grains are grains that have been milled, a process that is performed to remove the bran. Foods that aggravate hemorrhoids are doughnuts, pies, candy, puff pastry, muffins, cakes, biscuits, and other processed foods.
Some kinds of white bread are also included. These foods can promote constipation. Constipation is one of the main causes that lead to strain as well as hemorrhoids flare-ups.
So, if you like to consume one of those foods, you may need to stop while you are on the treatment to cure it. If not, then it will be getting worse. Just ensure you will avoid those foods.
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How To Stop Hemorrhoid Itching:
1) First, stop scratching! I know its easy said than done, but it is important. If you are scratching the anus, you are aggravating the tissue and likely worsening your condition.
2) Take A Sitz Bath! Go straight to your bathroom and draw a warm bath. If you have some epsom salt, throw it in. Within minutes you will feel better. If you do not have a bath, take a warm shower, gently spread your buttocks and let the water run down anal region. You will get immediate relief.
3) Purchase a Hemorrhoid Cream, Wipe and Supplement!
You donât even need to go to the store. If your too embarrassed to go to the store, then go on Amazon and get name brand hemorrhoid products like Preparation H cream, Tucks Wipes and HemRid supplement. You will likely receive all three the next morning and all for under $40. You canât beat it.
Itchy hemorrhoids are the worst! That itch can drive you crazy. Fortunately, there are great anti-itch products out there like Preparation H, Tucks and HemRid to help.
In addition to great products there are also great home remedies for itchy hemorrhoids like taking a sit bath. Be sure to take a sit bath as frequent as possible. Most importantly, do your best not to scratch and irritate your hemorrhoids more. Hemorrhoid sufferers have reported greater itching after scratching.
Signs And Symptoms Of Hemorrhoids
Seeing blood in your toilet bowl after a bowel movement is no doubt alarming, but its one of the main symptoms of hemorrhoids. Other symptoms include:
- Bright red blood on toilet paper or in your stool after a bowel movement
- Itching in the anal area
- Pain in the anal area, especially when sitting
- Pain during bowel movements
- One or more hard, painful lumps around the anus
If you experience any of these hemorrhoid symptoms, avoid excess straining, rubbing, or cleaning around the anus, which can make irritation and itching worse, and can even lead to bleeding. In addition, try to pat the area dry instead of wiping it.
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How To Stop Hemorrhoids From Itching
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 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 136,643 times.
Hemorrhoids are also commonly known as piles. They are quite common. Nearly half of people 50 years or older have had at least one experience with hemorrhoids. During pregnancy, many women have problems with hemorrhoids as well. One of the main symptoms of hemorrhoids is itching around the anus. XResearch sourceXTrustworthy SourceHarvard Medical SchoolHarvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the PublicGo to source If you are experiencing hemorrhoids, there are ways you can relieve itching.
What Is Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure used to treat varicose veins and “spider veins.” During sclerotherapy, the physician injects a solution directly into the affected vein. The solution irritates the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together. Over time, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades from view. Sclerotherapy is a well-proven procedure and has been used since the 1930s.
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How Do They Occur
Veins in the rectum and around the anus tend to swell under pressure. Hemorrhoids can result from too much pressure on these veins. You may put pressure on these veins by:
- straining to have a bowel movement when you are constipated
- waiting too long to have a bowel movement
- sitting for a long time on the toilet, which causes strain on the anal area
- coughing and sneezing often
- sitting for a long while
Hemorrhoids may also develop from:
- diarrhea
- injury to the anus, for example, from anal intercourse
- some liver diseases
Flare-ups of hemorrhoids may occur during periods of stress. Some people inherit a tendency to have hemorrhoids.
Pregnant women should try to avoid becoming constipated because they are more likely to have hemorrhoids during pregnancy. In the last trimester of pregnancy, the enlarged uterus may press on blood vessels and cause hemorrhoids. Also, the strain of childbirth sometimes causes hemorrhoids after the birth.
What Should I Watch For While Using This Medicine
Be careful to avoid injury while the area is numb and you are not aware of pain. If this medicine is used in the mouth or throat, do not chew gum or eat food for at least one hour. If the area is still numb, you may choke or bite your tongue or cheek if you try to chew or swallow. Also, you may not feel pain from hot foods or drinks.
Do not apply this medicine to areas of skin that are infected, open or damaged. This may increase the amount of medicine that passes through your skin and increase the risk of serious side effects.
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What Causes Rectal Bleeding
Rectal bleeding can occur for several reasons and the most common reasons are hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
Hemorrhoids
Rectal bleeding in hemorrhoids occurs when you pass really hard stool and it scrapes the surface of a hemorrhoid in the rectum . This sort of bleeding is painless because the rectum doesnt have any pain sensory receptors. Bleeding from hemorrhoids in the anus , on the other hand, is painful because the anus has pain sensory receptors.
Bleeding also occurs when a thrombosed hemorrhoid bursts due to pent up pressure. A thrombosed hemorrhoid occurs when a blood clot is formed inside a hemorrhoid. The hemorrhoid fills up with blood to a point that it has to burst to release pressure. The bleeding should only last a few seconds or minutes and itll stop. A thrombosed hemorrhoid can be an internal or external hemorrhoid so if an internal thrombosed hemorrhoid bleeds, it results in rectal bleeding.
Anal Fissures
Anal fissures are tears, splits, or cuts on the sensitive mucosal lining of the anal canal. Its very painful especially when moving your bowels and afterward. An anal fissure is an injury so it results in bleeding. You will notice the bright red blood in the toilet that is separate from your stool or on the tissue paper when you wipe.
Rectal bleeding can also occur because of the following less common reasons:
- Anal, rectal, or colon cancer
- Crohns disease
- Proctitis
Symptoms Of Prolapsed Internal Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids prolapse when their blood vessels swell and extend from their location in the rectum through the anus. In the anal canal, the hemorrhoid is exposed to the trauma of passing stool, particularly hard stools associated with constipation. The trauma can cause bleeding and sometimes pain when stool passes.
The presence of
- inflammation, and
- constant moisture
can lead to anal itchiness , and occasionally the constant feeling of needing to have a bowel movement. The prolapsing hemorrhoid usually returns into the anal canal or rectum on its own or can be pushed back inside with a finger, but falls out again with the next bowel movement.
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