Hemorrhoids can be very painful and are impossible to ignore. They can be defined as internal or external swollen veins. In some cases, making a few lifestyle changes such as eating fiber-rich foods and drinking plenty of water may be enough to relieve the problem. In other cases, surgery may be required. Surgery for hemorrhoids depends on the severity of the case. There are many different types of surgeries that may be performed.

Banding
Banding or rubber band ligation is a surgical process used to treat internal hemorrhoids. This involves placing a tight band around the hemorrhoid base to cut off its blood supply. This procedure does not involve the use of anesthesia.

Sclerotherapy
This is also used to treat internal hemorrhoids. It involves injecting a particular chemical into the hemorrhoid that makes the hemorrhoid shrink and keeps it from bleeding. This procedure does not involve the use of anesthesia.

Coagulation therapy
Coagulation therapy is also referred to as infrared photocoagulation. The procedure involves the use of infrared light and extreme heat and cold. The aim here is to help the hemorrhoid shrink and retract. It may be performed with an anoscopy. An anoscopy is a procedure that allows the doctor to look inside the rectum with the help of a scope. This procedure does not involve the use of anesthesia.

Hemorrhoidal artery ligation
Hemorrhoidal artery ligation (HAL) or transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) is often used to remove hemorrhoids. It involves using an ultrasound to locate the swollen blood vessels and then closing these off. This procedure does not involve the use of anesthesia.

Hemorrhoidectomy
Large external hemorrhoids can be treated with a hemorrhoidectomy. Internal hemorrhoids that have prolapsed and are not responding to other forms of treatment can also be treated with this procedure. The procedure is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia or local anesthesia. The hemorrhoids are then cut off surgically. Hospitalization may be required for a few days after this procedure.

Hemorrhoidopexy
This procedure is also known as stapling and may be performed while the patient is under local or general anesthesia. It is typically used to treat prolapsed hemorrhoids. During the procedure, the doctor staples the prolapsed hemorrhoid to the walls of the rectum and cuts of the blood supply to the affected vein. By doing this, the tissue is allowed to shrink and be reabsorbed into the body. As compared to a hemorrhoidectomy, stapling is less painful and has a quicker recovery time. 

Surgical Treatment Of Hemorrhoids!

Piles, fistula and fissures are the most common problems affecting the rectum and the anus. Both the rectum as well as the anus has a very rich vascular supply. There could be swelling of these blood vessels or tearing which can lead to the above conditions. Read on to know additional details about each of these conditions. 

Piles: In simple words, swollen blood vessels of the anal region are called piles. It can be internal or external, depending on how far it is from the anal canal. If it is located farther inside the anal canal, it is called internal piles.

Causes:

Chronic constipation, where the person has to strain to pass stools
Smoking and genetics can also lead to piles.
Symptoms: Starts off as painless bleeding, which happens in drops after bowel movement; the swelling happens much later. They can continue to grow and develop blood clots.

Treatment:

In the early stages, once identified, simple topical medications for symptom relief are sufficient.
Diet should be rich in fiber, with fruits and vegetables
Increased water consumption
Surgery if the disease has reached the stage of blood clots
Prevention is advised if there is a family history by consuming a fiber-rich diet and maintaining hydration
Fistula: When an infected anal gland bursts into the anal canal, it constantly discharges pus into the anal canal and becomes a fistula. Hygienic toilet habits can help in preventing fistulas.

Symptoms:

A constant wet feeling in the anal area, due to pus discharge.
This would be intermittent, and there would be periods with no discharge.
There could be a foul smell due to pus discharge.
Diagnosis and Treatment:

Identifying the exact location is important as surgery may be required.
An ultrasound scan or an MRI is usually done.
Newer techniques like Video Assisted Anal Fistula Treatment (VAAFT) are used. This locates the piles accurately and uses electric current to seal it with staples and surgical glue.
Conventional surgery is also used for economic or accessibility reasons.
Fissures: These cracks anywhere in the length of the anal canal are extremely common.
Symptoms

Very painful and the person may not want to go to the toilet
Rarely bleeding is also seen, maybe in very small amounts
Treatment:

Over 90% of the fissures do not require surgery
Switching to a high-fiber diet and improving hydration will help in managing these symptoms.
Topical relief can be provided by medications.
When they are recurrent, a procedure known as lateral sphincterotomy is done. This is an outpatient procedure and provides immediate relief.
Though one condition can lead to another, in most people, there is a strong genetic component, and working towards prevention is highly recommended.

Piles, Fistula and Fissures - Can Ayurveda Help You?

Is Constipation the Only Cause of Piles? + It's Symptoms

Piles, which are also called hemorrhoids, refer to the swelling of the veins near the anus and rectum, which get irritated during bowel movements, causing pain and bleeding during stool motions. The veins near the rectum or the anus may rupture during strained bowel movements and thus, cause the blood to come out with the stool. This can be very painful for the patient and has a very disruptive effect on their lives.

Causes of Piles

There may be many causes for piles or hemorrhoids and the cause may vary from patient to patient. Let's have a look at a few of them.

Straining when passing a stool - This is by far the most common reason for piles and this is what causes the irritation on the veins or causes them to rupture

Chronic Constipation: People suffering from chronic constipation due to gastrointestinal problems may also suffer from piles due to putting pressure constantly to relieve themselves.

Lifting a heavy weight or doing strenuous work: This can also put physical stress on the anus or rectum and cause swollen veins, which may then rupture during the passage of stool.

Pregnancy - Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes in the body and the strain may also result in piles.

Symptoms of Piles

Some of the symptoms of piles or hemorrhoids are:

- Painful bowel movements, which hurt the rectum or the anus, accompanied by general tenderness within the region
- Bleeding or seeping of a bright red color blood onto the stool on the toilet or even on toilet paper
- Itching in the anal areas, which may be continuous or intermittent
- A swelling or lump near the anus, which is painful
- A mucus-like discharge from the anus

There may be one or more factors present in particular cases and if there is a pain in the rectal area, it is best to get it checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Is Constipation the Only Cause of Piles? + It's Symptoms

Many women experience a temporary encounter with hemorrhoids when they are pregnant. Quite surprisingly, most people tend to experience this in their daily lives. By the age 50, majority of people have encountered one or more symptoms of this ailment, including rectal pain, bleeding, itching and may be prolapse where the hemorrhoids protrude out of the anal canal. Though this ailment can be rarely detrimental, it can be a painful intrusion. But thankfully, there are a lot of things we can do about them.

How may this be diagnosed?
Hemorrhoids are usually diagnosed from a plain medical history and health exam. External hemorrhoids, more commonly known as piles, are normally apparent, particularly if a blood clot is formed. Your physician shall perform a digital rectal test to detect blood in the stool. Then the physician may also inspect the anal tube with the aid of an anoscope, which is a short plastic channel interjected into the rectum with illumination. If he finds any evidence of microscopic blood or rectal bleeding in the stool, then there may be a need to perform colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy to determine the probable causes of bleeding like cancer or colorectal polyps, specifically in women aged over 50.

Is it possible to treat hemorrhoids at home?
Most of the common symptoms of piles can improve drastically with simple in-home measures. If you are suffering from occasional flare-ups, you may try the following:

    Eat a lot of fibre: It is recommended to add fibre in the diet; may be a fibre supplement like Citrucel, Fibre con, etc. When you drink a lot of water along with loads of fibre, stools get softened making them effortless to pass, which will reduce the pressure on the swollen veins. Eating broccoli, wheat, oats, beans, fresh fruits every day will help in decreasing bleeding caused due to piles. It also reduces swelling and inflammation. If you feel digestive issues with a sudden splurge of fibre in your diet, you may start slowly and gradually increase the amounts.
    Take a sitz bath: A sitz bath is a lukewarm water bath for the lower back portion of the body, which can help in relieving irritation, itching as well as spasms occurring in the sphincter muscle. You can either get small plastic tubs for a sitz bath or sit in a normal bath tub. Most physicians suggest a half an hour sitz bath after every bowel movement. Then tenderly dry the area and avoid wiping it hard.

There are several invasive treatments that can be opted if these conservative treatments are not able to help your condition. In such an instance, it is always wise to seek advice of a medical practitioner. 

How to Deal with Hemorrhoids?

Piles or Haemorrhoids is a disease of the anal canal. The veins in this region get affected. They swell as blood stagnates inside them. This causes discomfort while passing stool. The most obvious symptoms of piles are bleeding and pain at the time of excretion or passing of the stool. For most of the patients with piles, sitting or standing becomes a tedious task.

What causes piles?
The primary reason behind the occurrence of piles is a patient s sedentary lifestyle. Most of it also depends on upon his or her diet intake. Many of us consume a lot of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in our regular meals. But, we forget or are simply reluctant to take up physical exercises. This, in turn, leads to increase in body weight and hampers the activity of our digestive system. As a result, patients develop diseases like piles.

Diet plays a vital role in preventing piles. If we don t add an adequate amount of fibre or roughage to our diet, there is a potential threat of developing piles. Fibres help with the convenient evacuation of the stool. In fact, fibres form the bulk of the stool. Besides, insufficient intake of water may also cause this disease.

Natural ways to tackle Piles
Piles can be managed or tackled by bringing in some changes in our lifestyle. Some of the ways of managing piles have been listed below:

Add more roughage and fruits to your diet
Exercise regularly
Avoid laxatives
Sit in a tub of hot water to get relief from the pain
Drink plenty of water
Homoeopathic treatment for Piles
When it comes to the treatment of piles, Homeopathy is quite safe and an effective method to get rid of the problem. It doesn t have any side effect on the patient s health. It doesn t include any painful surgery for removal of piles. Moreover, homoeopathy is budget-friendly. Here are some effective homoeopathic medicines, useful in curing piles:

Hamamelis: This medicine is useful in stopping the bleeding in piles. It can cure any venous congestion and bleeding. It can also be taken when the patient develops a feeling of soreness.
Ratanhia: It gives relief from the pain due to piles. A patient suffering from piles feels immense pain and a burning sensation at the time of stool evacuation and even for hours after that.
Graphites: It is prescribed to a patient suffering from both constipation and piles. It is given to them who are obese, have skin eruptions and constipation.
Nux Vomica: It is given to patients who have a sedentary lifestyle, take spicy food and are active smokers and alcohol drinkers. Usually, patients who have been advised to take Nux Vomica are aggressive in nature. It cures piles as well as digestive disorders.
Things to remember: These medicines are only some of the homoeopathic remedies available in the market. It is best to consult a homoeopathic practitioner for the perfect treatment. 

How Homeopathy is the Best Way to Treat Piles? 

Hemmorroids can be really uncomfortable and keep you in pain all through the day. One of the best and fastest way to get relief from this condition is to get them removed for good which can be easily done with the help of the surgery. The recovery period after a hemorrhoid surgery typically varies from one to two weeks depending on a host of aspects such as severity of hemorrhoids, the number of hemorrhoids as well as the type of treatment. During this span, a certain level of pain and discomfort is expected, but with some useful care tips, you can get some relief within a few days after the surgery.

Making lifestyle changes: After the surgical intervention, the patient must be on bed rest for a week or so. This is because, during this time, the surgical wounds can reopen at any time if caution is not exercised. If you have excessive body weight, it is recommended that you should lose weight after this surgery. This must be done healthily so that the stress is reduced in the rectum area while an individual squat or sits down. This could lead to the recurrence of hemorrhoids in the long run. After the first few weeks, the patient must take a 10-minute brisk walk regularly.
Take painkillers: In case the pain from hemorrhoids worsens after the surgery, you may consider taking painkillers. Many patients tend to use these medications to recover from hemorrhoids surgery, and you should take only prescription drugs only.
Keep up with a healthy diet: You should make it a habit of eating a high-fiber diet and taking adequate amounts of fluid every day. This will not just accelerate the recovery process but prevent the recurrence of hemorrhoids. For best results, this should be practiced a few weeks before and after the surgery.
Try different home remedies: In addition to the common methods of easing pain and discomfort after hemorrhoids surgery, you may also try different types of home remedies. Make sure that the wound is always clean and you can also use gels and creams for minimizing irritation.
Alleviate itchiness: During the hemorrhoid surgery recovery, you are likely to experience itchiness which is a characteristic of a recovery period. This is a common symptom of external hemorrhoids, and to reduce it, you can take a sitz bath. Your doctor may also prescribe a topical medication depending on the location and severity of the problem.
Educate yourself about the surgery and post-operative care: This is presumably the most important aspect of caring for hemorrhoids surgery. You should learn about the common complications of this surgery and how you can overcome them.
Know when you can call a doctor: During the recovery process, it is critical to follow the instructions as given by the doctor. You should maintain the follow-up treatment with your doctor so that you can report him of any health problems and discomfort to take required steps.
With care and caution, you may recover easily from hemorrhoid surgery and return to normal life soon.

Hemorrhoids Surgery - 7 Tips To Help You Recover!

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