What do Hemorrhoids mean?
Hemorrhoids, or "piles" as they are more commonly called, are just swollen veins in your anus (swollen with blood). This is a lot like having varicose veins, where the veins get big and lumpy, except that these veins are around the anus, which is a little more embarrassing.
Internal Hemorrhoids can happen when swollen veins press on the part of the anal canal just above the sphincter that is less well supported and protected. Or, it can cause External Hemorrhoids by affecting the veins at the lower end of the canal. Both of these types can have the same kinds of symptoms, and most of the time, they are quite painful.
Hemorrhoids affect about half of the population, and they seem to affect both men and women equally. However, pregnant women seem to be more likely to get them, based on anecdotal evidence.
How do you know if you have Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids have a number of symptoms, which, like most medical symptoms, could be signs of a number of different health problems. If someone isn't sure, the best advice they could get is to see a doctor as soon as possible. Some other conditions, like threadworm and colon cancer, have symptoms that are similar to those of haemorrhoids. It is always better to go to the doctor and find out that there is nothing wrong than to wait and find out when the problem is much worse than it could have been.
The most common signs of having Hemorrhoids are
It hurts to go to the bathroom.
Your scrotum is itchy.
The area around the anus has one or more painful or tender fleshy lumps.
You feel like you're always going to the bathroom.
Most of the time, these symptoms just make you feel bad, but they don't stop you from going about your daily life. But in a few rare cases, they can be very painful if they happen at the same time that the anus splits (known as an anal fissure).
How are Hemorrhoids taken care of?
Most of the time, Hemorrhoids can be treated successfully without the help of a doctor. Even so, as I said before, it's best to see a doctor if you're not sure what's wrong or if the problem lasts more than a couple of weeks.
One way to treat haemorrhoids is to eat a lot of foods that are high in fibre. This can help keep you from getting constipated, which can make your condition worse.
When you have constipation, it's important not to strain and to use soft toilet paper. Then use warm water to clean the area.
You should be able to buy over-the-counter creams called Corticosteroids at any pharmacy. These creams have a local anaesthetic in them and will ease the pain and discomfort. But you shouldn't use them for a long time.
There are three more treatments, all of which require you to see a doctor.
The first one is to inject a chemical into the hemorrhoid, which makes it shrink.
Banding is the second method. When a rubber band is put around the hemorrhoid's base. After that, the Hemorrhoid shrinks and falls off.
The last option is surgery called hemorrhoidectomy, which is rarely done because the other options are less painful. Most of the time, this choice is used for very large internal haemorrhoids.
