Hemorrhoids also referred to as piles, which is a condition of swollen veins in the lower rectum and anus. This condition is similar to varicose veins. Hemorrhoids can grow inside of the rectum that is inner hemorrhoids or occur in under skin near anus referred to as external hemorrhoids.
Around 3 out of 4 individuals will get hemorrhoids from time to time. Hemorrhoids may occur due to many causes, but often those are unknown. Fortunately, we have effective treatments for hemorrhoids. It can also get relief with a lifestyle change.
In other words, everyone has hemorrhoids or piles, which is a pillow-like cluster of veins. This cluster present under the mucous membranes lining of the lowest part of anus or rectum. This condition is generally described as piles or hemorrhoids. It happens because of the swelling of blood vessels due to the constant gravity of blood back up to the heart.
There are two different types of hemorrhoids, which happen in the lower rectum and outer hemorrhoids. Internal hemorrhoids occur in the skin near the anus. Outer hemorrhoids are more uncomfortable because the overlying skin get erode and irritated.
Hemorrhoids: Causes
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Generally, hemorrhoids are related to chronic constipation, stressing during bowel movements, and delayed sitting on the toilet — all of which intervene with bloodstream to and from the place, making it pool and expand the vessels. It likewise clarifies why hemorrhoids are regular during pregnancy when the expanding uterus pushes on the veins.
According to recent research, patients with hemorrhoids may have more resting anal canal mode that is the soft muscle of the anal canal becomes higher than normal even in normal time.
Constipation increases the troubles because straining in bowel movement, which increases the pressure in the canal of anal and push the hemorrhoids opposite to the sphincter muscle. Lastly, the connective tissues that support and retain hemorrhoids in place cause to weaken with age and form bulge or prolapse of hemorrhoids.
Diagnosing Hemorrhoids
mayoclinic.orgHemorrhoids are generally diagnosed through a simple physical exam and medical history. External hemorrhoids are commonly visible, especially if there is the formation of a blood clot. Your physician may do a digital rectal examination to know the blood present in the stool. The physician also asks for an anal canal examination with an anoscope, which is a small plastic tube inserted inside the rectum using brilliance. They discover the evidence of microscopic blood or bleeding in the stool, which can be detected by colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. It also tells the other cause of bleeding, such as cancer or colorectal polyps particularly, in individuals with age 45.
Hemorrhoid: Treatment
There are simple home remedies to relieve hemorrhoids.
Eat More Fiber
Including more fiber to your diet helps the hemorrhoid condition. You can also add fiber supplements such as Citrucel, Metamucil, and fiber con. Along with enough liquid, fiber food helps to soften the stools and let it pass easily and lower the pressure over hemorrhoids. High fiber foods are whole-grain, oat bran, wheat bran, broccoli, beans, and fresh fruits. Fiber supplement also lowers the hemorrhoidal bleeding, enlargement, and inflammation. It also lowers the irritation of tiny bits of stool, which are trapped near blood vessels. Some people say that fiber may cause gas or bloating, yes it may happen in excess consumption. Therefore, start slowly and increase fiber to 25-30 gm every day. Also, consume enough fluid.
Witch Hazel
Witch hazel helps to lower pain and itching, two worst symptoms of hemorrhoids. It provides natural inflammation lowering properties and decreases swelling.
Witch hazel can be found in the liquid form and used directly on hemorrhoids. It is also available in the form of soap and anti-itching wipes.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera gel has been naturally treating the hemorrhoids condition like various health problems. It provides inflammation lowering properties, which might lower irritation. Although there is not much clinical proof for the effectiveness of aloe vera gel for treating hemorrhoids, the National-Center-for-Complimentary-and-Integrated-Health list aloe vera as a safe topical for hemorrhoids.
The aloe vera gel also available as an ingredient in different products but use pure aloe vera gel for hemorrhoids. You can harvest an aloe vera plant at your home.
Make sure to patch test before using aloe vera gel to know the allergic reactions.
Warm Bath Using Epsom Salt
shayandcompany.comWarm baths are a soothing treatment for lowering the irritation of hemorrhoids. You can also take bath with Sitz, which is a small tub of plastic like a toilet seat. You can also take a bath in a full tub.
According to Harvard Health, a warm bath of 20 minutes after every bowel movement works effectively. Using Epsom salts also help to provide relief to pain.
Over-The-Counter Ointments
Over-the-counter creams and ointments, similar to Preparation H, can be found in pretty much every medication store and can offer quick relief. Some can even decrease growing and help your hemorrhoid to heal quicker.
If you utilize a cream with hydrocortisone, however, don’t utilize it for more than one week.
Soothing Wipes
Using a toilet paper after having a bowel movement can increase the ongoing hemorrhoid condition. Try using soothing wipes, which helps to keep you clean by causing irritations. You can also find soothing wipes containing aloe vera, hazel, or other anti-hemorrhoid ingredients.
Make sure to choose wipes without containing perfume, alcohol, or other irritants because these ingredients may increase the symptom instead of soothing them.
Cold Compresses
Source: Amazon.comApply ice packs or cold packs to the anus area to relieve swelling for 15 minutes one after another. For huge, painful hemorrhoids, this can be a very successful treatment. Continuously wrap ice inside a material or paper towel, and never apply something frozen directly on the skin.
Stool Softeners
According to the National-Institute-of-Diabetes-and-Digestive-and-Kidney Diseases, fiber supplements or stool softeners, such as psyllium, can help to reduce constipation, make stool easier, and make it soft to have fast, and bowel movements without pain.
Most of the stool softeners come in the form of capsules, powders, and liquids, which consumed by mouth three times a day.
Wear Cotton Loos Cloth
Replacing tight clothes with cotton cloths helps the skin to breathe. Wearing loose cloth also prevents moisture and keep the anal region dry. It potentially lowers the hemorrhoids symptoms. Skip using detergents with perfume or fabric softeners to lower the irritation.
Preventing hemorrhoids
Dietary and lifestyle changes help to prevent hemorrhoids. Keeping yourself active and eating healthy is another way to stop this condition from growing. A healthy and active lifestyle helps to regulate your bowel movements.
Consume more fiber foods that are plant-based and drink enough water to keep your digestive functions active and prevent constipation. Performing regular workout also help because sitting for a long time increases the condition. Do not wait when you feel the urge to visit the bathroom because delaying a bowel movement causes the bowel to reabsorb water from stool, which makes the stool hard.
Use A Teabag Relieve Hemorrhoid
Use warm and wet tea bags for treating hemorrhoids. The tannic acid present in tea helps to lower swelling, ease pain, and boost blood clotting to reduce bleeding.
Avoid Sitting
If you are suffering from hemorrhoid condition, then avoid sitting for a long time on the work desk. Keep walking around for five minutes every hour to reduce the rectal pressure. If you go to the gym, skip stationary bike and squats because this equipment puts more pressure. Instead, try walking for 20-30 minutes to enhance bowel functions.
Ice Up
Veins swell up with hemorrhoids, but coldness helps to shrink them and give significant help. Take an ice-filled bag and wrap with a thin cloth over it and sit on it for around 20 minutes for relieving hemorrhoids.
Repeat as you feel necessary but wait for some time between every application.
Lie Down
Lie down by stretching apart your legs for 30 minutes to one hour can help to relieve the condition. It will help to improve your blood circulation to backside and improve the hemorrhoid condition.
Use Petroleum Jelly
Use vaseline to treat hemorrhoids. It contains petroleum jelly, which helps to soothe affected regions after dabbing it or sore parts for quick hemorrhoid relief.
Try a potato
It seems unusual but compresses from potato work effectively as a home remedy for treating hemorrhoids. It works as a soothing astringent.
How Long Does Symptoms Hemorrhoid Stay?
If you get small hemorrhoids, the symptoms will go in a few days without any treatments. You may also require to follow simple diet foods and lifestyle changes.
Regarding internal hemorrhoids, it becomes large and sticks with the anus. These internal hemorrhoids called prolapsed hemorrhoids, which take more time to heal and need doctors to help to treat it.
During pregnancy, women also develop hemorrhoids. It happened because of the abdomen pressure, especially during the third trimester, it makes the veins large in the anus and rectum. The hormones of pregnancy also make it more likely to cause swelling in your veins. These symptoms stay till childbirth.
Medical Treatment Options
medicalnewstoday.comSmall hemorrhoids often go without treatment. It also goes with the home remedies listed above. If you still have complications or problems such as bleeding, then it is time to talk with the doctor.
Your doctor may examine the colon, and bleeding in bowel movement. If you have chronic symptoms, then there is a need for medical procedures to shrink the hemorrhoids.
Your physician may also suggest a minimally-invasive procedure for outpatient. This treatment is done in the office of the doctor. Here are some treatments, including:
Rubber band ligation is one of the standard non-surgical treatments. It incorporates the doctor to try a firm band near the base of hemorrhoids to prevent the blood supply. 80% of people who get surgery for this condition have the following treatment.
- During sclerotherapy, your physician inserts a chemical for hemorrhoid shrinkage.
- During coagulation, your physician utilizes infrared light, extreme cold or heat to shrink hemorrhoids.
If you are suffering from chronic hemorrhoids that do not cure medical treatments, then you may be advised to extract it by surgical procedure. This helps to provide relief to condition and prevent further outbreaks.
Hemorrhoids: Risk Factors
foxnews.comIncreased pressure may increase the risk of hemorrhoids. Having a family history of hemorrhoids also raises the risk. Other risk factors include:
- Obesity
- Age
- Anal intercourse
- Pregnancy
- Frequent diarrhea and constipation
- Low intake of dietary fiber
- Sitting a long time on the toilet
- Laxatives or overuse of enemas
- More straining while bowel movements
Will Hemorrhoids Recur?
Yes, the hemorrhoids can return. According to research, there are not many cases of recurrence. Research of 2004 compared the recurrence rate of hemorrhoids in 231 people.
Some participants of the study got treatment, at home and others got surgery to eliminate hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids condition recur in 6.3% of people, who got surgery, and in 25.4% of individuals who got treatment at home.
Hemorrhoids and Exercise
Regarding exercise and hemorrhoids, the benefits are endless. Everyday exercise helps to manage weight, promote energy, and prevent this condition from growing. Generally, regular exercise helps to control symptoms like obesity, which is a common cause of hemorrhoids. Still, you need to be cautious about the exercise you choose because strenuous workout may increase the symptoms. Therefore, choose light exercises.
Suggested Daily Exercises
express.co.ukAerobic training is the best type of exercise for people with hemorrhoids. It will raise blood flow and help to ease the strained muscles in the lower body. As you do a workout, you will sweat more and prevent constipation. As the blood flow boost, your lower body muscles sense relaxed from straining.
Here are the important exercises to perform when you have hemorrhoids.
- Do walking exercise for 30 minutes a day.
- Perform a few sets of lunges every day to promote blood flow and strengthen your muscles of the rectal area.
- Do Glute exercises, like squats it helps to strengthen rectal muscles.
- If you are a beginner for a workout, it is important to start slow and increase gradually.
Exercise to Avoid
shape.comAs you see above explanation, the hemorrhoid condition inflamed and cause the swelling in rectal veins, putting extra pressure may increase the condition too worse situation. Strenuous activity like exercise and weight lifting are more risks of these conditions. Most of the professional weight lifters experience hemorrhoid problems throughout life.
Still, you can perform the above exercise at a slow pace and avoid the following exercise to ease hemorrhoids.
- lifting because it put extra pressure on rectal muscles.
- Do not perform cross fit as this is a rigorous workout that puts more strain.
- Cycling is another exercise to avoid while experience hemorrhoids. Sitting over a bicycle makes you feel discomfort.
Some machine exercises like rowing machines may increase discomfort. Skipping these activities and doing slow pace exercise that could help to relieve the symptoms. The best way is to treat hemorrhoids is to have a regular check-up with a physician, do simple exercise, and have a healthy lifestyle.