Caused by the swollen veins inside of the anal canal, or on the opening of the anus hemorrhoids can be very painful and for sure very unpleasant! This issue is not a serious health problem, however it will not heal from itself. If not treated as soon as they appear, they will only get worse!
Hemorrhoids are generally easy to treat in early stages, but even easier to prevent by following some simple rules! However, if not treated in early stages, they can develop in serious problem! Hemorrhoids are an embarrassing problem that nobody likes to talk about, however if you visit your doctor in early phase, you will certainly avoid long term consequences, stress and pain, and for sure prevent them from further complications!
Statistic says that more than sixty percent of people all around the world will experience this issue during their lives. Although, older people are more likely to suffer from them, which doesn't mean that younger population is safe from their appearance. Dividing by the genders, more man suffer from them, while women are at higher risk of their occurrence during pregnancy.
There are two types of hemorrhoids:
- Internal Hemorrhoids
- External Hemorrhoids
Swollen veins inside the anal canal are forming internal, while swollen veins under the skin surrounding the anus are forming external hemorrhoids.
Both types are distressing, often itchy and can bleed. External are more painful than internal, and the real pain in the butt would be if you have both types at the same time. However, the symptoms together with treatment, exclusively depend on the type that you suffer from. The huge difference betwin these two types is that if you have external it is impossible not to notice them simply by their annoying symptoms as well as by their shape. If you have external hemorrhoids, in the beginning you will feel an inflammation of the anal opening, followed by unbearable itching and soon the appearance of lumps. These lumps are very unpleasant since they are very painful, sore and itchy! The situation with internal is completely different.
Internal Hemorrhoids
As we already said, internal hemorrhoids are forming after the veins inside the lower rectum (on the walls on anal canal) swell. They can vary in size from very small to extra big. It would be the best to treat them with home remedies as soon as they appear, but this depends on noticing the symptoms. While external are easy to detect and notice in early stages, internal are hard to diagnose due to the lack of symptoms.
One of the early symptoms might be painless rectal bleeding noticeable as streaks of brilliant red blood on toilet paper or on the stool. What causes them bleeding is in most cases the bowel movement and irritation during it. However, not all patients will experience significant internal hemorrhoids bleeding. You may have them, and not to be aware of them until they develop in higher grade.
Prolapsed internal hemorrhoids are associated with higher grades and unfortunately, might be the main or even the only symptom. It is actually a hemorrhoidal tissue that protrude or peep out of the anus. In early stages, they will retract in the anus by themselves, automatically, in their further developing, you will be able to push them back with fingers, but in the late stages they will protrude permanently which will require urgent treatment.
All internal hemorrhoids tend to prolapse, and this is the only way to measure their type and progress.
- Grade/Type 1 - No prolapse (noticeable only by the streaks of brilliant red blood on toilet paper or on the stool)
- Grade/Type 2 - Prolapse that returns in without attention (they will go back on their own and if patient doesn't pay attention, he or she will probably not notice them)
- Grade/Type 3 - Prolapse that must be pushed back inside by the patient (they tend to stay outside of the rectum after having stool, so patient must push them back gently with fingers)
- Grade/Type 4 - Permanent prolapse (patient is unable to push them back and they stay outside permanently, at this stage hemorrhoids may cause unbearable pain and treatment is urgent treatment is inevitable)
Internal Hemorrhoids Cause
What causes internal hemorrhoids is not precisely known, but far now the best explanation on this is an excessive amount of pressure on the veins in rectum, cause by different types of straining. Factors that influence the increased pressure are listed below together with explanation.
One of the main causes are hard stools which mostly occur because of bad nutrition. Too much strain initiated by hard stool will increase the pressure on the veins. This will furthermore initiate the veins to stretch and swell and lead to appearance of hemorrhoids inside the rectum. You must change your nutrition in order to reduce the symptoms, or even to prevent them. The best would be to eat food with high levels of fiber in it.
Constipation is another cause and is closely related to the hard stool. People who experience constipation for a long time should change their nutrition in order to reduce the periods between stools and prevent hard stools. One simple option for prevention and treatment of hard stools and constipation consist of increased levels of fibers consumption together with keeping appropriate level of fluids intake.
People who often suffer from diarrhea, or having diarrhea for long period of time are in high risk as well as it is case with constipation and hard stools mainly because of straining. Visiting doctor for diarrhea treatment is the only option if a patient suffer for prolonged period of time.
Significant number of women experience the internal hemorrhoids during pregnancy or childbirth. Blood vessels are under increased pressure during pregnancy by themselves, and because of pushing and straining during giving birth.
People who lift high weights, bodybuilders, players of brass musical instruments, those who sit for a long period of time, high obesity people, people who suffer from chronic cough and men who are having anal intercourse, are at greater risk of getting internal hemorrhoids.
Another group of people which can suffer from appearance of hemorrhoids, but doesn't have any influence, or bad habit which would trigger them, are older people (aging) and people with genetic inclinations.
Internal Hemorrhoids Symptoms
The main symptom by which you can easily suspect they are forming, or already are formed, is rectal bleeding. Bleeding depends on their degree. The higher the degree is, the more bleeding patient can expect.
- Grade 1 - seamless rectal bleeding without pain
- Grade 2 - noticeable bleeding followed with mild discomfort
- Grade 3 - increased bleeding followed by mucous secretions and noticeable pain
- Grade 4 - heavy bleeding and severe pain
Some other symptoms which patient may experience and should pay attention on are listed below
- Itching or irritation in your anal region
- Swelling around your anus
- Leakage of feces
- A lump near your anus, which may be sensitive or painful
Internal Hemorrhoids Treatment:
First of all, internal hemorrhoids treatment depends on yours doctor diagnose. Whatever you were advised to try by incompetent people, don't do without consulting your doctor.
Treatment depends on degree and patient may be referred to nutritional changes or simple home measures such are getting more fiber or doing some exercise. When it comes to developing to higher degrees, they will be removed by one of following surgery.
- Rubber Band Ligation
- Sclerotheraphy
- Infrared Coagulation
- Laser Coagulation
- Hemorrhoidectomy
With progress of technology and medicine, hemorrhoid surgery removal has become far less painful than it was the case until there was only the traditional measures of removal hemorrhoidectomy. At the present time, these interventions are not too demanding, so it can be done quickly and painless in a hospital.
Fortunately, a number of minimally invasive treatments are available that are less painful than traditional hemorrhoid removal (hemorrhoidectomy) and allow a quicker recovery. These procedures are generally performed in a surgeon’s office or as outpatient surgery in a hospital.
