Hemorrhoids

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins located around the anus or in the lower rectum. About 50 percent of adults experience the symptoms of hemorrhoids by the age of 50. Hemorrhoids can either be internal or external. Internal hemorrhoids develop within the anus or rectum. External hemorrhoids develop outside of the anus. Hemorrhoids are also known as piles or “Kookoo”. External hemorrhoids are the most common and most troublesome. Hemorrhoids may cause pain, severe itching, and difficulty sitting. Fortunately, they’re treatable.

What are the symptoms of hemorrhoids?

Internal hemorrhoids can cause blood on the tissue after having a bowel movement or skin that sticks out of the anus during bowel movements. External hemorrhoid symptoms include extreme itching around the anus, uncomfortable lump(s) or swelling near your anus, aches or pain around the anus and especially when sitting. Hemorrhoids often don’t cause pain. However, sometimes external hemorrhoids can form a blood clot on the skin. This is known as a thrombosed hemorrhoid. Internal hemorrhoids can also prolapse.

That means they won’t retract back into the anus. Both prolapsed and thrombosed hemorrhoids can cause significant pain. Although hemorrhoids can be quite uncomfortable, they aren’t life threatening and often go away on their own without treatment. If you ever have bleeding or black bowel movements, see your doctor. Bleeding can be caused by something other than hemorrhoids and must be evaluated. Also see your doctor if hemorrhoids don’t get better within 1 week of home treatment.

What are the causes and risk factors for hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids occur when there’s too much pressure on the veins around your anus. Possible causes and risk factors include:

• Straining during a bowel movement
• Sitting for a long period of time, especially on the toilet
• Having chronic constipation or diarrhea
• Having a family history of hemorrhoids
• Engaging in consistent heavy lifting or other activities that strain your body
• Having obesity
• Having anal sexual intercourse, which can irritate hemorrhoids
• Being pregnant (an enlarged uterus presses on the vein in the colon, causing it to bulge)
• Being over the age of 50

What are some myths about hemorrhoids?

There are so many herbal preparations on the local market that people use for the treatment of piles/hemorrhoids, very few have been found to be effective. Hemorrhoids are not caused by starchy foods or dirt in one’s bowels.

How are hemorrhoids treated?

Hemorrhoids can be treated in many ways. These include:

• Pain relief: Sitting on warm water bottle, taking pain relief like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Soaking your anus in a sitz bath for 10 to 15 minutes per day can also help.
• Surgical intervention involves rubber band ligation, injection therapy or sclerotherapy.

Complications of hemorrhoids

Complications from hemorrhoids are rare, but can include:

• Blood clots in the swollen vein
• Bleeding
• Iron deficiency anemia caused by blood loss
• Infection of an external hemorrhoid
• Skin tags, or excess skin when an external hemorrhoid goes away