Hemmroids, most commonly known as Hemorrhoids (the proper term) are abnormally large sacs of varicose veins, tissue and mucous membranes in the rectum. Hemmroids is also one of the most common anorectal disorders affecting approximately 5% of the entire population. So that's about 336 million people suffering from hemmroids as of September 2008.

Hemmroid's most common symptoms are : Presence of blood in the stool, Feeling of obstruction caused by swollen veins in the anus, Protruding lumps hanging from the anus, Itching and inflammation around the anus.

Hemmroid causes : includes long periods of sitting or standing, lifting heavy objects, dehydration, obesity and lack of exercise, but without a doubt the largest factor is constipation and straining during defecation which resulted from poor eating habits and diet. Hemmroids often develop during pregnancy because of the pressure the fetus exerts in the abdominal area, as well as the hormonal changes that cause the veins to enlarge. Stress is another cause of hemmroid.

Hemmroid Diagnosis/Test : It is diagnosed based on a rectal examination. To diagnose internal hemmroids, the doctor will insert an anoscope , a thin, lighted tube to view the lower rectum. A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy may also be performed to examine the inside of the colon and rule out any other causes of bleeding.


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Hemmroid Pain

hemmroid pain picHemmroid pain is one of the disturbing symptoms if you have hemmroid. Although hemmroid is not a serious ailment, it’s the pain that make is so uncomfortable. And we suffer in silence because we're too embarrassed to talk about it. The pain and itching become unbearable given that there are so many sensitive nerve endings around the anal area. You can't focus. After a week of suffering you become physically exhausted and mentally depressed. Women tend to avoid having sex, afraid that their partner will find out about their hemmroids.

Hemmroids are veins just inside the anus but become swollen if there is pressure on the vein itself to prevent blood flow from returning to the heart. The veins may become constricted by a large amount of stool if someone has constipation. And this hemmroid produce pain if they come out of the anus during your bowel movement . Once they come out, the skin around them and the veins themselves can become inflamed.

Generally, hemmroids are not serious and symptoms go away in a few days. However sometimes hemmroids may signal a more serious problem. See your doctor if any of the following occurs:
  1. Rectal bleeding. Although this is a common symptom of hemmroids, rectal bleeding could be a symptom of a more serious disease.
  2. Persistent hemmroid pain. In some cases, hemmroids must be removed surgically. Your doctor will perform an exam and decide on the best course of hemmroid treatment.

Hemmroid pain also varies according to your hemmroid location. This hemmroids may occur either near the opening of the anus (external hemmroids) or inside the anal canal (internal hemmroids) and the pain associated to it varies as follows:
  • External hemmroids may be painful but usually do not need medical treatment unless a clot develops.
  • Internal hemmroids usually do not cause pain. However, they can itch, cause a pressure sensation, and make it difficult to clean the anal area. They may also bleed or stick out from the anus. Internal hemmroids are assessed and treated according to how bad they are.
  • o Second-degree hemmroids bulge from the anus during bowel movements but go back into the anus afterward on their own.
  • o Third-degree hemmroids bulge from the anus during bowel movements, but they can be pushed back into the anus.
  • o Fourth-degree hemmroids bulge outside the anus all the time.

Once the rectal veins have been stretched out and hemmroids created, they are very difficult to get rid of completely. They tend to recur with less and straining than it took to produce them initially. If chronic constipation has a role in creating or maintaining the hemmroids, then diet to avoid constipation is essential in treating them. As hemmroid already exist there is always a tendency that you will experience pain. So if hemmroid pain still persist, you are highly advise to seek for doctors advise with regards to your condition. Your doctor can also give you hemmroid treatment that best for you and would help alleviate hemmroid pain you experience.

The decision about what hemmroid treatment to use to stop the hemmroid pain takes into account your personal feelings and the medical facts. The method you choose will depend on:
  1. The location of the hemmroids, whether they are internal or external.
  2. The size of the hemmroids and how bad they are.
  3. The amount of pain or discomfort the hemmroids cause.
  4. The amount of bleeding from the hemmroids.
  5. Other conditions that may affect your choice.
You also have to take into consideration the following when making your decision and to end up you’re the hemmroid pain you experience as explain further below:
  1. Home treatment is usually the first step in treating hemmroids pain. Home treatment includes adjusting your diet to avoid constipation, drinking more fluids, using a stool softener, and using ointments to relieve symptoms thus avoiding the possible pain you will experience.
  2. Fixative procedures, which cut off the blood flow to the hemmroids using rubber bands, lasers, heat, or chemical injections, are an option if you have internal hemmroids that bulge from the anus during bowel movements.
  3. You might consider surgery to remove hemmroids for internal hemmroids that bulge from the anus or external hemmroids that are causing symptoms and have not improved with home treatment.

1. Home treatment

This methods for hemmroids mainly involve having healthier bowel habits. You can avoid making hemmroids worse and to avoid worst experience of hemmroid pain by blotting the anus gently after bowel movements with white toilet paper moistened with water or a cleansing agent such as Balneol or with moistened, medicated pads such as Tucks. Also, avoid rubbing the anal area, and avoid soaps with perfumes or dyes. To relieve symptoms, apply ice several times a day. Also, try applying moist heat, such as warm, damp towels, several times daily, or sitting in warm water (sitz bath).

Other measures you can take at home include increasing the amount of fiber and water in your diet and taking stool softeners. This will help prevent constipation and make stools easier to pass. Changing some of your habits so that you do not strain while having bowel movements will often relieve symptoms caused by both types of hemmroids. This also may keep hemmroids from becoming bigger. However, although hemmroids may shrink, they will not go away immediately.

2. Fixative procedures

The goal of fixative procedures is to reduce the blood supply to the hemmroid, causing the hemmroid to shrink or go away thus stopping the hemmroid pain you experience. These nonsurgical hemmroid treatments cure most smaller and some larger internal hemmroids. Fixative procedures include tying off hemmroids with rubber bands (rubber band ligation); scarring the tissue around the hemmroids (coagulation therapy) with devices that use heat, a laser, or an electrical current; and injecting hemmroids with chemicals that cause them to shrink (injection sclerotherapy). These are called fixative procedures because the scar that results keeps nearby veins from bulging into the anal canal. As explained below:
  • Rubber band ligation is used to treat small and medium-sized hemmroids that are too large to be treated by injection sclerotherapy and infrared photocoagulation. It is the most successful fixative procedure and the one most commonly used. More than 86% of the time, hemmroid symptoms do not return. If they do return, they can be treated again with rubber band ligation or other treatments.
  • Infrared photocoagulation is also used to treat small hemmroids. It has fewer risks than injection sclerotherapy and a similar success rate. It is generally more expensive than injection sclerotherapy.
  • Injection sclerotherapy is rarely performed; its success depends on the skill of the doctor, and it works well only for small hemmroids. About 77% to 86% of the time, the hemmroids do not return.
Improvements in hemmroid symptoms after rubber band ligation appear to last longer than after other types of fixative procedures, but people reportedly have more pain after the procedure than after injection sclerotherapy or infrared photocoagulation.

However, most fixative procedures, such as rubber band ligation and infrared photocoagulation, usually have few risks. Possible problems may include:
  1. Pain or discomfort. For some people, the pain may be so bad that they will not be able to do their normal activities for a day or so.
  2. Bleeding, which may require another doctor visit to treat.
  3. Temporary difficulty urinating because of pain. If the person is completely unable to urinate, treatment will be needed.
  4. Infection or abscess. In rare cases, rubber band ligation may cause a bad infection that can be life-threatening and requires hospitalization for treatment.
Rubber band ligation appears to cause more pain than other types of fixative procedures. Infrared photocoagulation usually causes fewer side effects and does not have the rare, life-threatening complications.

3. Hemmroidectomy

Surgical removal of hemmroids (hemmroidectomy) is the most successful way to treat large internal hemmroids. Small internal hemmroids are sometimes treated surgically when several hemmroids are present, bleeding cannot be controlled with other treatments, or both internal and external hemmroids are present.

Surgery usually cures a hemmroid, but the long-term success of hemmroid surgery depends largely on how well you are able to change your daily bowel habits to avoid constipation and straining.

Hemmroid surgery is more likely than fixative procedures to cause side effects. These may include:
  • > Pain, which may last for weeks. Passing bowel movements, even if they are soft, can be quite painful.
  • > Bleeding, which may last for a few days. If the bleeding is severe, you may need treatment.
  • > Inability to urinate or pass stools. Inability to pass stools may cause stools to become stuck in the anal canal (fecal impaction).
  • > Infection.
  • > And in rare cases, a more serious problem may develop.But for most cases, internal hemmroids becomes smaller and cause less pain with either home treatment or fixative procedures, which cut off blood flow to the hemmroids.
  • > However, hemmroid surgery may give better long-term results than fixative procedures.
  • > Compared with fixative procedures, surgery costs more, is more risky, and has a longer recovery period.
  • > Fixative procedures are less risky and less painful than surgery and require less time off from work and other activities.
  • > Of the fixative procedures, rubber band ligation seems to give the best results but also appears to have a higher risk of complications, especially pain.
  • > Fixative procedures, especially rubber band ligation, may successfully treat hemmroid symptoms.
All mention above are suggestions for you to choose to stop the hemmroid pain you experience. And if you do not treat your hemmroids, you may continue to have discomfort, experience hemmroid pain, or bleeding. If bleeding is severe, it may cause anemia. You may also have difficulty keeping the anal area clean. Don’t let your hemmroid get worst. Don’t bear the hemmroid pain it brings because you don’t deserve it. Stop the pain and consult your doctor.

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