When people think of haemorrhoids, they think of the painful and inflamed swellings in the anal canal. That’s more accurately known as piles or haemorrhoid disease. Haemorrhoids are actually just vascular structures that help with controlling the stool in the anus. In their normal state, they are neither painful nor problematic. They only become so when they become swollen and/or inflamed.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs of haemorrhoidal disease can vary depending on the type of complication. If you have internal haemorrhoids, these are usually accompanied by internal rectal bleeding; this is usually painless. External haemorrhoids may only produce a few symptoms. This becomes a serious problem if the pile becomes thrombosed; this will cause significant swelling and pain.
Causes
The exact cause of piles or haemorrhoidal disease is unknown, but since they normally aid with stool control, anything that produces bowel movement difficulty could be the culprit. Anything that causes constipation and/or excessive straining while on the toilet could also create conditions that are conducive for haemorrhoids.
Treatments
Initial treatments are fairly simple. First, your physician will typically advise you to increase your fibre intake. Fibre slows down digestion so that your stool becomes more coherent and reliable. This can release the intra-abdominal pressure that’s creating the problem in the first place. If you are experiencing diarrhoea as a result, you will also need to make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Unless the problem becomes incredibly severe, oral fluids should suffice. If it becomes bad enough that you need intravenous fluids, then you will likely be admitted to a hospital; this is very rare. NSAIDs are sometimes administered to help with the pain typically associated with external haemorrhoids.
If this tactic of treatment for haemorrhoids does not work, physicians often want you to go to surgery next. Before you do that, you should make sure you have exhausted all of your options, especially with regards to natural remedies. There are several plants and herbs that have antidiarrheal, laxative, or anti-inflammatory properties that can help you relieve your haemorrhoids.
Surgery is typically the last resort of treatment; it is very invasive and painful. Surgery creates three major concerns: pain, secondary infection, and recovery time. Since the anal canal is an incredibly sensitive area, it is very difficult to perform surgery on the anus in a way that will not produce pain after the fact. Typically, the patient is given a local anaesthetic while the surgery takes place. However, after the surgery, the site needs to be sutured, which will be painful for days to come. Also, as with any surgery with sutures or stitches, there is a risk for secondary infection. This risk is a natural risk of being in a hospital, but also, by virtue of the site of the surgery. The anus is responsible for passing waste, which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. If you have sutures in your anal canal, you risk re-absorbing that harmful bacteria.
Sometimes, surgery is absolutely necessary; however, you should be sure that you are exhausting all of your natural remedy options first.