Hemorrhoid or anal fissure is a widespread malady in and around the anus and rectum by way of varicose veins. Blood venous outflow dysfunction affects its stagnation in veins of rectum and provokes blood coagulation and clotting. These factors trigger hemorrhoid varicose veins, its thrombosis and sinuation (piles development), to be reduced in a rest state. In case of straining – they are increased.
People say hemorrhoids are a man’s malady. However, according to statistics, women are also subject to this disease; unfortunately, they apply to a doctor less often than men. Women start panicking just about the word “proctologist”, since in most cases, a good specialist in this sphere is a man. That is why they are afraid to see this doctor.
Meanwhile, their condition is getting worse. Keep in mind, a woman is a simple patient who needs the help of proctologist. The more you suffer from this malady, so much the worse for you as the disease is aggravating.
Nowadays, women may put on diagnostic linen if they are ashamed of medical examination. Hemorrhoid may develop into chronic disease, worsened by sharp attacks.
There are some forms of this disease:
- Internal Hemorrhoid – veins inflammation inside anus. This form is taking a normal painful course for lack of nociceptors in anal canal. If it is a neglected case, then it is bleeding.
- External Hemorrhoid – veins inflammation in and around anus. As a rule, patients have itch, pain and a sense of discomfort.
- Hemorrhoid with a skin-deep anal fissure is attended by itch and pain during defecation.
- Prolapsed hemorrhoid is an internal stage of development by way of piles fallout and a sharp pain.
- Thrombosed hemorrhoid is piles thrombosis attended by intensive bleeding.
Thus, hemorrhoid is a serious disease which requires an immediate treatment because it can be complicated by putrefactive periproctitis, anus edema, voluminous bleeding and tissues necrosis of piles.
Hemorrhoid Causes
The principle cause of this malady is innate dysfunction of vessels of lower rectum segment to cause excess blood inflow and its stagnation in cavernous veins which may widen under unfavorable conditions.
Factors to provoke hemorrhoid:
- inheritance;
- inflammatory and tumorous diseases in and around small pelvis;
- diarrheas and constipations;
- strong physical activity and weights lifting;
- gestation period and child birth;
- sedentary life;
- unbalanced diet: lack of cellulose product, alcohol abuse, spicy food;
- natural body ageing.
Symptoms
A growth of hemorrhoidal bolus results in inflammation, periodic bleeding and its prolapsed. The 1st symptom is a sense of discomfort, itch, burning pain, gravity in a groin. As far as the condition is getting worse, a sharp pain, edema, temperature rise, hyperemia close to anus, bowel emptying difficulties attend the disease.
In case of progressive course of hemorrhoid, symptoms are deepening.
Hemorrhoids and Pregnancy
According to researches, approximately 30% of women suffer from this malady during gestation period and childbirth. About half of them gave birth with hemorrhoids. At the end of the 3rd term a womb is increased and takes up the most of abdominal cavity. This is a displacement reason of stomach, liver, small and large intestine loop. The rectum is pressed by the womb as it doesn’t change its position. The pressing prevents bowel voiding and provokes a disease development. Moreover, venous vessels are squeezed and it results in stagnation of blood in small pelvis and growth of cavernous cells.
During childbirth some women may suffer from hemorrhoid symptoms. As a result of labor, pressure is boosting inside the stomach, pelvis veins and rectum. After the delivery, this pressure is gone; however, the symptoms are still present because of disturbed circulation.
Menses and Hemorrhoid
Some women have symptoms of this proctologic disease: discomfort, anus pain, bleeding during bowel emptying, and sensation of a foreign body. That is the cause of blood inflow intensification to the small pelvis. The result is blood overfilled piles to trigger off the disease aggravation.
Diet
To prevent hemorrhoid, it is recommended to follow the correct dietary pattern to have easy and well-timed defecation. Stint yourself in spicy food as it leads to excessive blood overfilling and mucous membrane irritation of alimentary canal to bring stagnations in vessels of submucosal layer (hemorrhoid).
Stop eating fast-food with no drinking, the same products as it stresses alimentary system and provokes constipationsand inflammatory processes in intestine. It impacts blood flow disruption from veins of rectum and may develop into sharp proctologic disease. The diet should be balanced, to combine: proteins, fats, carbohydrate, microelements and vitamins. Besides, eat lots of products rich in plant fibers, cellulose. The lack of them leads to reduction of feces, weak intestine and constipation. These products are: oats, fruits and vegetables, nuts, verdure, beans, seeds, citrus plants, berries and bran. Intensified spasms during bowel emptying stimulate blood stagnation of rectum veins and develop hemorrhoids.
Alcohol abuse has negative influence on this problem. It irritates mucous coat of stomach and intestine and triggers off reflex vasodilatation with the rectum. Also, it stimulates vasodilatation in piles and results in inflammation. According to medical investigation, people don’t suffer from hangover, but from hemorrhoid problem aggravation and the anus pain.
Hemorrhoid Diagnosis
It is very easy to diagnose this disease. Firstly, it’s just a visual examination of anal region skin and bleeding degree.
The other method is digital rectal investigation. If there is a pain syndrome, this method is not applied. Instead of this, anoscopy with anaesthetic is used.
Another method is called proctoscopy, to examine mucous membrane of rectum and the lower segment of sigmoid bowel. It helps to indicate if there is a high-placed internal hemorrhoid and define the condition of internal nodes. Proctoscopy is an important way to figure out the condition of mucous membrane of rectum as well.
Hemorrhoid’s Stages
Conservative or therapeutic and operative ways of treatment are used to ablate piles with anesthetics. Usually, conservative methods are applied; surgical ones are used in neglected stages in case of prolapsed hemorrhoids attended by voluminous bleeding and therapeutic treatment is impossible.
The more neglected the disease, the more radical treatment method is applied. There are 4 stages of this problem development. There are no symptoms at the first stage (or they are weak: abdominal distension, sensation of pain, weak bleeding during defecation).
The 2nd stage is attended by light bleeding, pain before and after defecation, itch, burning in and around anus, prolapsed piles when tummy muscles are strained. At this point piles may be fallen in by themselves. Thus, a proctologist can prescribe you a therapeutic treatment: gymnastics, diet to combine dietary fibers, constipation treatment with special drugs to normalize a stool (laxative drugs are forbidden to take too often as they stimulate symptoms of hemorrhoid), suppositories, ointments, phlebothropic drugs, hygiene, and cool water bathes. In case of infection, antibiotics are used.
The 3rd stage of disease is characterized by prolapsed piles each time after defecation. You can set it right by hand. In future, piles fall out constantly in case you lift little weight.
The 4th stage. Piles fall out even in a rest state and lead to thrombosis, profuse bleeding resulting in anemia in some cases. Late stages are treated by invasive methods: hemorrhoidectomy, infrared photocoagulation, ligation of latex rings, sclerotherapy with injections, Longo’s methods.
This disease progresses quite slowly. It may take years between the 1st and the 4th stages.
Despite of lots of ways to treat pile, there are only few methods to guarantee hundred-per-cent cure. The treatment should be multimodality one. Even operative methods cannot remove a principle cause which is the excessive blood inflow.
Advanced hemorrhoid stage treatment is quite difficult. Postoperative period takes only a few days. First hours and the next days a patient doesn’t need a bed rest.
How to Prevent Hemorrhoid?
Please, follow the following advice to prevent this malady:
- Normal intestine functioning (no diarrheas and constipations). Eat first courses, rich in cellulose.
- No strain during defecation.
- Stint yourself in spicy food.
- Drink a lot of water-no less than 2 liters of clean drinking water (mineral one is permitted).
- If you have a sedentary life, warm-up your body each 15 minutes.
- Do not spend more than 3 hours at the wheel.
- Replace soft chairs with tough ones at home and work.
- After defecation, you should wash anal region with cool water.
- Limit yourself in excessive physical training and weight lifting.
- During pregnancy, women should walk everyday and do gymnastics.
If a specialist diagnoses this disease at early stage, you will have a painless treatment. A comprehensive approach to the problem prevents its further development and recidivism.
Do not try to practice self-medication or diagnose hemorrhoids by yourself as it is very serious. Besides, you can simply confuse it with another serious problems or rectum. Only a skilled proctologist has to prescribe a treatment, using appropriate equipment for diagnosis.
