Options for Hemorrhoid Treatments — Which Is Best For Me?
However painful and bothersome they might be, hemorrhoids respond to proper treatment. What is important is to attend to them at the early stages for, if neglected, complications such as strangulated hemorrhoids may arise. Appropriate treatment successfully alleviates symptoms and can even prevent their recurrence. Remedies range from home medication and care to surgical procedures. Normally, non-invasive treatment is sufficient to ease symptoms. Surgery and other invasive procedures are required only in severe cases.
In mild cases, symptoms disappear naturally within a few days. You don’t normally need medical advice if bleeding ceases after 2 or 3 days and does not recur. This is most likely caused by internal hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins in the upper region of the anal canal. Bleeding that persists for days should be reported to your doctor because it may indicate more serious diseases such as colorectal cancer. Internal hemorrhoids get worse with pressure and straining so it’s important to prevent constipation. Soft stools pass easily without exerting undue pressure on the rectal veins. The best way to keep hemorrhoids from getting worse or to prevent them occurring at all is to eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, drink enough hydrating fluids and exercise regularly. Visit the toilet whenever you feel the urge and avoid straining or sitting there for too long.
If your symptoms don’t go away naturally, you can try a combination of home hemorrhoid treatments including oral remedies designed to offer relief. External hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins in the area outside the anus, can be treated with over-the-counter creams and pads. Many of these remedies have witch hazel and hydrocortisone, which help alleviate itching, swelling and pain. Cold compresses and ice packs applied to swellings will help them subside. Tub baths and Sitz baths in warm water for about 10 minutes, every few hours are very soothing and healing.
Surgical and other invasive options are designed to remove hemorrhoids or shrink them. Surgery might be necessary for thrombosed hemorrhoids as well as those that are too large. Prolapsed hemorrhoids, which you cannot push back manually, can also be removed surgically. Sometimes, a simple incision is all that is required to treat a thrombosed hemorrhoid. Rubber band ligation is a method that involves tightly encircling the base of an internal hemorrhoid with a rubber band so as to stop blood circulation in that area. Deprived of blood, the hemorrhoid dries up and drops off within days. Sclerotherapy is a technique by which the doctor injects a chemical solution into the hemorrhoid in order to make it shrink. Another option entails burning the hemorrhoid using infrared rays. These invasive procedures are normally performed at the outpatient clinic and rarely involve hospitalization. It’s only when internal and external hemorrhoids become severely complicated that hemorrhoidectomy is required. In such cases, hospitalization is necessary.
Ultimately, by paying attention to your diet and lifestyle, you can prevent your posterior from becoming the seat of all protests.
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