If you have ever had hemorrhoids then you know how painful it can be to sit, walk around or even stand up. Hemorrhoids is a condition in which the veins in your rectum or in the lower rectum become inflamed, making it extremely painful to sit down, much less to use the restroom should you have to go. Hemorrhoids can either be internal, inside the anus, or external which are around the exterior of the anus. Both kinds are painful, but not life threatening and generally only last for a few days.
The first thing that you’ll need to do is determine if you truly do have hemorrhoids, or something else entirely. It is easy to misdiagnose hemorrhoids. Here are the symptoms of hemorrhoids: If you find blood on your toilet paper while defecating. Of course, you may experience the pain associated with the condition, but some people have hemorrhoids and don’t have any pain. Another symptom that you might experience is thrombosed external hemorrhoids, which may present with pain and swelling, and rubbing or cleaning the area will cause bleeding and itching.
Hemorrhoids are fairly common. In fact, about half of adults, both male and female, will experience them by the age of fifty. Pregnancy is known to cause hemorrhoids in some cases as well, but these are just a temporary problem. Your doctor will diagnose hemorrhoids by examining the anus and rectum for the swollen blood vessels, as well as performing a rectal exam by hand to look for abnormalities. This is important because rectal bleeding may indicate things more serious than hemorrhoids, such as colorectal cancer. The doctor may also do a more in depth exam using an anoscope.
Knowing how to treat hemorrhoids will help you with the condition, and hemorrhoids are treated mainly by relieving the symptoms. The first thing that your doctor will likely recommend is a soak in a bathtub with warm water, or a sitz bath which is available in a kit. This should be about a 10-20 minute bath. You can also use over the counter hemorrhoidal cream such as preparation H to prevent the itching and burning associated with the condition. Simply rub the cream over the affected area. This type of hemorrhoidal treatment is also available in suppositories.
Preventing hemorrhoids in the long term will require making sure that your stool is soft enough to pass easily without straining. Learning not just how to treat hemorrhoids, but how to prevent them in the first place will save you a lot of pain in the long run. You will need to relieve the pressure of constipation, since the straining is one of the main causes of this condition. Adding fiber through increased vegetables or even a suppliment such as Metamucil or a generic Psyllium Husk powder in conjunction with increased fluids to your diet will go a long way towards solving the problem of hemorroids. Most doctors recommend six to eight glasses of liquid per day, preferably pure water and not stimulants like tea or coffee, to create softer stools that are larger and bulkier. Of course, always check with your doctor before starting any treatment regime.
