Understanding Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoid tissues are “cushions” of blood vessels that swell slightly during bowel movements. Too much pressure on the anal canal can make these tissues remain enlarged and cause symptoms. This can happen both inside and outside the anal canal.

Normal Hemorrhoid Tissue

Hemorrhoid tissues play an important role in helping your body eliminate waste. Food passes from the stomach through the intestines. The waste (stool) then travels through the colon to the rectum. It is stored in the rectum until it’s ready to be passed from the anus. During bowel movements, hemorrhoids swell with blood and become slightly larger. This swelling helps protect and cushion the anal canal as stool passes from the body. Once the stool has passed, the tissues stop swelling and return to normal.

Problem Hemorrhoids

Pressure due to straining or other factors can cause hemorrhoid tissues to remain swollen. When this happens to the hemorrhoid tissues in the anal canal they’re called internal hemorrhoids. Swollen tissues around the anal opening are called external hemorrhoids.Depending on the location, your symptoms can differ.

• Internal hemorrhoids often occur in clusters around the wall of the anal canal. They are usually painless. But they may prolapse(protrude out of the anus) due to straining or pressure from hard stool. After the bowel movement is over, they may then reduce(return inside the body). Internal hemorrhoids often bleed. They can also discharge mucus.
• External hemorrhoids are located at the anal opening, just beneath the skin. These tissues rarely cause problems unless theythrombose (form a blood clot). When this occurs, a hard, bluish lump may appear. A thrombosed hemorrhoid also causes sudden, severe pain. In time, the clot may go away on its own. This sometimes leaves a “skin tag” of tissue stretched by the clot.

Hemorrhoid Symptoms

Pain or a burning sensation Bleeding during bowel movements

Protrusion of tissue from the anus Itching around the anus

Causes of Hemorrhoids

There’s no single cause of hemorrhoids. Most often, though, they are caused by too much pressure on the anal canal. This can be due to:

Chronic (ongoing) constipation Straining during bowel movements Sitting too long on the toilet Strenuous exercise or heavy lifting

Pregnancy and childbirth Aging Diarrhea

Conservative treatment

Most hemorrhoid symptoms improve dramatically with simple measures. Here are some things to try:

Add fiber. Boost the fiber in your diet with either high-fiber foods or a fiber supplement or both. When taken with adequate fluid, fiber softens stools and makes them easier to pass, reducing pressure on hemorrhoids and the resulting risk of bleeding, inflammation, and swelling. High-fiber foods include prunes, dates, apples, pears, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, spinach, legumes (for example, baked beans or kidney beans), bran cereals, and oatmeal. Fiber supplements include psyllium (Metamucil, Konsyl, Perdiem), methylcellulose (Citrucel), calcium polycarbophil (FiberCon, Fiber-Lax, Mitrolan), and wheat dextrin (Benefiber). Fiber can cause bloating or gas, so start slowly, and gradually increase your intake to 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Increase your fluid intake at the same time.

Exercise. You can stimulate bowel function with moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking 20 to 30 minutes a day.

Establish a regular bowel habit. When you feel the urge, go to the bathroom immediately; don't wait for a more convenient time. Stool can back up, leading to increased pressure and straining. Also, schedule a time each day — perhaps just after a meal — to sit on the toilet for a few minutes.

Sit in a sitz. You can often relieve itching, irritation, and spasm of the sphincter muscle with a warm water bath for the buttocks (sitz bath). Sit in a regular bathtub with a few inches of warm water, or go to a pharmacy and buy a small plastic tub that fits over a toilet seat. Try a 20-minute sitz bath after each bowel movement and an additional two or three times a day. Afterward, gently pat the anal area dry; don't rub or wipe hard. You can also dry the area with a hair dryer on a cool setting.

Try something topical. Over-the-counter analgesic creams can temporarily soothe pain, irritation, and itching. Creams and suppositories containing hydrocortisone are also effective, but don't use them for more than a week at a time, because they can cause the skin to get too thin (atrophy). Witch hazel wipes (Tucks) are soothing and have no harmful effects. A small ice pack placed against the anal area for a few minutes may also help. Finally, sitting on cushions rather than hard surfaces can help reduce swelling.

Treat the clot. If a clot has been present for longer than two days, apply home treatments for the symptoms while waiting for it to go away on its own. If it's more recent, the hemorrhoid can be surgically removed or the clot withdrawn in an office procedure performed by a surgeon.

Source:http://www.bettermedicine.com/topic/hemorrhoids/what-to-do-about-hemorrhoids?