Hemorrhoid Treatment aims to reduce hemorrhoidal symptoms and will follow different strategies, depending on the duration and severity of the condition. The goal of this article is to provide you with the knowledge necessary to understand what choices you have at your disposal to arrest an onset.
Hemorrhoids are essentially varicose veins in the rectum or the canal of the anus. Their severity can vary, and one’s hemorrhoid treatment plan, whether under a doctors supervision or alone, should take into account certain factors. Usually hemorrhoids occur as a result of straining during bowel movements, although other factors may also play a part in their development. Because constipation is a major contributing factor to hemorrhoidal suffering, preventative measures involving dietary changes are frequently suggested.
Hemorrhoid Treatment should take into consideration the kind of hemorrhoid one is suffering from, and be tailored to the specific symptoms one is suffering. There are two different varieties of hemorrhoids: External and Internal. External hemorrhoids occur at the mouth of the anus, while Internal hemorrhoids occur within the anal canal.
Hemorrhoid Treatment during the early stages of the condition consists largely of lifestyle alterations, which are aimed at reducing symptoms, while also attempting to stop the progression of the hemorrhoids and prevent their return. These Hemorrhoid Treatments are often referred to as Home Hemorrhoid Treatments, because they tend to be preventative in nature and use items or medicines that can be found in any household. Unlike treatment for more severe hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids that have progressed to the point of needing medical intervention, hemorrhoids that respond to Home Treatment have milder symptoms and can usually be managed on ones own without the assistance of a doctor. Typically, hemorrhoids mend of their own accord within a couple of weeks, although they frequently return if changes to ones lifestyle are not made. Hemorrhoid Treatments at this stage of the condition will consists of suggestions such as:
- Being conscientious of ones hygiene, and keeping the anus clean with warm water.
- Consuming between 30 and 35 grams of fiber daily.
- Under a doctors care, supplementing ones diet with stool softeners or laxatives.
- Drinking anywhere from 6 to 9 glasses of water daily.
- Increasing ones exercise routine, or implementing a work-out routine if necessary.
- Reducing ones weight.
- Making alterations to ones bowel habits.
- Using moist toilettes instead of toilet paper, to reduce agitation to areas already inflamed and causing burning or itching.
Hemorrhoid Treatments for conditions that do not respond to the measures suggested above will be made under a doctors care, and require a definite medical procedure that often necessitate being performed in either a hospital or a doctors office. It should be noted that there are certain pre-existing conditions that will make treating hemorrhoids in this manner complicated, if not impossible. For example, if one is taking a medication that thins the blood, such as heparin, or is suffering from HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), other risk-factors will have to be considered before a course of action is decided upon.
Hemorrhoid Treatments of this kind fall into two broad categories: Surgical hemorrhoid procedures and Fixative hemorrhoid procedures. Rubber Band Ligation is an example of a Fixative procedure that is typically performed on Internal hemorrhoids. Specifically, it is a non-surgical procedure that targets what are known as second-degree internal hemorrhoids. The primary objective of a Fixative procedure is to reduce the flow of blood to the inflamed site, and thereby starve the hemorrhoid of blood and reduce its symptoms.
Hemorrhoid Treatment for External hemorrhoids may require a surgical procedure called a hemorrhoidectomy, which targets hemorrhoids that protrude from the anus and attempt to completely remove the hemorrhoid, or excise it, from the anus. An example of a bulging External hemorrhoid that would require this procedure is a Prolapsed hemorrhoid. Surgical procedures have excellent success rates, although the long-term success depends in part on how rigorously one is able or willing to maintain the changes to their bowel habits that will allow them to avoid constipation. Whatever solution you decide is correct for your situation and your lifestyle, there are always a variety of risk-factors that you and your physicians will have to take into consideration that will ultimately determine what course of action is appropriate for your hemorrhoidal condition.
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