Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are swollen and inflamed veins in your anus and lower rectum. They may result from straining during bowel movements or from the increased pressure on these veins during pregnancy, among other causes. Hemorrhoids may be located inside the rectum, or they may develop under the skin around the anus.
Hemorrhoids are common ailments. By age 50, about half of adults have had to deal with the itching, discomfort and bleeding that can signal the presence of hemorrhoids. Signs and symptoms include: a lump near your anus, itching or irritation in your anal region, leakage of feces, painless bleeding during bowel movements, pain or discomfort, swelling around your anus.
Hemorrhoid symptoms usually depend on the location of your hemorrhoids. External hemorrhoids are under the skin around your anus. When irritated, external hemorrhoids usually can itch or bleed. Sometimes blood may pool in an external hemorrhoid and form a clot, thus resulting in severe pain, swelling and inflammation.
Internal hemorrhoids lie inside the rectum. You usually can't see or feel these hemorrhoids, and they usually don't cause discomfort. Straining or irritation when passing stool can damage a hemorrhoid's delicate surface and cause it to bleed. Straining can push an internal hemorrhoid through the anal opening. This is known as a protruding or prolapsed hemorrhoid and can cause pain and irritation.
Hemorrhoids can develop from an increase in pressure in the lower rectum. Factors that might cause increased pressure include: chronic diarrhea or constipation, pregnancy, sitting for long periods of time on the toilet, obesity, and straining during bowel movements. It's possible to inherit a tendency to develop hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are more likely as you get older because the tissues that support the veins in your rectum and anus can weaken and stretch with aging.
Complications of hemorrhoids are rare but include: anemia and strangulated hemorrhoid. Chronic blood loss from hemorrhoids may cause anemia, in which you don't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your cells, resulting in fatigue and weakness. If blood supply to an internal hemorrhoid is cut off, the hemorrhoid may be strangulated, which can cause extreme pain and lead to tissue death.
Bleeding during bowel movements is the most common sign of hemorrhoids. Rectal bleeding can occur with other diseases, including colorectal cancer and anal cancer. Don't assume that bleeding is coming from hemorrhoids without consulting a doctor. Your doctor can do a physical examination and perform other tests to diagnose hemorrhoids and rule out more serious conditions or diseases.
If the hemorrhoid symptoms began along with a marked change in bowel habits or if you're passing black, tarry or maroon stools, blood clots or blood mixed in with stool, consult a doctor immediately. These types of stools can signal more extensive bleeding elsewhere in your digestive tract. Consider seeking medical advice if your hemorrhoids cause pain, bleed frequently or excessively, or don't improve with home remedies.
Fortunately, many effective options are available to treat hemorrhoids. Most patients can get relief from symptoms using home treatments and lifestyle changes. When these conservative therapies are ineffective, many doctors turn to other methods for treatment of hemorrhoids. These include manual dilation of the anus, cryotherapy, bipolar diathermy, and other procedures. These treatments demand specialized equipment and training. If such treatment fails, expensive surgery will be a necessity.
Plant medicine is a natural and safe method able to prevent time-consuming, painful, and expensive medical treatment for hemorrhoids. Blood stasis is associated with hemorrhoids, and plant medicine can trigger lymphatic cells to release growth factors to enhance circulatory processes. This treatment has anti-inflammatory mediators that will recruit and activate neutrophils.
As a result, plant medicine has the demonstrated ability to increase venous tone and to decrease vein and capillary permeability while protecting rectal veins against venous insufficiency. This treatment has a wide spectrum of naturally occurring compounds. They improve microcirculation, capillary flow, and vascular tone, and strengthen the connective tissue of perivascular amorphous substrate, helping cure hemorrhoids. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.