Haemorrhoids (also known as piles) are swollen veins in your anus and lower rectum.  They are divided into

• Internal haemorrhoids (found inside the rectum)
• External haemorrhoids (around the anus or prolapsed out of the anus)

Credit Mayo Clinic

Risk factors

They are very common with over 70% of people having experienced them once in their lifetime.  These are the risk factors which make them more common

• Overweight
• Sedentary lifestyle with long periods of sitting (such as drivers)
• Constipation with hard stools
• Straining or sitting long time during bowel movements
• Heavy lifting (or weight lifting)
• Pregnancy

Click to view Merck video on Haemorrhoids

Symptoms

• Itching or irritation around the anus
• Pain of discomfort
• Painful lump or swelling at the anus
• Bleeding (especially after defecation)

Prevention

• Eat high fibre diet (especially with lots of green vegetables and fruits like banana) and stay hydrated with water
• Consider fibre supplements if you cannot get access to fresh vegetables
• Go to toilet regularly and avoid constipation
• Do not strain while defecating
• Do regular gentle exercises

Treatment

The definite treatment would be some form of surgery but you can use some medication to provide some relief from discomfort using haemorrhoid cream or soaking in a warm bath.

Ligation

Ligation involves the surgeon placing 1-2 bands into the internal haemorrhoids to cut off its circulation so that the haemorrhoids will drop off after a few days.

Credit Mayo Clinic

Laser Coagulation

Laser treatment can help treat smaller internal haemorrhoids and may require several sessions.  It works by cutting off the blood flow to the haemorrhoids resulting in them shrivelling up after a few days.

Haemorrhoidectomy

Haemorrhoid surgery involves either staple haemorrhoidpexy (used for internal haemorrhoids) or surgical haemorrhoidectomy where the larger external haemorrhoids can be removed by surgery.

Post Surgical Care

After the surgery, you will experience some discomfort for up to 10 days.  There may be some blood and pain when you defecate so it is advisable to take lots of fluids and soft diet with high fibre content.  Avoid excessive meat or fried foods intake for the first 10 days. 

Discuss the treatment options with your doctor to help you with your symptoms

---

Disclaimer. TELEME blog posts contains general information about health conditions and treatments. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such. 

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.