Heamoriod Remedies

Heamoriod remedies are usually practiced as first step in treating heamoriods. Standard heamoriod remedies includes prescription or over the counter medications and surgical procedures, and are most often dependant upon the condition severity. However, mild heamoriods can be treated by employing simple changes in bowel habits and most cases do not require heamoriod surgery or specialized treatments unless heamoriods have become extremely painful. These heamoriod remedies includes the following as stated below.

• • Strive for soft and easy bowel movements. The most effective heamoriod remedies against heamoriods is to go right to the source of the problem. More often than not, on top of every rear end with heamoriods sits a person grunting and groaning. If it's news to you that passing one's stools is not supposed to be a long and arduous affair, you've likely got hemeriods. Huffing and puffing on the toilet provides just the kind of strain needed to engorge and swell the veins in your rectum. Hard stools then make matters worse by scraping the already troubled area. Solution? Drink lots of fluids, eat lots of fiber, and refer often to the following remedies.
  

• • Oil your inner workings. Once you've increased the fiber and fluids in your diet, your stool should become softer and pass with less effort. You may help your bowels to move even more smoothly by lubricating your anus with a dab of petroleum jelly, using a cotton swab or your finger, apply the jelly about 1/2 inch into the rectum as your heamoriod remedy.

• • Clean yourself tenderly. Your responsibility to your heamoroids shouldn't end when you're through moving your bowels. It's extremely important to clean yourself properly and gently. Toilet paper can be scratchy, and some types contain chemical irritants. Purchase only nonperfumed, noncolored (white) toilet paper, and dampen it under the faucet before each wipe.
  

• • Elect a kinder, gentler toilet paper. If you've never heard of lubricated toilet paper, that's because it isn't sold yet. But you can find facial tissues coated with moisturizing cream—and these offer the most heamoriod-friendly backside wipe on the market.

• • Don't scratch. Heamoriods can itch, and scratching can make them feel better. But don't give in to the urge to scratch. You can damage the walls of these delicate veins and make matters much worse for yourself.

• • Don't lift too heavy objects. Heavy lifting and strenuous exercise can act much like straining on the toilet. If you're prone to haemoroids, get a friend to help or hire someone to help you move that heavy objects.

• • Go soak yourself. The sitz bath—sitting with your knees raised in 3 or 4 inches of warm water in a bathtub—is one of heamoriod remedies that still tops the list of most experts as a way to deal with heamoriods. The warm water helps to kill the pain while increasing the flow of blood to the area, which can help shrink heamoriods.

• • Apply a heamoriod medication. There are many heamoriod creams and suppositories on the market, and while they generally will not make your problem disappear (contrary to what the ads may say), most are designed as local painkillers and can relieve some of the discomfort.

• • Choose a cream. Choose a heamoriod cream over a suppository any day. Suppositories are usually useless for external heamoriods, and even for internal heamoriods because suppositories tend to float too far up the rectum to do much good. So better look for heamoriod creams out there as your hemeriod remedy.

• • Work wonders with witch hazel. A dab of witch hazel applied to the rectum with a cotton ball is one of the very best remedies available for external heamoriods, especially if there's bleeding, "Barbers use witch hazel when they cut you—because it causes the blood vessels to shrink down and contract.

• • Try ice treatment. Try anything cold, even water, can help kill the pain of heamoriods, give your heamoriods a special treat by putting a bottle of witch hazel into a bucket of ice, just as you would a champagne bottle. Then take a cotton ball, soak it in the witch hazel and apply it against your heamoriods until it's no longer cold, then repeat. This is also the one of the fast action heamoriod remedies as it numb your heamoriod upon contact with ice.

• • Watch your weight. Because they have more pressure on the lower extremities, overweight people tend to have more problems with haemroids just as they do with varicose veins.

• • Control your salt intake. Sure, you like your french fries covered with salt, but it can make your heamoriods worse. Excess salt retains fluids in the circulatory system that can cause bulging of the veins in the anus and elsewhere.

• • Avoid certain foods and drinks. Some foods, while they won't make your heamoriods worse, can contribute to your anal misery by creating further itching as they pass through the bowels. Watch out for excessive coffee, strong spices, beer, and cola.

• • Pregnant? Take the pressure off. Pregnant women are particularly prone to heamoriods, in part because the uterus sits directly on the blood vessels that drain the heamoriodal veins. A special heamoriod remedy if you are pregnant is to lie on your left side for about 20 minutes every 4 to 6 hours so, you decrease pressure on the main vein draining the lower half of the body.

• • Give it a little shove. Sometimes the word heamoriod refers not to a swollen vein but to a downward displacement of the anal canal lining. If you have such a protruding heamoriod, try shoving it back into the anal canal. Heamoriods left hanging are prime candidates to develop into clots.

• • Sit on a doughnut. We're talking about a doughnut-shaped cushion, here as heamoriod remedy. They are available in pharmacies and medical supply stores and can be useful to heamoriod sufferers who do a lot of sitting.

• • Try the ClenZone. This little appliance attaches to your toilet seat and squirts a thin stream of water into your rectum after every bowel movement. It gets you superclean and serves as a soothing mini-sitz bath at the same time.

Another heamoriod remedies are what they called fixative procedures, which cut off the blood flow to the heamoriods and uses rubber bands, lasers, heat, or chemical injections, are an option if you have internal heamoriods that bulge from the anus during bowel movements. These are illustrated as follows:

• • Sclerotherapy: One of heamoriod remedies in which a chemical solution is injected around the heamoriod. The objective of sclerotherapy is to limit blood supply to the heamoriod, until the condition subsides and/or the hemeriod shrinks. The remaining scar tissue that has formed (resulting from the lack of blood supply and shrinkage of the heamoriod) minimizes the recurrence of the condition by supporting surrounding anal tissues.

• • Rubber-band Ligation: This is an outpatient procedure that is relatively nontraumatic. During the treatment a rubber-band is placed around the base of the heamoriod inside the rectum. Like sclerotherapy, the band cuts off circulation and causes the heamoriod to whither away within a number of days. More than one session may be necessary.

• • Infrared light: During this procedure, bursts of infrared light are used to inhibit blood circulation to small, bleeding, internal heamoriods.

• • Heamoriodectomy: This refers to the actual excision of the hemeriods and subsequent resuturing of any affected rectal mucosa. It is usually the last option of all heamoriod remedies and is only used if all other heamoriod treatment options have failed. It can be done on either an inpatient or outpatient setting, and requires anesthesia.

Following such heamoriod remedies stated above may help sufferers relieve from the pain and disturbing effect brought by heamoriods.

Haemroids Surgery

Haemroids surgery, or haemroidectomy, is a surgical procedure to remove haemroids. Haemroids occur when an increase of pressure in the veins around the anus and rectum causes them to become swollen and stretched. They may result from a number of factors such as straining during a bowel movement , pregnancy, prolong sitting, overweight, chonic constipation and a like. In haemroids surgery, haemroidal tissue and excess tissue around the anal canal is surgically removed (excised). The procedure is typically performed in a hospital or surgery center by a surgeon who specializes in colon and rectum surgeries. An overnight hospital stay is usually required, but in some cases the procedure may be performed on an outpatient basis. Haemroidectomy is highly effective, but recovery is similar to recovery from other surgeries and may be initially painful.

Haemroid surgery is important in the treatment of extensive or severe haemroids. It can be used in the treatment of both internal haemroids and external heamoriods, as well as those that occur both internally and externally at the same time. Altough it is not generally used for mild- to-moderate haemroids, however, it may be used to treat less severe haemroids if other treatment options (e.g., stool softeners, sitz baths) fail. And also haemroidectomy is also useful in the treatment of patients who have developed certain complications. Persistent bleeding may only be effectively treated with the removal of the heamoroids, although less severe bleeding can be treated with other therapies. When blood clots form inside heamoriods, the haemroids must usually be removed.

And take not that recovery from haemroid surgery generally takes between two and three weeks. But the risk of haemroid recurrence is much lower with haemroidectomy than with other methods of haemroid treatment.

However, pain and discomfort are common following haemroids surgery therefore pain-relief medications are usually prescribed. After surgery, the rectal area is monitored for bleeding and laxatives are used to ease defecation. Fluid intake is also monitored. Any increased rectal bleeding, pus drainage, fever, constipation or rectal spasms need to be reported to a physician. It is important to prevent constipation following surgery. Therefore, patients may be encouraged to exercise, drink plenty of fluids and eat a high-fiber diet .

Although we know that haemroids surgery is the most effective treatment for haemroids however, it does pose potential risks. Urinary retention, urinary tract infections , fecal impaction and bleeding are the most common complications of the procedure. So alternatives to haemroids surgery include many minimally invasive techniques, especially rubber band ligation and coagulation (e.g., infrared coagulation, electrocoagulation). Also new techniques for treating haemroids are also being developed.

Before haemroid surgery

Before haemroids surgery, the physician will explain the procedure and answer any questions the patient may have. The patient will then be instructed to sign an informed consent form.
The patient will typically be placed on a special, low-residue diet for several days prior to the surgery. A low-residue diet contains very few foods that can become caught in the colon. This helps keep the colon clean for the surgery. The patient’s haemroids will be evaluated. External haemroids will be examined, with particular attention to size, evidence of bleeding and the presence of drainage.

Stool softeners and an enema may be used just before the surgery to prepare the bowels. The rectal area will then be cleansed. This may involve a sitz bath, in which the patient sits in a small amount of warm water. After it has been cleansed, the rectal area may be shaved.

During the haemroids surgery procedure

Haemroids surgery is performed with the patient under anesthesia. In most cases, a general or spinal anesthetic is used. General anesthetics cause a patient to lose consciousness and sensation by an injection of medication or breathing a medicinal gas. Spinal anesthetics cause a patient to lose sensation of pain by injecting a medication into the area around the spinal cord. Some patients may be able to tolerate a local anesthetic combined with sedation. This causes a loss of sensation in only a specific region of the body. When spinal anesthetics or local anesthetics are used, the patient remains conscious during the procedure.

During haemroid surgery, an anoscope is used to view the heamoriod and surrounding tissue. An anoscope is a short, rigid tube that is inserted into the anus. Once the surgeon can see the base of the haemroid, its blood supply is tied off with surgical stitches (sutures). The haemroidal tissue is removed, or excised, and some of the surrounding tissue is usually removed as well. The surgeon takes care to avoid damaging the anal sphincter. The actual removal of tissue may be done with a scalpel, scissors, cautery (uses an instrument that relies on heat or electricity to cut tissue) or laser.

The edges of the anal or rectal lining (rectal mucosa) around the excised tissue may be left open, closed or partially closed. This is a matter of physician preference. Results and post-surgical pain are similar whether the lining is left open or closed.

After haemroids surgery

Like with many surgical procedures, pain and discomfort are common following a haemroid surgery. However, medications are prescribed to relieve the pain and Sitz baths may be used to relieve discomfort and promote healing. The patient’s vital signs are monitored regularly during the period immediately after the haemroid surgery. The rectal area is also monitored hourly for bleeding. Any excessive bleeding is treated. This may be accomplished by inserting a balloon-tipped catheter into the rectum. The balloon tip places pressure on the bleeding area, stopping the bleeding. Prescription ointments may be applied to the rectal area to help it heal and to relieve pain. Dressings, typically pads, are changed frequently.

Stool softeners and bulk laxatives are prescribed to ease defecation. It is important to increase fluid intake while taking these medications. The patient’s fluid balance is monitored. Health care professionals will keep track of how much liquid the patient consumes and ensure that the patient urinates between eight to 12 hours after haemroid surgery.

Patients may be discharged following the surgery or may need to remain in the hospital overnight. It is important for patients to change positions frequently after the procedure, and to lie down for about 15 minutes every hour. This helps to reduce rectal swelling. A special pad is typically given to the patient to ease discomfort when sitting. However, rubber rings are not recommended as they can block blood flow and cause swelling.

Any increased rectal bleeding, pus drainage, fever, constipation, severe abdominal pain, rectal spasms, swelling, weakness or infection need to be reported to a physician. It is also important to keep the rectal area clean. The rectal area needs to be cleansed gently with warm water and mild soap. It should be rinsed thoroughly and gently patted dry.

Patients are urged not to strain during a bowel movement. Constipation can be prevented with regular exercise and by drinking plenty of fluids and eating plenty of high-fiber foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables). Bulk laxatives may also be used as needed. However, overuse of stool softeners should be avoided. Firm stool is important to dilate the anal canal and prevent strictures (narrowing).

Potential benefits and risks

Haemroid surgery usually eliminates haemroids with no recurring symptoms. When symptoms do recur, they are rarely severe enough to require additional haemroid surgery.
Complications can be minimized with proper surgical technique during the procedure and adequate pain control, attention to fluid intake and proper use of bulking laxatives and stool softeners after the surgery. Patients are urged to discuss the use of laxatives with their physicians. Complications of haemroidectomy may include:

• • • Pain. Pain is very common following haemroids surgery, as with many other surgeries. But the degree of pain varies between patients. Pain relievers are administered to relieve pain.
• • • Urinary retention. Difficulty emptying the bladder. This temporary complication may occur, depending upon several factors. These include the amount of fluids given during and after surgery, the degree of pain the patient experiences and whether the patient has a history of difficulty emptying the bladder. In some cases, patients may require a catheter to drain the bladder. The need for catheterization can be reduced by limiting fluid intake and using pain medications and warm sitz baths. A physician will be able to determine the risk of this complication and suggest proper levels of fluid intake and other prevention and treatment measures.
• • • Urinary tract infections. These occur in some patients and may be a result of urinary retention.
• • • Fecal impaction. A mass of hardened feces becomes lodged in the rectum. This may be due to the pain following heamoriods surgery, which worsens with defecation. This may cause patients to hold in their stool to lessen their pain. Holding in stool is a common cause of fecal impaction. The use of narcotic pain relievers may also be a factor. Bulk fiber, stool softeners and stimulant laxatives are generally effective in preventing fecal impaction. In some cases, fecal impaction may require manual removal while the patient is anesthetized.
• • • Delayed bleeding. A few patients may experience bleeding seven to 16 days after haemroid surgery. It is generally believed to be caused by the shedding of tissue that has been operated on and tends to require closing with stitches.
• • • Anal stenosis. Narrowing of the anal canal. This is a long-term complication. It may result from the removal of too much tissue around the heamoroids.
• • • Submucosal abscess. An infection of the tissue just below the anal or rectal lining, resulting in an abscess (a collection of pus). This is a very rare complication that, even more rarely, can result in death.
  

In addition, haemroid surgery carries the risks common to all surgeries including bleeding, skin infection and allergic reaction to anesthesia.

Therefore it is concluded that haemroids surgery is always be the last option if all the other haemroid treatment fail to cure your hemorroids.