Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Help for Hemorrhoids
What should you do if you suspect you have a hemorrhoid? Here’s advice from our Health After 50 newsletter.
Often sources of discomfort and embarrassment, hemorrhoids are inflamed veins in the tissue of the anus and rectum. They are usually caused by pressure from straining during bowel movements (from constipation or diarrhea), but genetics and prolonged sitting (including spending too much time on the toilet) also can play a role.
Hemorrhoids on the edge of or outside the anus typically feel like tender, itchy lumps. Often the first symptom of a hemorrhoid is bleeding, noticeable in the toilet or on toilet paper after a bowel movement. When you detect bleeding for the first time, you should see your doctor to rule out a more serious disorder, like ulcerative colitis or colon cancer (though, most likely, it will be a hemorrhoid).
The first-line treatment for hemorrhoids is to gradually add more fiber and fluids to your daily diet (aim for 25–30 grams of fiber daily and six to eight cups of fluid). This will soften your stool, making it easier to go to the bathroom. Over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams or suppositories also may alleviate symptoms, but these drugs are not long-term solutions. Soaking in warm water in a regular or sitz bath -- a small tub you can buy at the drugstore that is placed on the toilet bowl -- also may help. Also try to avoid sitting or standing for long periods.
For more severe symptoms (like persistent or severe pain or bleeding), your doctor may suggest rubber band ligation, in which a rubber band is tied around the base of the hemorrhoid, cutting off its circulation and causing the hemorrhoid and rubber band to fall off within a few days. There are few nerve endings inside the anal canal, so it is relatively painless.
Sclerotherapy -- an injection of chemicals that cause the area around the hemorrhoids to harden -- is another option, as is laser therapy to vaporize hemorrhoids. If these nonsurgical treatments fail to work, surgery may be necessary to remove the hemorrhoids.
Posted in Healthy Living on July 28, 2010
Reviewed January 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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I've have problems with hemorrhoids every now & then. I have found that 1 dose of Metamucil taken per day seems to keep them at bay. I take the product at 3pm everyday and I'm good to go. You don't feel the effects of the Metamucil until about 14 hours later. If I travel then I can take the Metamucil capsules or wafers which are easier to use. Great product!
Posted by: dan1254 | August 14, 2010 1:35 PM