Hemorrhoids (Piles) - Notes Read

Hemorrhoids (piles) or hemorrhoids are swelling or dilation of blood vessels that occur in the anus or rectum, which is the last part of the large intestine. This condition can affect anyone, although it is more common in individuals aged 50 years and over.

Hemorrhoids are divided into two types, namely internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the anus or rectum, while external hemorrhoids appear outside the anus.

Common symptoms experienced by sufferers include pain, severe itching, and difficulty sitting due to discomfort in the area.

The good news is that proper and early treatment can help the healing process to be more optimal.

You can also consult hemorrhoids or piles problems with doctors at Halodoc for savings of up to Rp25 thousand* with the voucher code KONSULAMBEIEN. Come on, consult now!

Causes of Hemorrhoids

The cause of hemorrhoids is not yet known for certain. However, experts suspect that increased pressure on blood flow in the anus or surrounding area is one of the main triggers.

This is because the pressure that occurs will cause swelling in the blood vessels, causing inflammation.

Here are a number of factors that can increase pressure on the lower rectum:

Straining too hard during a bowel movement.
Sitting too long on the toilet.
Experiencing chronic diarrhea or constipation.
Too fat.
Is pregnant.
Having anal sex.
Eating low-fiber foods.
Lifting heavy weights too often.

Want to know the effective medicine to overcome hemorrhoids? Read in this article:

Here are 7 recommendations for effective and easy-to-find hemorrhoid medications .
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Hemorrhoid Risk Factors

There are several factors that increase the risk of developing hemorrhoids, including:

Constipation or persistent constipation due to insufficient body fiber intake.
Prolonged diarrhea.
Experiencing obesity or being overweight.
There is a history of hemorrhoids (piles).
Sitting too often for long periods of time.
Prolonged coughing and vomiting.
Lifting heavy weights too often.
Pregnant women, because during pregnancy, women are usually prone to constipation . However, hemorrhoids that occur due to pregnancy usually improve after giving birth.
Increasing age will make the body’s supporting tissues weaker.

The following are the causes of hemorrhoids that cannot be ignored and therefore need to be treated.

Symptoms of Hemorrhoids

Symptoms of hemorrhoids will depend on the type of hemorrhoids that the sufferer experiences. This condition makes the symptoms of hemorrhoid sufferers vary.

Usually, mild examples of hemorrhoids will appear as an early stage of this condition, where the symptoms are still mild and can be treated with simple treatments.

So, what are the signs of severe hemorrhoids? Here are the symptoms of hemorrhoids that you need to pay attention to, namely:

1. Symptoms of external hemorrhoids (internal hemorrhoids)

This type appears under the skin around the anus. Signs and symptoms include:

Itching or irritation in the anal area.
Feels sore or uncomfortable.
Swelling around the anus.

2. Internal hemorrhoids (external hemorrhoids)

Internal hemorrhoids are located inside the rectum. You can’t see or feel them, and they rarely cause discomfort.

However, when straining or irritation occurs during defecation, hemorrhoids can cause the following symptoms:

Painless bleeding during a bowel movement. You may notice a small amount of blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet. This can cause pain and irritation.

Beware, Individuals with Hemorrhoids are Prone to Melena . Find out more.

3. Thrombosed hemorrhoids

If blood pools in external hemorrhoids and forms a clot (thrombus), it can result in:

Severe pain or discomfort.
Hard lump near the anus.

If you don’t treat it immediately, the three types of hemorrhoids above can get worse.

As for the severity of hemorrhoids that you need to understand. Well, here are the symptoms of internal and external hemorrhoids based on the degree of severity:

1. Internal Hemorrhoids

Grade I: Bleeding without prolapse. The blood is usually fresh and appears on top of the stool or drips after a bowel movement.
Grade II: Prolapse during defecation but can return on its own.
Grade III: Prolapse that requires manual pushing back.
Grade IV: Prolapse that cannot be pushed back in and is very painful.

2. External Hemorrhoids

If not thrombosed, external hemorrhoids can cause irritation and difficulty cleaning the anal area after a bowel movement.
If thrombosis occurs, there may be a blue-purple swelling and it may be very painful.

Additional common symptoms that hemorrhoid sufferers often experience include:

Itching or irritation around the anus.
Pain or discomfort, especially when sitting or having a bowel movement.
Swelling around the anus.
Mucus in the stool after a bowel movement.
Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea, can worsen the condition.

Well, you need to be aware of the signs of hemorrhoids getting worse, such as the size of the lump getting bigger until it cannot go back into the anus.

Blood clots can also form hard lumps in the anus.

Recommended Doctors Who Can Help Treat Hemorrhoids

If you or your family experience constipation that leads to hemorrhoid symptoms, immediately contact an internal medicine specialist at Halodoc!

Remember that early and appropriate treatment can help optimize the healing process.

Here are some doctors who already have experience and have received good ratings from patients they have previously treated. The doctor may recommend hemorrhoid shrinking drugs at the pharmacy to treat your condition.

Here is the list:

H. Sopyan Hadi Sp.B, FINACS
Rachdithia Ichwiyantho Sp.B
Devid Ruru Sp.B

That is a list of doctors that you can contact to treat hemorrhoids.

No need to worry if the doctor is not available or offline .

Because, you can make an appointment for a consultation at another time through the Halodoc application. Consultation at another time through the Halodoc application.

Hemorrhoid Diagnosis

Diagnosis of hemorrhoids usually begins with the doctor asking about specific symptoms to identify the patient’s complaint. Questions asked may include:

Do you experience bleeding during bowel movements?
Is there a lump that can be felt around the anus?
Do you feel pain or irritation in the anal area?
How often do you experience these symptoms?
Have there been any changes in your bowel habits? Your doctor may also perform a physical exam, including a visual inspection of your anus and rectum. For internal hemorrhoids, an anoscopy or rectoscopy may be necessary.

Next, the doctor can carry out supporting examinations such as:

Digital rectal examination(DRE), to determine the condition of the rectum for lumps or other abnormalities.
Endoscopy, to look at the rectum and anal canal, using a special instrument such as a tube equipped with a camera. This procedure can be a proctoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or anoscopy, depending on how far the instrument goes.
Your doctor may also perform a sigmoidoscopy, which uses a lighted tube with a camera to look inside the lower (sigmoid) part of the colon and rectum. Types of this procedure include flexible sigmoidoscopy and rigid sigmoidoscopy (proctoscopy).
Through this examination, the doctor can see the condition of the anal canal and muscles that are contracting or relaxing more clearly. In addition, the examination procedure can also involve taking tissue samples or biopsies.

Interesting Facts About Hemorrhoids

1. It is estimated that around 50% of adults will experience hemorrhoids at some point in their lives.
2. In hemorrhoids, prevention is better than cure.
3. In many cases, mild hemorrhoids can heal on their own within a few weeks with proper home care.
4. Avoiding sitting for too long, especially on the toilet is a good way to avoid the risk of developing hemorrhoids.
5. Pregnant women are often at higher risk of developing hemorrhoids due to increased pressure on the blood vessels in the pelvic area due to weight gain.

Treatment For Hemorrhoids Disease

Hemorrhoids usually disappear without treatment within a few days. However, sufferers still need treatment such as taking hemorrhoid medication.

The goal is to help reduce discomfort and prevent hemorrhoids from coming back.

Once treated, mild hemorrhoids usually go down in less than a week. In moderate to severe cases it can take longer.

So, here are some treatment methods to overcome hemorrhoids:

Bleeding from hemorrhoids can cause anemia.
Strangulated hemorrhoids. If the blood supply to an internal hemorrhoid is cut off, the hemorrhoid may become “strangulated,” which can cause pain.
Blood clots. Sometimes, blood clots can form in hemorrhoids, which can be very painful and need to be treated immediately. Meanwhile, regardless of the cause, blood clots in general can be dangerous to your health. Learn more about the dangers in the following article These Are the Dangers of Blood Clots for Health.
Skin tags. The appearance of skin tags or excess skin marks when external hemorrhoids disappear can also be a complication of this condition.

1. Use of over-the-counter hemorrhoid medications

You can buy over-the-counter hemorrhoid medications and do the treatment at home. Here are some hemorrhoid medications that you can take:

Venosmil 200 mg 10 Capsules. This medicine can be used to help relieve symptoms of venous blood vessel disorders, such as hemorrhoids by smoothing blood flow in the veins.
Ardium 1000 mg 10 Tablets. Ardium is a herbal medicine used to relieve chronic hemorrhoids or acute hemorrhoids.
Borobudur hemorrhoids. Borobudur hemorrhoids is a herbal hemorrhoid medicine that can relieve hemorrhoid symptoms. You can get it directly at the pharmacy or buy it through Halodoc.
This is a hemorrhoid medicine with herbal content in capsule form. This medicine is useful for relieving hemorrhoid symptoms. You also need to take this medicine after eating.
H2 Health & Happiness Hemorrhoid. You can get this medicine directly at the pharmacy or through Halodoc. This is a medicine with herbal content that can relieve symptoms of hemorrhoids.
This hemorrhoid medication can help overcome difficulty in defecating for people with hernia, post-surgery, and hemorrhoids. Adults and children aged 6 years and over can consume it according to the dosage on the packaging. However, doctors do not recommend this medicine for children under 6 years of age.
This supplement can meet the fiber needs of hemorrhoid sufferers. There are various contents in this supplement, such as psyllium husk, vegetables and fruits, celery, carrots, and spirulina. You can get this supplement through Halodoc.

In addition to hemorrhoid medication, you can also find out about diarrhea medication options through this article: Here are 7 Natural Diarrhea Medication Options You Can Try at Home .

2. Use of hemorrhoid medication with a doctor’s prescription

Doctors can also prescribe hemorrhoid medications in various forms, such as suppositories, hemorrhoid ointments, and pads. Here’s how to treat hemorrhoids:

Zinc oxide. Creams containing zinc oxide can help relieve irritation. This ointment may be effective in relieving anal itching associated with this condition/hemorrhoids.
Witch hazel. This hemorrhoid medicine can relieve hemorrhoid symptoms, although only temporarily.
Steroid creams. Steroid creams such as hydrocortisone can be used to treat hemorrhoids. These medications can reduce inflammation, but can damage the skin if used too long or over the long term.
Lidocaine. This hemorrhoid medication acts as a local anesthetic. It is usually used in combination with tribenoside (an anti-inflammatory) to help relieve symptoms of pain and itching.

But remember, it’s best to ask a doctor at Halodoc if your symptoms don’t improve after using the hemorrhoid medication for a week.

3. Operating procedures

If hemorrhoids continue to bother the sufferer even though the sufferer has received treatment by taking hemorrhoid medication, the doctor may recommend a surgical option.

Then, how to cure hemorrhoids completely? Usually, treatment using surgical procedures is useful for treating hemorrhoids.

Surgical or operative options aim to completely remove external hemorrhoids or prolapsed internal hemorrhoids.

This procedure is also known as hemorrhoidectomy. During the surgical procedure, the hemorrhoid sufferer will receive general anesthesia.

If you are still confused about various hemorrhoid treatments, this is a doctor who understands external hemorrhoid treatment and can provide information related to various things about hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoid Prevention

You can prevent hemorrhoids by making lifestyle changes to reduce pain in the blood vessels of the anus and surrounding areas, namely:

1. Lifestyle changes

The first step to overcome hemorrhoids is to change your lifestyle to be healthier. The ways include:

Eating foods that are high in fiber. Because, hemorrhoids can occur due to constipation. Therefore, the main way to cure hemorrhoids is to make the stool softer and get used to having regular bowel movements.
Increase fluid intake, limit caffeine intake and exercise regularly.
You should try not to push too hard when defecating. Because pushing can press on the blood vessels in the lower rectum. Excessive pushing when defecating can make hemorrhoids worse.
Don’t hold your bowel movements for too long. Go to the toilet immediately when you want to defecate. It’s best to avoid holding your bowel movements, especially for too long. Because, the longer you delay your bowel movements, the drier the feces will be.
Get regular physical activity. Exercise can help move stool through the milk, making bowel movements more regular.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of hemorrhoids.

2. Avoid consuming certain fruits

In addition, make sure to implement a good diet to prevent hemorrhoids.

Therefore, there are several foods that hemorrhoid sufferers should avoid so that the symptoms do not get worse, namely:

Unripe fruits. Fruits like unripe bananas, may contain some compounds that cause constipation or irritation. As a result, consuming unripe bananas during hemorrhoids increases the pain of hemorrhoids.
Frozen fruit. Processed foods such as frozen foods or fruits need to be avoided by hemorrhoid sufferers.

So, what to eat to heal hemorrhoids quickly? Foods that can help heal hemorrhoids include whole grains, fruits, cereals, and vegetables.

3. Avoid foods that are taboo for hemorrhoid sufferers.

There are several heavy or light foods that are taboo for hemorrhoid sufferers, including:

Spicy foods. Spicy foods can trigger heartburn and increase the frequency of bowel movements. This condition can make hemorrhoid sufferers feel pain and discomfort around the anus.
High salt foods. Excessive salt intake can bind water in the body. As a result, blood vessel pressure, especially in the lower body, will increase, triggering hemorrhoids.
Fried foods. High-fat foods like fried foods take longer for the body to digest. As a result, consuming fried foods makes the digestive system work harder which can worsen hemorrhoids.

Not only that, you also need to know 7 Habits to Prevent Hemorrhoids .

Complications of Hemorrhoids

Complications of hemorrhoids are rare. However, there are some potential complications that hemorrhoid sufferers need to be aware of, namely:

Chronic bleeding from hemorrhoids, especially internal hemorrhoids, can lead to blood loss that can eventually lead to anemia. This condition can cause symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and paleness.
External hemorrhoids can thrombose, which is the formation of a blood clot within the hemorrhoid. When this occurs, thrombosis can cause severe pain and swelling in the area.
Although rare, hemorrhoids can become infected, which can lead to a perianal abscess or other serious infectious conditions.
Strangulation occurs when the blood supply to an internal hemorrhoid is cut off, which can cause severe pain and tissue necrosis (tissue death).
In rare cases, damage to the anal sphincter muscles due to surgical treatment or severe conditions can cause difficulty controlling bowel movements.
Large internal hemorrhoids can prolapse, that is, fall out of the anus, and may not go back in without medical help.

What Do Studies Say About Hemorrhoids?

According to a study from StatPearls entitled Internal Hemorrhoids (2023), although there are currently many treatments available for hemorrhoids, hemorrhoid sufferers still have a risk of experiencing a relapse.

Therefore, researchers recommend hemorrhoid prevention as the best way to avoid hemorrhoids. Education is essential for both sufferers and those who have never had hemorrhoids about the importance of a healthy high-fiber diet, drinking enough water, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Healthy living is very important to prevent hemorrhoids (piles) because some healthy habits can help reduce the risk of hemorrhoids developing and becoming serious complications.

In this study, researchers recommend individuals who frequently experience recurrent, prolapsed, or bleeding internal hemorrhoids to consult a colorectal surgeon directly. Colorectal surgeons are highly trained medical specialists who are highly recommended for hemorrhoid patients because they can help treat more complex cases and provide the best solution for patients who need further medical intervention.

When to See a Doctor?

You should consult a doctor if you experience hemorrhoid symptoms that do not improve with home treatment within a few days, or if you experience the following symptoms:

Rectal bleeding, especially if accompanied by weakness or paleness.
Severe pain, especially if the area around the anus is very swollen and painful to the touch.
Significant changes in bowel movements or if the stool is black or tarry, which could indicate internal bleeding.
If hemorrhoids interfere with your daily activities.