Hemorrhoids
What are Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are common, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with them. Learn more about hemorrhoid symptoms here.
If you’re asking the question, “What are hemorrhoids?” you’ve come to the right place. Hemorrhoids (often misspelled as “hemroids”) are cushions of swollen tissue and blood vessels in the lower rectal area. Hemorrhoids are classified as either “internal” or “external.” External hemorrhoids can cause itching, swelling, and pain, whereas internal hemorrhoids can cause bleeding, itching, swelling, and eventually prolapse (loose tissue that bulges outside of the anus). Hemorrhoids can be caused by a number of things, including constipation, straining, pregnancy, etc., and can be unpleasant if left untreated.
External Hemorrhoids
Patients with external hemorrhoids often report discomfort or pain, especially during bowel movements. Symptoms may only flare up every few weeks – making it hard to tell whether your discomfort is actually hemorrhoid-related in the first place. Many of those with external disease also have symptomatic internal hemorrhoids (more information below). While only a licensed physiciancan give you a proper diagnosis, here are a few of the symptoms that usually indicate an external hemorrhoid problem:
Mild, but consistent, itching around the rectal area.
Pain around the anal area, ranging from mild to severe.
Swelling around the anus.
Internal Hemorrhoids
Symptoms of internal hemorrhoids vary depending on their severity. Small internal hemorrhoids may only cause some light bleeding, however, when the hemorrhoid tissue begins to prolapse, or protrude outside the anus, you may start to notice itching, swelling, and even soiling (all due to that loosened tissue).
Too often, hemorrhoid sufferers spend endless time and money on home remedies, such as creams, suppositories, and warm baths, getting nothing but temporary relief from some of the symptoms listed above. Home remedies can keep symptoms in check for a few hours at a time, but the truth is, without a professional treatment, hemorrhoids can continue to get progressively worse. That’s why it’s important to call a doctor and learn about the CRH O’Regan banding procedure and other treatment options.
To fully answer the question, “What are Hemorrhoids?” we’ve provided the following links. Here you’ll find hemorrhoid causes, symptoms, and treatment information. If your symptoms turn out to be hemorrhoids, just remember – you’re not alone. By age 50, half of all people will be affected by hemorrhoids. The good news is, treatments like the CRH O’Regan System can treat hemorrhoids safely and permanently. Select a section to learn more:
HOW DO YOU PREPARE?
For the colonoscopy procedure to be accurate, your colon must be well prepared. It must be clear of stool and fluids that obscure the view of the colon and rectal lining.
What you do the day before the exam directly affects how well your colon can be examined. To prepare your colon, you’ll likely be asked to do the following during the 24 hours before the exam:
Stop taking iron pills or medications containing iron five days prior to the procedure. Iron can alter the color of your colon lining.
Take laxatives and sometimes enemas prescribed by your doctor.
Avoid eating solid foods and opaque liquids the day prior to the procedure.
The day prior to the procedure, drink only clear, nonalcoholic liquids such as black coffee, tea, water, or clear broth and juices without pulp. Eat only soft foods such as Jello, but not red Jello.
Avoid liquids that are red in color, as they can look red in the colon and be confused with blood.
Take a five-minute walk every 10 minutes during the time you’re drinking the laxative, but stay near a toilet.
During this preparation time, you may have a frequent and urgent need to use the toilet, due to the laxatives.
On exam day you will be asked to fast. In some cases your diet is again restricted to clear, nonalcoholic liquids for eight hours before the exam. At this point you stop ingesting anything, including any medications, until after the procedure.
If you have diabetes or take blood thinners, including aspirin or other pain relievers, your preparation for colonoscopy may be slightly different. Remind the Doctor of either of these factors at least seven days ahead of the test, to see if you need additional instructions.
HOW IS IT DONE?A colonoscopy is relatively painless when performed by an experienced practitioner. You will receive a sedative medication administered intravenously to minimize any discomfort.
During the exam you’ll likely lie on your left side. The Doctor inserts the colonoscope into your rectum. Colonoscopes are disinfected between procedures, so the risk of transmission of infection is extremely low. The colonoscope is long enough to allow your doctor to view the entire length of your colon. It contains a fiber-optic light and a channel that allows your doctor to pump air into your colon, inflating it to get a better view of the interior lining. You may feel some abdominal cramping or pressure as the air is introduced.
The colonoscope also contains a tiny video camera at its tip. The camera transmits images to an external monitor so that your doctor can look closely at the inside of your colon. Your doctor can insert instruments through the colonoscope’s channel to remove polyps, take tissue samples, inject solutions or destroy (cauterize) tissues.
If a polyp or abnormal tissue is found, The Dr may choose to remove it with a snare or destroy it with cautery. Or he or she might take a biopsy or advise surgical removal, depending on the size of the mass.
A colonoscopy exam usually takes about 20 minutes to an hour.
AFTER THE PROCEDURE
After the exam is over, it takes less than an hour to recover from the sedative. You’ll need someone to take you home because it can take up to a day for the full effects of the sedative to wear off. Rest and don’t drive and do not sign any legal documents for the remainder of the day.
You may feel bloated or pass gas for a few hours after the exam. You should feel better as you pass the gas. Walking may lessen your discomfort. If you have persistent pain after the procedure, tell your doctor.
You may also see a small amount of blood with your first bowel movement. Usually this isn’t cause for alarm. See your doctor if you continue to pass blood or blood clots, have persistent abdominal pain, or have a fever of 100 F or higher.
These signs and symptoms may result from bleeding when a biopsy is taken or, rarely, from perforation of the colon wall. Although they’re rare, be alert for these signs and symptoms, as they can indicate the need for medical attention.
RESULTS
Frequency of follow-up exams depends on the findings as well as the quality of the exam performed and should be discussed with your doctor. If a polyp or abnormal tissue was found during your colonoscopy that couldn’t be removed, we may recommend subsequent surgery.
Negative test results. If no abnormalities are found, you can probably wait several years before repeating the exam, depending on your doctor’s recommendations.
Positive test results. If the colonoscopy reveals adenomatous polyps, you may have to adhere to a more rigorous screening schedule in the future, depending on the size and number of polyps.
Consider asking the Dr. if it was a good-quality exam. If your colon wasn’t completely empty of stool at the time of the exam, parts of the colon may have been obscured. If so, abnormalities may not have been seen. Your doctor may even recommend that you have another colonoscopy in a year’s time or even sooner.