30
April
2008

Why Do Hemorrhoids Bleed?0

Bleeding is simultaneously one of the most common and most frightening symptoms of hemorrhoids.

You’re going about your daily life, usually feeling no major discomfort, and then suddenly it looks like you’re losing massive amounts of blood!

Why do hemorrhoids do this? What causes them to bleed so frequently and so profusely?

First, remember that they are probably not bleeding as profusely as it would first appear.

Blood from the mucosal tissue lined anal canal gets diluted in the large amounts of mucus that irritation produces.

Mucus is generally clear, while of course blood is not.

Therefore a relatively small amount of blood can get quite large in volume when mixed with mucus while retaining it’s bright, oh so alarming color. In addition, any bleeding that occurs in the bowl of a toilet is going to quickly get diluted by the toilet water, and again, it can look like a lot more than it really is.

But, you may ask, why do hemroids bleed in the first place?

A hemorrhoids is, by definition, a swelling in a vein and the tissue surrounding that swelling. As a vein swells, the vein wall gets thinner, much like an inflated balloon. If something hard or harsh, for example a constipated stool, scrapes against it, that vein is quite likely to give way.

In addition, smaller blood vessels close to the surface of the tissue are also under pressure and frequently behave the same way. To continue with the balloon analogy, straining can cause the blood vessels of the area to “pop” under increased hydraulic blood pressure.

Of course, because even the smallest hemorrhoid projects above the area of the surrounding tissue, it’s going to be under the most pressure from any straining or hard stools.

Is hemorrhoidal bleeding a major cause for concern?

If you are experiencing anal bleeding for the first time, yes.

There are a multitude of potential causes for anal bleeding, including some quite serious health conditions such as colon cancer, and a doctor needs to rule out those causes. Hemorrhoidal bleeding should always be relatively bright red in color and fresh.

If you are experiencing anal bleeding and the blood is dark brown, black, or scablike, it is even more serious and should be seen by a doctor right away.

Even fresh, bright red bleeding can be a symptom of something other than hemorrhoids, such as anal fissures, fistulas, or warts, so it’s a good idea to get a correct diagnosis.

In addition, bleeding hemorrhoids can be a target for infection, especially due to location, so that’s something to keep an eye on.

If you ever find yourself with an unexplained fever, chills, or other signs of infection, go see a doctor immediately.

However, if other causes have been ruled out and your hemorrhoids are not infected, bleeding is a fairly common symptom, especially of internal hemorrhoids.

If you suffer from chronic bleeding due to hemorrhoids, there are several things - treatments - that can help.

If you bleed from an external hemorrhoid, getting a hemorrhoid cream that includes a topical vasoconstrictor and either calamine or zinc oxide can help stop the bleeding.

Internal hemorrhoids may be helped by a prescription for a vasoconstrictor to be taken by mouth.

Using the normal recommended methods of treating hemorrhoids in general will also help reduce and eventually eliminate hemorrhoidal bleeding.

28
April
2008

Basic Hemorrhoid Treatment0

Hemorrhoid treatment may be roughly divided into two different classifications, namely relief treatment and curative treatment.

While a cure for hemorrhoids is, of course, the end goal, relief from the symptoms of hemorrhoids is a necessary part of maintaining a standard of living while curative treatments are taking effect. Therefore, knowledge of each will help to make the whole process of getting rid of hemorrhoids much more pleasant and productive.

Basic hemorrhoid relief can be found in a variety of ways, many of which are readily available in any home.

Ibuprofen is the best common over-the-counter medication to use on irritated hemorrhoids, but acetaminophen will work in a pinch. While acetaminophen will help with the pain, ibuprofen also directly addresses inflammation, which is the most common underlying source of hemorrhoid pain.

Another basic home relief remedy is to take a bath in an inch or two of warm water, referred to as a sitz-bath, for twenty minutes, three times per day.

Many find it helpful to sit on a towel-wrapped icepack or ice cubes after the sitz-bath, as the alternating heat and cold provides circulatory stimulation and pain relief.

In addition, pharmacies are filled with hemorrhoid creams for soothing external hemorrhoids, while drinking aloe vera juice may provide relief for inflamed internal hemorrhoids.

Basic hemorrhoid cures are usually rather simple to do at home as they mostly involve diet and lifestyle changes.

No matter what actually causes your hemorrhoids, a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle will never help.

The average human being requires between twenty to thirty grams of fiber and 64 ounces of water per day in order for the gastrointestinal system to function properly. Dietary sources of fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, and whole grains. When changing your diet, remember to only introduce one new food per week as too quick of a diet change will produce pure misery as your intestinal system gets used to the new regime. In addition, dividing the water up over the entire day will keep unfortunate bloating from interfering with normal activities.

Hemorrhoid relief and hemorrhoid cures frequently intersect.

Changing your diet to the above recommendations will immediately start to soothe hemorrhoids, as bowel movements will no longer be an occasion for straining and long sessions on the toilet.

Improving circulation by alternating sitz-baths and icepacks may improve the area enough to contribute to hemorrhoid recession.

Therefore, exploring all of the basic methods of hemorrhoid treatment and integrating them into daily life is often a cost-effective method of dealing with this unpleasant condition.

27
April
2008

Posting comments in this hemroid and health blog0

Hi,

Hasn’t taken long for the spammers to start, trying to grab free links.

This blog is fully moderated.

If you want a link, you need to email me for a link exchange, or write a decent blog piece or comment on health, preferably hemroids - topic focused, around 300 to 800 words.

Believe me, you get no credit for a link, if all you do is give an automated software generated comment or some vague or short comment.

If spam annoys me, it’s not going to make my readers happy either, so it’s strictly a moderated blog.

27
April
2008

Running this blog0

Have to admit, running a blog is very enjoyable.

I’ve been able to reach right round the world and provide lots of useful information as a result.

What’s even better are the free photos that people provide me on hemorrhoids and related conditions.

Just added another photo to the photos and pictures of hemroids page.  The chap suffered from Crohn’s disease and was desperate to get more information on the internet about skin tags.  He graciously gave me access to his skin tag photos after he visited my hemroid web site and loved it - so I now have my researcher and myself looking into the topic of skin tags.  Hopefully, she will be able to provide some useful information, that may prove beneficial to him.

A way of returning the favor.

Anyway, I hope you are all liking the health and hemroid information that my blog and related website are providing.

Kind regards,

Donald.

27
April
2008

Alternative Medicine For Hemorrhoids: What Works?0

Alternative medicine has been frequently been touted as a cure-all, promising relief for everything from migranes to hemorrhoids to cancer.

However, some of what is advertised looks like medical fraud on the order of snake oil! How can anyone looking for hemorrhoid relief tell the difference between an alternative medication that might actually help and a total waste of time, money, and suffering?

There are several different classifications of alternative medicine, each of which is unique.

It is actually quite a mistake to lump them all in under one umbrella term like “alternative medicine” but we have to call it all something. Taking the time to comprehend the various forms of alternative medicine today can yield some very productive treatment options.

The oldest and probably most efficacious form of alternative medicine is herbal treatment.

Most of the prescription medications we use today have their roots in plants.

In fact, plants are such a good source of new medications that there is an entire branch of pharmaceutical education and research devoted to it, called pharmocognosy.

Herbal remedies effective for hemorrhoid relief are witch hazel cream, ointment or extract, aloe vera gel or cream, horse chestnut tea, butcher’s broom tea, and Japanese Pagoda Tree extract.

Be aware that herbs are just another form of medication.

Some of these, horse chestnut and butcher’s broom in particular, affect the entire circulatory system and may interact badly with your current health conditions or any current medication regime.

In addition, find a reputable supplier for any herbal medications. Herbal supplements are not governed or tested under the same rules and supervision as medications, so checking for quality becomes much more important.

Herbs grown under sub-standard conditions, such as next to a road or with polluted water, can actually do more harm as they carry detrimental chemicals into your body.

Acupuncture, surprisingly enough, has been approved by the World Health Organization for the treatment of several diseases, including pain relief.

Several rigorously controlled studies have been performed on the pain-treatment capacity of acupuncture, particularly for such chronic conditions as migranes. While these tests have shown acupuncture to have a measureable effect on patients, no clinical trials have been performed to date specifically on acupuncture’s effectiveness regarding hemorrhoids.

If you feel that the research that has been done is validation enough for acupuncture’s use, do find an acupuncturist accredited by the appropriate medical association for your country.

There is a branch of medicine called evolutionary medicine that seeks to understand and recreate the conditions that the human animal evolved for.

Evolutionary medicine is firmly grounded in the findings of physical anthropologists who study the entire course of our evolution to date.

One of the more valuable findings of evolutionary medicine for hemorrhoid patients is that we, as a species, did not evolve to sit on toilets but rather to squat for our toileting.

Many hemorrhoid sufferers have found that raising their feet on a small stool while toileting relieves and may even banish their hemorrhoids. If this works for you, and you believe that fully squatting might be even more beneficial, toilets that allow you to take a full squatting position are available on the market today.

Holistic medicine is a reasonable approach for many people to solving a health condition.

A holistic practitioner will take the whole person into account for healing purposes, instead of treating a human like a machine with parts to be fixed.

However, any holistic practitioner worth your time should use the best that mainstream medicine has to offer in addition to any herbal medications or psychological aids he or she feels is necessary.

If you’re going to pay for this treatment, do find a holistic practitioner who is also has their M.D., it will save you a lot in both foolishness and time.

Homeopathy has not been shown to have any appreciable effect, and in fact defies several laws of modern chemistry and physics.

Homeopathic remedies are so diluted that no molecules of the supposedly therapeutic substance can reliably be found in any given dose of the remedy. Repeated scientific tests and clinical trials have been performed on homeopathy for many decades now, and homeopathy shows no benefit above the placebo effect.

Use this information, like any other, to find the best treatment options for you.

If you are going to use one of the above alternative medicine options, remember that no alternative medicine is an appropriate substitute for sound, well researched medical advice.

However, some forms of alternative medicine make wonderful complements to mainstream medicine, capable of shortening recovery times and improving overall quality of life.

23
April
2008

Realistic Assessment of Hemroid Surgery0

You may have been told that you need hemroids surgery, or you may just be wondering “Would surgery be worth getting rid of these hemroids?”

To help make an informed choice, there are a few things you should know about various hemroid surgical procedures.

Rubber band ligation of hemroids

First there are the non-invasive procedures such as latex banding or coagulation therapy. Latex banding involves placing a tight latex band around the hemroid, causing the hemroid to shrivel up and fall off. This is a relatively safe procedure, but it can take up to a week to complete the process, during which time the pain could get quite intense. Latex banding can only be used on hemroids of a certain size, as it’s not suitable for hemroids that are too small to get a good lock on nor for hemroids too large to get the latex band around.

Hemroids cauterisation - laser or freezing etc of hemroids

Another non-invasive procedure is cauterization therapy, which can be performed by laser, medication, or freezing. In this instance, the effect of the procedure is to cut off blood flow into the hemorrhoid at the source. All of these therapies are potentially quite painful, but carry less possibility of long term damage than full incisive surgery.

Hemroids Coagulation

Coagulation therapy, which also causes the complete stoppage of blood to the hemroid, is also an option. This is less effective than most, but also carries less risk and potential trauma, so it is frequently used for the elderly or for those who might not recover well.

The hemroids stapling surgery

The first invasive surgical procedure involves stapling the hemroids back up into the anal canal while excising as much hemroid tissue as possible. This procedure carries much less risk of trauma and permanent damage than hemorrhoidectomy, but does have a higher recurrence rate. People who take this option are about 3% more likely to experience a return of their hemroids. In addition, the surgeon needs to be specifically trained in this procedure for optimal results.

Hemroids hemorrhoidal arterial ligation

Hemorrhoidal arterial ligation is another alternative to full hemorrhoidectomy. In this procedure, the doctor finds the blood vessels feeding the artery, and closes it right above those vessels’ entry into the hemorrhoid. It is also less traumatic than a full hemorrhoidectomy, and boasts a 93% success rate regarding hemorrhoid return.

Hemorrhoidectomy

Then there is hemorrhoidectomy, which involves the total removal of the hemorrhoid and surrounding tissue by either a scalpel or laser. Neither has been proven in clinical studies to work better than the other, and while laser surgery might reduce the chance of scalpel-borne infection, it can also cause deep tissue burns if the surgeon isn’t sufficiently skilled.

A hemorrhoidectomy does carry the highest chance of permanent hemorrhoid removal. However, it also carries the highest chance of extremely bad side effects such as lifelong incontinence and permanent nerve damage. These side effects are fortunately extremely rare, but you should be aware of them. In addition, hemorrhoidectomy has the longest recovery time and usually a long period of pain and inflammation.

Hemroids Surgery

Knowing the risks is an important part of deciding whether surgery is right for you. Only you, with your doctor’s assistance, can decide on the hemorrhoid surgery right for you.

 

22
April
2008

External Hemroid Bleeding Treatment0

As if external hemroids weren’t enough to deal with on their own, they can start bleeding too! How much more messy and embarrassing can these things get?

Fortunately, there are quite a few ways of dealing with bleeding external hemroids, many of which are available at home or cheaply at your local pharmacy.

Bleeding from hemroids ranges from a light tracery to heavy bleeding, and what tactic you take will depend on the kind of bleeding you suffer from.

External Bleeding Hemroids - Home Treatments

If you are having heavy hemorrhaging problems, the first thing you’ll want to do is apply pressure to the area with clean toilet paper or a clean cloth. This will induce clotting so that the bleeding slows and eventually, stops.

No matter what kind of bleeding you suffer from, you’ll want to wear clean, relatively loose, plain cotton underwear. While this sort of granny underwear may have to be the least attractive sort in the history of clothes, it absorbs excess moisture well and doesn’t irritate or constrict the area in question.

Sitting on a towel-wrapped icepack is the next step to take because the cold constricts the blood vessels in the area, slowing any bleeding.

Astringents are a useful home line of defense against hemorrhoidal bleeding.

Such things as witch hazel, aloe vera juice, or even apple cider vinegar, applied with a clean pad, all serve to clean, disinfect, and dry the area. This both helps stop the bleeding and ensures that infection doesn’t start to rear its ugly head.

When applying anything to an external hemorrhoid, remember to pat gently instead of scrubbing or rubbing. If you’ve developed a scab over the open wound, rubbing it off is the last thing you really want to do!

Raising legs to reduce bleeding hemroids

Once you get to the pharmacy, you may want to look into either getting a squat toilet or a footstool to put your feet up on while you use the toilet. Getting your knees up above your hips takes strain off of the area. This not only helps with bleeding but eliminates one of the core causes of the hemorrhoids, unnatural strain on your pelvic floor.

The toilet position we are accustomed to taking removes almost all muscular support from the hemorrhoidal cushions, which places pressure on the hemorrhoidal veins to start protruding downwards, which leads to hemorrhoids.

Taking the pressure off by raising your knees above the level of your hips gives much needed support to those hemorrhoidal cushions.

Creams for bleeding external hemroids

When looking for a hemorrhoidal cream to assist with bleeding external hemroids, getting one with a local anesthetic, an astringent, and a vasoconstrictor is probably your best bet.

Some of the most common anesthetics include lidocaine and benzocaine, witch hazel, aloe, and calamine are the most popular astringents, and phenylephrine, ephedrine, and epinephrine are the vasoconstrictors cleared for topical use.

Getting a combination of these ingredients will ensure the best possible cream for bleeding external hemroids.

External bleeding hemroids in conclusion

Hopefully, this brief outline has given you a starting point for dealing with your bleeding hemroids instead of suffering from them. Look carefully at all your options for more permanent treatment, and your hemroids will hopefully be a thing of the past.

21
April
2008

Herbs for Hemorrhoids0

Hemroids herbs are a  natural extension of hemorrhoid treatment.

Most doctors will tell you that the vast majority of hemroids are best treated at home, and many of the most common home remedies, such as witch hazel, are herbal in nature to begin with.

However, the large and unfamiliar territory of herbal remedies can be daunting, to say the least. It helps greatly to know what herbs work on hemroids, what they do, and how to use quality herbal remedies effectively.

There are several categories of herbs that qualify as hemroid treatments.

The first, and most commonly used hemroids herbs, are astringents.

 This classification covers such hemroid standbys as witch hazel, aloe vera gel, and apple cider vinegar.

 In short, these herbal extracts reduce inflammation and cause hemorrhoidal tissue to dry out, thus reducing pain, irritation, and itching.

Witch hazel and aloe vera gel come in the form of medicated wipes that can be used to pat the area.

 Apple cider vinegar is generally used on a moistened sterile cotton ball or swab.

 While many hemroid sufferers find that witch hazel and aloe vera are more effective than apple cider vinegar, if you have vinegar on hand, it does offer enough immediate relief to plan for the future.

While medicated pads can’t be used directly on internal hemroids, 99% pure aloe vera juice is available as a drink that may assist.

A less common herbal astringent is a poultice made from the roots or rhizomes of cranesbill, mashed and used as a poultice.

Each and every person reacts differently to various herbs, so if one doesn’t work it may be worth your time to try another.

The next category of herbal remedies are normally ingested foods that can help treat hemroids.

 Many brightly colored fruits, such as blueberries, cranberries and cherries contain bioflavonoids which can be of great help by increasing muscle tone and blood circulation.

And, of course, most of the fiber supplements on the market today are herbal derivatives such as psyllium seed husks and ground flax seed and come in a plethora of forms. You can get powder to be mixed with water and drank, doses contained in gelatin capsules, or wafers to munch on. Just remember to get plenty of water when adding herbal fiber supplements to your diet, and you should get excellent results with your hemroids.

The third classification of hemroid herbal remedies are the ones that affect hemroids most directly through the circulatory system.

This set of hemroids herbs includes butcher’s broom, horse chestnut, and the Japanese pagoda tree.

Taken internally, butcher’s broom narrows blood vessels, improves and strengthens blood vessel walls, and lessens inflammation and swelling.

Horse chestnut improves microvascular circulation, lessens fluid retention and brings down swelling.

 Japanese pagoda tree extract reduces bleeding, helps maintain vein health, and helps with hemroid symptoms such as itching, burning, or inflammation.

Because these herbs are taken internally and they affect the workings of the circulatory system, do not take them if you have a heart or blood condition, and check to make sure that they don’t interact badly with any ongoing medication you’re currently taking.

Hemroid herbs in conclusion

Many people have found relief from hemroid symptoms and from hemroids themselves by taking advantage of herbal remedies.

Herbal hemroids remedies also carry a few other advantages, such as being less expensive than other treatments and many are widely available.

Remember to use common sense and only get your herbal remedies from reputable companies, and, with luck, your hemroid problems will be over.

20
April
2008

What to Do When Surgical Procedures Appear to go Wrong0

A surgery going wrong has to be one of the worst medical nightmares most people will ever see. The bare possibility of this happening is enough to frighten anyone.

Therefore it helps to understand precisely what is going on, and to understand exactly what your rights are in any given medical situation.

Patient’s Rights

Most surgical theaters in the world have a patient’s bill of rights.

Always check to see if any given hospital has a patient’s bill of rights and, if they do, ask for a copy.

If they don’t have one, find a new hospital.

As long as the hospital has this standard in place, they hold all of their doctors to it, so your surgeon will be bound by it.

If, however, your surgeon operates out of an independent office, ask for the bill of rights directly from his or her office staff, and again, if it is not available, find a new surgeon.

On the patient bill of rights is a very clear right to informed consent clause. What this means is that as long as you are an adult of sound mind, you have the indisputable right to fully understand any medical procedure that is performed on you.

If the patient is not an adult of sound mind, then the right to informed consent reverts to the patient’s guardian.

No matter how many times you need it explained, or no matter in how much detail, you have the right to ask for it. In addition, you have the right to respect for your dignity.

No one should ever use your lack of understanding to make you feel inferior or as if you’re taking up too much time.

Patient’s Responsibilities

Concurrently with a patient’s bill of rights usually comes a list of patient’s responsibilities, and respect for medical staff is on that list of responsibilities.

That means that no matter how frustrated you get with any medical person, you do not have the right to scream at them, insult them, or belittle them.

However, that is all that it means.

As long as you keep your questions phrased in a polite manner and reasonable tone of voice, you have fulfilled your responsibility of respect and can ask as many as you need to fully understand everything in your treatment plan.

Not Happy with the surgeon going to perform the operation?

If asking questions does not make you comfortable for some reason, such as you think that the surgeon is sharp with you or isn’t taking enough care, you have the right to not have the procedure done by that surgeon.

Unless it is a flat-out medical emergency, you can stop any procedure any time before anesthesia is performed, even if it’s the day of the procedure itself.

If it is a life or death emergency, then they have the duty and responsibility to save your life, even if you don’t want them to.

However, hemorrhoids are not usually a life and death situation, and you probably have the time to find a surgeon with whom you are more comfortable.

It’s not a terribly good idea to wait until the last minute before you make this decision, but if you must then you must.

Keep in mind that the hospital, in some places, may charge you, and your insurance may not pay because you went against medical advice.

Therefore, if you do this at the last minute you may foot the bill for anything the hospital did before you changed your mind.

High medical bills are not fun, but you may find them preferable to the fear of a botched surgery.

It is always more efficient and more helpful to everyone concerned if you ask enough questions at the beginning of your relationship with your surgeon to either be completely comfortable or to find another surgeon, but do not let that stand in the way of protecting yourself.

If you are afraid that your surgeon is going to screw up your surgery, it is much kinder to both yourself and the doctor to find another surgeon than to sue for malpractice.

If your discomfort is over something so elementary as you feel as though your dignity or person is not respected, you should find a new doctor immediately.

However, if you are uncomfortable for any other reason, such as a particular surgeon’s lack of practice with the particular procedure that you are having, or a percieved lack of knowledge or regard for your particular medical history, all of these are valid reasons to look elsewhere, no matter how far along in the process you are.

19
April
2008

Questions for the Hemroid Surgeon0

When you find that you must have surgery for hemroids, the questions can come on so quick that it may as well be an incoherent storm in your mind. So many crash in that it can often be difficult to figure out the ones you really need to ask first.

In addition, it helps to discuss all questions you may have well before the surgery so you can go in with full confidence rather than worrying that you forgot to ask something that will prove to be of vital importance.

Questions for hemroids surgery to consider asking

The first and most important question to ask is for the surgeon’s credentials.

While any practicing surgeon will have degrees and certifications on hand, it is also important to inquire how many times they have performed the particular procedure they intend to do on you for your hemorrhoids.

Frequently they cannot give you references to past patients due to medical privacy regulations, but they should have professional statistics available for your perusal that have had identifying information removed.

Each procedure is different, and occasionally the tools are quite different as well. For example, you can have a hemorrhoidectomy done either with scalpels or with lasers. Each tool carries its own risks and must be specifically trained with.

You do not want to be the first laser surgery your surgeon has ever done, even if he or she has completed hundreds of successful hemorrhoidectomies performed with a scalpel.

Once trust has been established, at that point it is important to ask your surgeon to explain the procedure to you in detail. It may take a bit of time to explain in plain language instead of medical jargon, so be patient and schedule yourself a bit extra time.

The purpose of medical jargon is to convey a huge amount of information in very few words, so to unfold it all takes a bit of work, but any surgeon should be willing to take all the time you need in order to fully understand.

Also ask about potential risks from the surgery, and keep asking as long as anything is not perfectly clear. You have the right to know all of the potential consequences of any surgical procedure ever done on you.

Pre and post hemroids surgery

After you fully understand the procedure, you will probably want to ask about pre- and post-surgical practices. Most surgeons will tell you about pre-surgical procedures on their own, as you need to do those in order to be fully ready for the surgery, but listen carefully and ask about anything that is not perfectly clear or that you don’t understand the reason for.

Also, keep in mind that your surgeon does not necessarily know everything about your particular medical history. For instance, many surgeons ask you to take ibuprofen for a couple of days prior to the procedure to reduce swelling and inflammation. If you know that your family doctor has told you to never take ibuprofen, you’ll want to inform your surgeon of that so that you can find a suitable substitute together.

 In a similar fashion, only you know the circumstances you will have to live in after your surgery, so there are several questions you will want to ask about post-surgical treatments and restrictions. How long before you can go back to work? Is there a limit on how much you can lift, and for how long? What effects will post-surgical medications have on you? Will you need someone to stay with you around the clock, or will you be fine by yourself or with daytime visitors? If you have special conditions, again, you need to mention those. Most post-surgical procedures are designed for normal, healthy adults. If that designation does not apply to you, you and your surgeon will need to adjust accordingly.

Hemroids Surgery in Conclusion

Surgeons will be patient with all of these questions because they want you to have the best outcome possible. Statistically, people who fully understand their treatment are willing participants in their own care, and have much higher success rates than those who do not.

Therefore, because your surgeon cares primarily about you, and also about his or her professional reputation, he or she will be happy that you are taking so much time to be a partner in your own health care.