For many people, hemorrhoids are a source of amusement or perhaps material for a comedians stand up routine.
And while it’s true that hemorrhoids might not be the worst thing that could happen to a person, it can cause itching, anal bleeding and in some more extreme cases a great deal of pain and discomfort. You should start hemorrhoid treatment as soon as you notice any of these symptoms to avoid potential complications or additional health risks.
If you do have itching, discomfort when using the bathroom, blood on the toilet paper or in the fecal material or any pain in the anal area, you may potentially have hemorrhoids, but a medical exam is necessary rule out any potentially more dangerous conditions. Some hemorrhoids such as a thrombosed external hemorrhoid can be seen with a quick visual exam while internal bleeding hemorrhoids can’t be seen without a more complete physical exam. This is why a hemorrhoid doctor needs to do a complete visual inspection of the outer rectal area and also an interior exam which may include a more detailed exam like a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy. A colonoscopy is when the entire bowel is examined and a sigmoidoscopy is when only the last two feet of the colon is examined.
As unpleasant as the prospect of a colonoscopy sounds, it is actually a very safe, low risk procedure that should be a part of your general health screening when you reach a certain age. People with a family risk of colon cancer should get screened starting at age 40 and everyone else generally at the age of 50. After you have a yearly exam, you will need to be retested only every five to ten years if your tests were negative for any disease or growth.
Probably the most unpleasant part of the colonoscopy is the bowel cleansing that needs to be done the day before the procedure. Generally a heavy duty laxative is prescribed which helps clean all the material out of the anal cavity. This bowel cleaning laxative treatment means spending the day at home in easy reach of a toilet. But other than that bit of unpleasantness the procedure itself is done under sedation so it’s not much of a worry. The reason a visit to the doctor is recommended is to rule out the other more serious medical conditions that have similar symptoms to hemorrhoids. These can include colon cancer, polyps, rectal cancer, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis which are inflammatory bowel diseases. Other general problems with the anal cavity can be tears which are called anal fissures and anal abscesses which are infections next to the anus. Because the symptoms for these conditions are very similar to those of a hemroid, it is necessary to rule them out.
Since hemorrhoids are much more common than the other medical conditions, it is more likely than not that your diagnosis will be hemorrhoids, but a doctor’s visit is necessary. So give yourself the gift of good health and peace of mind and make that doctor’s appointment. If you’re hoping to avoid hemorrhoid surgery, be sure to discuss natural hemroid treatments and hemorrhoid relief solutions such as Venapro with your doctor.
Since hemorrhoids is a tough word to spell, I have included this article to reach out to the spelling challenged in the crowd: Hemmoroids, Hemroids, Hemmorrhoids, Hemorrhoids
