Hemorrhoids: symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

Surgeon, coloproctologist

Skorkina

Irina Konstantinovna

14 years of experience

Doctor of the highest category, member of the European Society of Surgeons

Make an appointment Hemorrhoids are a common serious disease during which the internal venous nodes of the rectal plexus become inflamed and enlarged. In addition, very often everything is accompanied by bleeding. If you pay attention to worldwide statistics, literally every seventh person on our planet sooner or later begins to suffer from hemorrhoids. Not every person will seek help at the hospital or recognize hemorrhoids on their own, because they have many symptoms. If we make an assumption, it is likely that a quarter of the population of our planet suffers from hemorrhoids, so this disease must be dealt with by turning to professional specialists.

Rectal diseases seem unacceptable to people to talk about, but this is all a stereotype that needs to be fought. Untreated hemorrhoids can lead to other problems. Then the cost of treating hemorrhoids will be much higher. Very often, people turn to the clinic for help at an advanced stage. In this case, fighting the disease is much more difficult. It is important to note that gender does not matter. Both women and men can suffer from the disease, so it must be taken seriously.

Absolutely anyone can get hemorrhoids, but there are some aspects that are worth paying attention to. The disease mainly affects people who lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle or who engage in anal sex too often. The disease is also affected by a person’s daily diet. If he is fond of smoked, spicy, too salty foods, then he has a much greater chance of getting hemorrhoids. But even if a person is very keen on sports or works in a hard job, then he too can catch this type of disease and need the best treatment for hemorrhoids.

Typology of hemorrhoids

Doctors identify several of the most common types and stages in the treatment of hemorrhoids, which all patients go through. Hemorrhoids are a serious problem that needs to be dealt with so that the situation does not become too advanced, and a professional clinic will help with this. You need to know what it is and about these common stages and types of hemorrhoids. Main classification of hemorrhoids:

Chronic. This is perhaps the most common type. Many professionals and doctors discover the occurrence of chronic hemorrhoids in their patients. Very often, people go to the hospital with discomfort around the anus, slight itching, or even complaints of bleeding. It is important to note that this disease does not appear out of nowhere. It can develop for a couple of months or even a couple of years, and only then make itself felt. During the development of the disease, the patient does not experience absolutely anything, so he does not even think about contacting a specialist to get tested; there are no first signs of hemorrhoids. When the next stage of chronic hemorrhoids arrives, everything begins to hurt, bleeding becomes frequent, there is a predisposition to itching, and everything rapidly worsens.
Spicy. This is a continuation of chronic hemorrhoids, or rather its complication, which can only be accurately identified only by a professional examination in a clinic. Very often at this stage a person begins to suffer from thrombosis, very severe pain and the sensation of some kind of foreign body inside himself. Body temperature also increases, but these are all general first signs and types. Only a specialist can tell you more about everything and offer effective treatment for hemorrhoids. You can cure acute hemorrhoids if you contact the best professionals; the cost of treating hemorrhoids is not too high.
Interior. Hemorrhoids can also be internal. In this case we are talking about varicose veins of the rectum and anus. At first, no problems in the intestines are detected, so there is no thought that hemorrhoids need to be treated. If you do not seek help in time, internal hemorrhoids can cause dangerous complications. So people can develop vein thrombosis - the first sign - due to the fact that the blood stagnated all the time during hemorrhoids. Also, nodules can constantly fall out, but this is only if internal hemorrhoids reach the fourth stage. In addition, due to constant bleeding, the patient may develop anemia, headache, and the anal valve may weaken, causing incontinence. To cure internal hemorrhoids, you need to go to the hospital and apply modern best treatment principles, the price of which is affordable.
Outer. External hemorrhoids are a serious problem that requires special treatment. External hemorrhoids are called and diagnosed as cavity formations, which in turn are completely filled with venous blood. The dilated vessels in the anal area form something very similar to a lump, which develops over three stages. Very often, when the form is advanced, complications also arise: the corpora cavernosa begin to become inflamed, venous thrombosis actively develops, and then surgery is necessary.

What are hemorrhoids

Many examinations show that the main type of disease is a lump. If hemorrhoids come out, then it is accompanied and characterized, firstly, by veins falling out of the anus. If we talk about color, the bumps can be of different colors depending on what stage of the disease the patient is at. If you do not perform surgery, or do not use any modern method of treatment, then the lump will grow more and more over time, and the inflammation will also increase. An advanced form of hemorrhoids can acquire a burgundy or even bluish tint, or give rise to other types, which is why there is no need to hesitate and you should urgently consult a doctor. Most often, in the fight against hemorrhoids, a simple professional operation is performed - this is the best effective solution.

Methods for preventing hemorrhoids

To avoid the occurrence and exacerbation of hemorrhoids, it is necessary to teach children from an early age to prevent the disease. Well, for those who are already susceptible to it, it is important to carefully observe measures to protect themselves from exposure to factors that cause the development of inflammatory processes.

Do not sit for too long, you need to get up and walk for a few minutes, this will protect against stagnation of blood circulation.
Do not smoke, give up alcohol.
Perform exercises that train the elasticity of the gluteal and abdominal muscles.
Maintain personal hygiene in the perineal and anal areas.
Eat high-quality healthy food, with a predominance of vegetables and fruits.
Avoid spicy marinades, pickles and mucous-irritating spices.
Eat as little smoked and fried foods as possible.
Dress according to the weather to avoid colds.
Expectant mothers carrying a child prone to constipation need an increase in laxative foods.

Most importantly, never engage in uncontrolled self-medication using dubious recipes advertised by who knows who. In order not to expose your health to the risk of hemorrhoids from a young age, you just need to give up bad habits. The disease will not overtake you by surprise, and, if it has already appeared, a correct lifestyle will save the body from exacerbations.

Symptoms, signs of hemorrhoids

Professional doctors distinguish various symptoms of hemorrhoids, since there are different stages and manifestations of the disease, but there are the most common signs that are worth paying attention to.
So, the most obvious elements that will help identify hemorrhoids are frequent bleeding and prolapse of nodes. Constant itching of the anus or unbearable pain, especially if the hemorrhoids have already come out and are in the second stage. People suffering from hemorrhoids complain of constant signs of hemorrhoids - swelling of the anus and mucus that comes out of it. In most cases, hemorrhoids develop over time and do not manifest themselves in one day, so the symptoms of hemorrhoids also appear gradually. During this disease, a foreign body is felt in the anus, there seems to be a feeling of some kind of heaviness - this is the first sign.

If hemorrhoids are only at the initial stage, then the main sign of the disease can only be recognized during constipation or intestinal upset or after severe physical exertion. There are cases when the disease manifests itself completely suddenly, produces symptoms, and then testing is simply necessary. If drug treatment for hemorrhoids does not work, then surgery is needed.

Perianal pruritic dermatitis

Perianal dermatitis can be caused by various reasons, and hemorrhoids are far from the main cause of its occurrence. However, prolapse of nodes or mucus secretion contribute to irritation of the skin of the perianal area, which can cause inflammation. Clinically, this is manifested by itching of varying intensity, redness of the affected area of the skin and, in some cases, moderate pain.

Prevention of perianal dermatitis consists of careful adherence to recommendations on daily routine and diet, as well as daily hygiene procedures for the perianal area. Since scratching itchy skin further worsens its condition, it is necessary to take anti-itch medications.

Diagnosis of hemorrhoids

If hemorrhoids come out, then it is imperative to visit a doctor, seek treatment for hemorrhoids at the hospital and conduct a diagnosis for the presence of diseases.
In fact, the diagnosis of this disease is quite simple, but it is important to take the treatment itself very seriously. If the hospital does not carry out all the necessary tests, then it is likely that the doctor will make an incorrect diagnosis. Insufficient testing of the patient and omission of analysis leads to the fact that significant complications or pathologies that may follow the development of hemorrhoids are not detected. During the diagnosis of hemorrhoids, the doctor examines the patient in a special gynecological chair, which allows you to identify hemorrhoids of the anus and select an effective treatment regimen for hemorrhoids. The doctor must look at what is happening in the patient’s intestines and what the anus looks like, if hemorrhoids appear, and prescribe treatment. When all the initial tests have been passed by the patient, the doctor must quickly examine the stool, analysis, color and condition of the skin, and the presence of a gap in the anus. He must also monitor the presence of scar changes, hemorrhoids, and make a diagnosis.

An analysis of the frequency of prolapse of nodes and diseases is required; the doctor draws conclusions on the diagnosis, whether it is necessary to undergo surgery, removal of hemorrhoids, or use a treatment method. It is possible to fight this disease if you find the right approach during diagnosis, but this requires a highly accurate diagnosis. The medical institution uses only the most modern and innovative equipment, thanks to which effective research is carried out, accurate diagnoses are made quickly, and cures are attempted.

Most often, it is very difficult to diagnose the correct location and size of the nodes if the entire examination is carried out using the finger method, all this due to the fact that during palpation the nodes become much smaller. That is why during the study the patient must constantly interact with doctors and get tested. This is the only way they will diagnose the exact type of hemorrhoids, because an accurate overview of the area where the nodes are located will be given and a treatment method will be chosen.

If a doctor diagnoses a suspicion of hemorrhoids, he will necessarily perform a sigmoidoscopy. In case of illness, this analysis effectively allows you to determine hemorrhoids or exclude various additional diseases, especially those related to the intestines. For hemorrhoids, during diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe a gastroscopy to exclude bleeding from a part of the digestive system and cure it.

As practice shows, with a correct diagnostic review, doctors detect the appearance of anal canal diseases that contribute to hemorrhoids. The large intestine may also be affected. Many of them cause frequent bleeding in the anus.

In some cases, doctors say that patients suffer from rectal cancer. Therefore, if there are any strange sensations in the intestines or the intestinal problem has been diagnosed for a long time, you need to become a frequent visitor to medical clinics. You need to visit a doctor and find a treatment method, effective techniques, and perform an operation. A clinic that will offer innovative treatment methods will help residents of Moscow cure hemorrhoids.

Moderate physical activity

When working sedentarily, you should get up every hour and take breaks for at least five to ten minutes. It is advisable to move during your lunch break.
Introduce moderate physical activity: exercise, swimming, running and walking. This is especially true for those who drive.
Do simple exercises at home. These are pelvic lifts, lying on your back, abdominal exercises, bending.
In the office, sit on a hard chair, it is safer than a soft chair. Even while working at the computer, you can quietly squeeze and relax your buttocks.

Causes of hemorrhoids

The main reason for the appearance of hemorrhoids in a patient is the moment when the veins of the rectum become overstretched due to the fact that blood is stuck in the pelvis.
In this case, it is necessary to remove the hemorrhoids. All people are prone to such stagnation of blood, so it should be noted that the disease is common. Common causes of problems in the anus are high blood pressure and blood clots. This reason interferes with the free passage of feces or, on the contrary, clogs everything in the anus. Causes of hemorrhoids:

use of grandmother's methods of treatment;
menstruation;
abuse of anal sex;
excessive anal hygiene;
increased consumption of spicy, salty, fatty foods, which stimulate the colon;
frequent horse riding, bicycle riding;
pregnancy;
passive lifestyle.

It is important to note that problems in the anus can also be due to heredity. Then a certain scheme is used to treat the disease. There are different treatment methods, because each case has its own scheme, which is selected by the proctologist. When removing hemorrhoids, you will need to adhere to some rules, but you need to decide which scheme is effective. The cause of hemorrhoids may be a congenital insufficiency of the structure of the veins. In this case, periodic prophylaxis and a special indication are recommended. There are many causes of hemorrhoids. These often include oral contraceptives and enemas, but even riding a motorcycle can be one of the reasons, so you can’t do this often.

Workouts at home and at work

To warm up your muscles for a short time, you don’t need to get up and go somewhere. It is enough to start by relaxing and squeezing the muscles of the anus - 10-15 minutes each. Do 30 exercises in one approach, then their number is increased up to a hundred times.

Light exercise not only activates blood circulation, but helps to distract and relieve emotional stress. In the office, you can use a stripped-down Kegel technique aimed at preventing weakening of the pelvic muscular system. Using the complex:

blood circulation improves;
the muscles responsible for supporting the rectum are activated.

The point of the exercise is to squeeze the gluteal muscles, simulating an attempt to rise above the chair. Having reached maximum tension, spend 3 seconds in this state, then relax. The number of repetitions is up to 15 times, 50 approaches are performed per day.

Spending a long time at the monitor requires blood to flow out of the pelvic area. Simple but effective measures to solve the problem include:

evening walks - several stops on foot along with a bus ride;
long visit to the park on a weekend;
daily morning exercises and light training in the evening (with scissors, bicycle, etc.).

During your vacation, you need to walk more, climb stairs (ignore the elevator), and swim in the pool. Weight control is no less important - every extra kilogram creates additional stress on the blood vessels, increasing the risk of reducing their functionality and the subsequent development of various diseases.

Treatment of hemorrhoids

In general, hemorrhoids are treated by a specialist called a proctologist.
Therefore, if you urgently go to the clinic, you need to look for it. This doctor treats hemorrhoids comprehensively, according to a specially developed individual scheme. It is impossible to say exactly how much treatment for hemorrhoids costs, since each type has its own prices for treatment to remove hemorrhoids. A professional proctologist first identifies the cause of the disease. If the problem is constipation, then he tries to improve the functioning of the stomach using a set of treatment methods. If the reason is a sedentary lifestyle, then the doctor will use physical therapy methods and eradicate this cause and give his testimony. If hemorrhoids started due to stress, then the proctologist will think about how to treat the psyche, whether any of the methods are effective, and will give a list of contraindications. There are different methods of treating hemorrhoids, as they come from the causes, the doctors of the clinic offer modern treatment for any hemorrhoids and innovative methods of treatment. Now they offer to use special equipment, a developed treatment regimen for hemorrhoids, methods for removing hemorrhoids, and drug treatment if surgery is not possible. Each hemorrhoid treatment regimen is developed individually and this is the task of the clinic’s proctologist.

Prices

Price (rub.)In installments* (rub.)Consultation with a surgeon on the operation (SPECIAL)0—Online doctor’s opinion on the operation (SPECIAL)0—Hemorrhoidectomy Cat. I. complexity from 35000—Non-surgical removal of hemorrhoids, category I. complexity from 3550—Coagulation of a hemorrhoid using radio wave surgery from 6400—Thrombosis of hemorrhoids (1 ligation) from 300—Thrombectomy from an external hemorrhoid from 4800—Removal of a thrombosed hemorrhoid I cat. complexityfrom 7800—Removal of a thrombosed hemorrhoid, category II. complexity from 9600—Removal of a thrombosed hemorrhoid, category III. complexityfrom 13750—

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* You can read more about the conditions here - Treatment on credit or in installments

The cost is preliminary. The exact cost of the operation can only be determined by a surgeon during a free consultation.

Methods for treating hemorrhoids

If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, you can very quickly return to your previous life and forget about all your problems forever.
The easiest way to recover at an early stage is to take painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-blood clot medications specifically prescribed by the doctor to stop bleeding. Here it is important to take a certain dose at a specifically prescribed time. A specialist will tell you about this and how much the treatment costs. The disease can be cured by pathogenetic therapy, which normalizes digestion and eliminates constipation with the help of a special diet and enzyme preparations. In addition, you can try symptomatic therapy, which should improve venous tone.

Antithrombosis therapy is also actively used in many clinics. During treatment, doctors prescribe a special heparin ointment. If an acute disease is detected, doctors use combination therapy.

The most effective modern method of treating hemorrhoids is surgery, but it is used only in advanced forms of the last stages of the disease. If earlier this method was considered the main one in the treatment of hemorrhoids, now doctors are actively using the minimally invasive method and other modern, more patient-friendly options.

How to get rid of hemorrhoids at different stages

Hemorrhoids will recur after conservative treatment in approximately 50% of cases, while the recurrence rate after surgery is only 5%. The goal is to control hemorrhoid inflammation through diet and hydration so that surgery is not required. In this regard, hemorrhoids are a lifelong condition that needs to be managed.

Hemorrhoids of 2 and 3 degrees are initially treated conservatively or using minimally invasive methods. These include injections into the hemorrhoidal vein to sclerosize or harden it, using rubber bands to cut off the blood supply and cause the hemorrhoidal tissue to shrink, or other procedures that cause the lining to shrink and die.

Doctors treating this disease

People who suffer from hemorrhoids and do not understand doctors often wonder which doctor treats their disease.
A specialist such as a proctologist deals with the professional treatment of hemorrhoids. Therefore, you should consult a doctor if hemorrhoids actively progress. It treats all diseases related to the perineum, colon, rectum and colon. The doctor diagnoses the possible development of diseases, prescribes prevention, gives a list of indications, and tells the approximate cost of treatment. The task of a proctologist is to cure perineal disease, polyps, and anal fissures. Every proctologist knows what not to do for hemorrhoids. He is professional in his work and is always ready to remove hemorrhoids. This doctor treats an individual patient's hemorrhoids. That is why you need to look at the list of doctors in order to decide on the necessary treating professional who will cure hemorrhoids in the clinic.

Posthemorrhagic anemia

In patients who constantly lose blood, posthemorrhagic anemia occurs, which is accompanied by a decrease in hemoglobin levels. In this case, the symptoms of acute vascular insufficiency come to the fore. The person is concerned about:

shortness of breath with slight exertion;
cardiopalmus;
fainting.

At the same time, various tissues of the body experience oxygen starvation to varying degrees, and the heart is forced to work hard to compensate for the lack of oxygen, thereby increasing its own need for it, which can cause decompensation of cardiovascular diseases and other problems.

To prevent posthemorrhagic anemia in hemorrhoids, it is necessary to periodically take phlebotonic drugs, use hemostatic suppositories, and also promptly resolve the issue of surgical or minimally invasive treatment.

Contraindications

There are a number of contraindications that absolutely all doctors put forward during the course of treatment for hemorrhoids, so when you go to the clinic to treat hemorrhoids, you should pay special attention to this.
It is best to take into account each contraindication in the early stages of the disease. This will actively speed up treatment and, in principle, make it easier. By contacting a proctologist who treats diseases specifically related to the perineum, the patient will immediately receive an important contraindication. The first contraindication for hemorrhoids is refusal to lift weights. Excessive physical exertion can increase the pressure in the veins, causing blood flow to be delayed. If the patient has previously been involved in sports, then he needs to switch to more gentle training, reduce the weight load and the number of exercises. Another contraindication for hemorrhoids is that it is not recommended to wear tight underwear and tight outerwear. It is not recommended to engage in horse riding for people who have definitely been diagnosed with hemorrhoids. Another common contraindication for hemorrhoids is that you should never use soap or shower gels, as this can cause the skin to become even more inflamed. In this case, you need to use only natural soap with low alkali levels, otherwise the symptoms of hemorrhoids will become even higher. Doctors actively talk about what you should not do if hemorrhoids develop - eat fatty foods, since obesity can also cause the development of the disease.

Preventive measures at work

People who care about their health should pay attention to their own workplace and put it in order. Proper organization of the workspace is required: there should be several steps to office equipment. A minimal warm-up will reduce the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle and prevent the formation of venous insufficiency.

In the office, you need to pay attention to the chair - it should not be soft, preference is given to hard seats. During work, you can quietly train the muscles of the buttocks - to prevent varicose veins and normalize blood circulation in the pelvic area.

For professional drivers, prevention involves the use of special airbags. Their top coating is a massage layer that helps prevent the development of congestion in the perineal area. Preventative products are sold by pharmacies and medical equipment stores.

When driving for long periods of time, you need to stop regularly and walk a little. A short warm-up, combined with breathing exercises, will activate blood circulation and stop the development of congestion and hemorrhoids.

Forming correct eating habits

Most diseases of the human body appear due to disrupted eating habits. We eat too much or too little, most often not entirely healthy food; instead of a full meal, we eat a dry snack on the go.

If you want to reduce the risk of hemorrhoids, be sure to review your diet:

minimize the consumption of spicy foods, smoked foods, processed foods, fast food and various pickled foods;
include in your diet those foods that are rich in fiber (cereals, vegetables, dried fruits, fruits);
it is desirable that the menu include fermented milk products;
Be sure to drink enough clean water per day.

Such changes will normalize intestinal function, i.e. eliminate constipation and diarrhea, which also affect the occurrence of hemorrhoids.

Consequences and complications of hemorrhoids. What will happen if left untreated?