Hemorrhoids or piles is a very painful and uncomfortable disease. In later stages of the disease, surgery is required to cure the disease. There are many treatment options available for that. Earlier, open surgery was the only way to cure piles in severe stages. The open surgery is a painful surgery which makes the patient bedridden and in pain for a long time after the surgery. Many patients avoid surgery and try home remedies, homeopathy or ayurvedic ways to cure piles just because they are scared of the pain and troubles of the open surgery.
The advancement of modern medical science has brought an easy solution to the problem of piles. With the laser surgery for hemorrhoids, the patient can get a permanent cure for piles. There are no cuts or stitches required in this procedure. The laser treatment is a day care procedure, that is, the patient can go back home the same day after the surgery and resume his normal daily lifestyle right after the treatment. Read ahead to know all about the laser surgery and what to expect after the surgery.
What are Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids or piles are swollen or inflamed veins or blood vessels in the lower rectum or anal area. The condition is to Varicose Veins. The only difference is that this happens only in the anal area and varicose veins affect generally the legs or lower body of the patient. There are several causes of piles. The doctor or even the patient himself cannot find out the exact cause of piles in a particular patient.
Although, most common causes of hemorrhoids include unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity and sitting continuously for most hours. All these lead to hemorrhoids differently. Sitting continuously on hard surfaces causes swelling in the veins and blood vessels of the anal area., which leads to piles. Eating unhealthy and drinking very less water or other liquids during the day leads to the formation of hard stool. This puts a lot of strain on the blood vessels and veins. If this happens frequently, the person is likely to have hemorrhoids. Most women develop hemorrhoids during pregnancy.
Hemorrhoids may be internal or external. Internal hemorrhoids are located inside the rectum of an individual. There is no pain generally in this case. They are also difficult to be diagnosed as the individual feels no symptoms. If hemorrhoid has enlarged, it may cause discomfort to the person and passing hard stool may cause slight bleeding.
External hemorrhoids are present under the skin in or around the anus. These can be itchy and may also bleed. The patient may observe redness, sore or irritated skin around external hemorrhoid. External hemorrhoid may bleed at times. At such a stage, it can be very painful.
Stages of Hemorrhoids
Grade 1 of Hemorrhoids- Swollen veins or blood vessels results in Grade 1 Hemorrhoids. There are not many symptoms of this stage. Hemorrhoid develops inside the rectum or anal canal in this stage.
Grade 2 of Hemorrhoids- If not treated in the first stage of the disease, the hemorrhoid increases in size. The lump protrudes out from the anal opening at the time of passing stool and goes back inside on its own after the bowel movements.
Grade 3 of Hemorrhoids- In this stage, hemorrhoid protrudes out at the time the bowels are opened. Unlike the previous stage of the disease, hemorrhoid does not go back inside on its own. It has to be pushed back. Gently push back hemorrhoid inside the anus using clean fingers.
Grade 4 of Hemorrhoids- The condition of the patient gets very worse in this stage. Hemorrhoid remains permanently protruded outside from the anal opening. The size of the hemorrhoid Is increased so much in this stage that it cannot be pushed back. The hemorrhoid is very painful and causes a lot of discomfort to the patient.
Symptoms
- Blood in stool or toilet paper.
- Pain or discomfort around the anal area.
- Painful bowel movements ( in worse stages or conditions of the disease )
- Swelling, redness, itchy, irritated or sore skin around the anal area.
- A hard lump inside the anus or around the anal opening.
- Mucus discharge from the anal opening.
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Family history of Hemorrhoids
- Heavy workout or weight lifting
- Age factor. As an individual grows old, the risk of getting piles increases.
Causes
Upon being exerted excessive pressure or strain, the veins or blood vessels in the lower rectum region may swell up. The veins and blood vessels in the anal region may stretch with the excessive pressure and bulge or swell up. As the person’s age increases, he is more likely to get piles because, with aging, the tissue of the lower rectum that supports the blood vessels or veins get weak and can easily stretch out. Common causes of hemorrhoids are:
- Straining while passing stool or spending a lot of time attempting to pass stool.
- Chronic Constipation
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Unhealthy anal intercourse
- Low-fiber diet
- Insufficient consumption of water or liquids
Laser Surgery for Hemorrhoids or Piles.
Piles have become very common with the unhealthy eating habits and daily lifestyle of people. The number of cases of piles has drastically increased in the past few decades. The Laser surgery for piles is an easy and convenient way to get rid of piles in an easy way. In this, laser radiations are used to shrink hemorrhoid in such a way that it never comes back. There are no chances of reoccurrence of the disease with laser surgery.
The surgery takes less than 40 minutes. The patient has no pain during the surgery. Even after the surgery, the patient remains completely pain-free. No time is wasted to start with the treatment. The patient does not have to wait. After getting to the hospital, the patient is taken to change into the hospital gown and cap. The patient is then taken to the operation theater. The doctor firstly checks the vitals of the patient to make sure he is completely healthy. After then, the patient is given local anesthesia just so he feels no discomfort. The surgery lasts about 30-40 minutes.
After that, the patient is shifted to a normal room. The nurses check his vitals again to make sure there are no complications after the surgery. The doctor advised the patient to take rest in the hospital for some hours after the surgery. The patient is given some water and a light meal at the hospital. The doctor checks on the patient after some hours. There are generally no complications and the patient can go back home. The doctor also prescribes mild pain killers and medication for the ease of the patient.
The patient is given a schedule to follow up with the doctor. The patient should make sure to not skip the follow-up appointment. The patient should take a healthy, fiber-sufficient diet with a lot of liquid intake for a soft stool. In case you are facing the problem of hard stool, consult your doctor. The doctor may prescribe stool softner for easy bowel movements. There is no risk of infections in this surgery.
Home Treatments for an instant but temporary relief from pain during Hemorrhoids.
Mild pain, swelling, and discomfort can be treated at home with safe treatments. Grade 1 of piles can even be cured with home remedies. But as grade 1 has no major symptoms, it is rarely diagnosed. Home treatments below can help the patient get relief from the pain and discomfort due to the disease. Although, they cannot cure the disease. Surgical removal is the only cure for Grade 3 and Grade 4 Hemorrhoids. Over the counter treatments or changes in lifestyle and eating habits can not only prevent hemorrhoids but also help get relief from the pain and prevent the disease from getting worse. Follow the home remedies below to get instant relief from discomforts of hemorrhoids.
- High-Fiber Diet- Adding a good amount of fiber containing food such as fruits, vegetables, bread, oats, etc can prevent the disease from getting worse. Such foods lead to the formation of soft stool. Passing hard stool can be painful for the individual and can also disturb and irritate hemorrhoid, leading to further complications.
- Increase intake of water and healthy liquids- Drink a lot of water, juices and other healthy fluids to prevent forming a hard stool. Avoid alcohol, caffeine or carbonated drinks as they may worsen the disease.
- Do not delay toilet rounds- Patients with piles are strictly advised to not hold their bowel movements. Ignoring timely bowel movements can make the stool hard and dry which puts a lot of strain and pressure on the veins and blood vessels in the lower rectum or anal area and can be painful while passing stool later.
- Exercise- Mild exercising can help prevent constipation, lower the blood pressure and help the patient lose weight. Losing weight is very important if a person is obese. Due to excessive over-weight, a lot of extra pressure is exerted on the blood vessels, tissues and veins of the lower rectum region while sitting or standing. This can increase the extent and seriousness of the disease rapidly. Try to lose weight in case you are obese.
- Sitz Bath- This is a very effective treatment to cure hemorrhoids in Grade 1 or Grade 2 of the disease. In this, the patient has to sit in a tub like structure filled with warm water. The anal area should be fully suspended in the warm water. The warm water helps get relief from the painful condition of piles. It is advised to follow this for 10-15 minutes around two to three times each day. The Sitz Bath is supposed to be placed on the toilet seat.
- Ointments- Consult your doctor and ask him to prescribe suitable ointments to help you get relief from piles. Certain hemorrhoid ointments and creams that contain hydrocortisone can be very beneficial to get instant relief from the pain.
- Avoid using dry toilet paper- Dry toilet paper can be very rough on the swollen or irritated skin around the anal area. Use moist and nonscented natural wipes or a wet toilet paper to clean the anal area. Never use scented, flavored or alcohol-based wipes or any cleaning products to the anal area in case you have piles. Personal hygiene is very essential in such cases. Make sure to keep the anal area clean, dry and moisture free.
- Ice packs- Cold ice packs if used around the anal area can give instant relief from the pain and swelling.
- Oral pain killers- In case your condition does not improve, ask your doctor to prescribe pain killers to get temporary relief from the pain. Aspirin, ibuprofen or medicines with acetaminophen can be very helpful in such cases. Do not take any medication without consulting a professional doctor who is aware of your disease and condition.
Instant and Permanent relief from Hemorrhoids
Home remedies and over the counter treatments can be very helpful in getting instant relief from pain caused by piles. But they fail to provide a permanent cure for piles. An individual with hemorrhoids should not delay consulting a doctor. The patient can now get rid of piles with the pain-free laser treatment. Unlike other surgeries for piles, there is no chance of reoccurrence of the disease with laser treatment. The patient does not need to go through the painful surgical and recovery phase of open surgery or other treatments for piles. Laser surgery gives instant and permanent relief from piles in a painless procedure. It would just take 30 minutes and you will have a Hemorrhoid Free life ahead.
Also Read : 7 Best cushions available for piles patients in India
