External Hemorrhoids - Symptoms & Treatment
External hemorrhoids occur whenever there is an elevated pressure in the external hemorrhoid veins. An individual develops symptoms such as itching or burning when these veins surrounding the anus are swollen or inflamed.
The person might also see a little bleeding and experience some pain. There are lots of factors that contribute to increasing the risk of developing external hemorrhoids. For instance, cirrhosis, pregnancy conditions and obesity are a few of the factors that put on a lot of pressure on the surrounding hemorrhoid veins. Therefore, treatment often includes dietary modifications, modified bowel habits and also surgery in a few cases.
The term “hemorrhoids” is used for a condition where the veins surrounding the anus or the lower part of the rectum are swollen. There are quite a few groups of veins that surround the anus and one of the groups is that of the internal hemorrhoid veins and the other is the external hemorrhoid veins. Whenever pressure is applied to the external hemorrhoid veins, they result in external hemorrhoids.
Causes of external hemorrhoids
As mentioned above, there can be a lot of factors that impose pressure on the external hemorrhoid veins, such as:
- Stressing during bowel movements,
- Poor bowel habits,
- Pregnancy conditions,
- Diarrhea or sever constipation,
- Anal intercourse,
- Cirrhosis of the liver,
- Obesity,
- Low fiber diet,
- Aging.
Symptoms:
External hemorrhoids can be pretty painful and a person diagnosed with external hemorrhoids might have symptoms such as bleeding at the time of passing the stool or constant itching. These could also be a result of rubbing or cleaning around the anal region or also by straining during bowel movements. Draining the mucus may possible cause itching as well.
External hemorrhoids result in a lump surrounding the anus region because of the blood clot that is formed. Such a hemorrhoid is referred as a thrombosed external hemorrhoid. However, it is not necessary that everyone with external hemorrhoids will have these symptoms. They could easily vary from person to person.
Diagnosing External Hemorrhoids:
Diagnosing external hemorrhoids begin with your medical practitioner asking you a series of questions followed by a detailed medical check up. The doctor might also recommend a few tests in order to diagnose the hemorrhoids appropriately. A thorough examination and proper diagnosis is recommended any time you observe blood in your stool. Bleeding might also indicate some of the other digestive problems such as colon or rectal cancer.
Treatment - External Hemorrhoids:
In a majority of cases, treatment for external hemorrhoids is focused on:
- Reducing the hemorrhoid indications,
- Lessening the pressure by increasing essential fiber and fluids in your routine diet,
- Changing poor bowel habits.
Precise healing options for external hemorrhoids may perhaps consist of:
- Applying ice packs,
- Taking warm baths few times a day,
- Increasing the amount of fluids or fiber in your diet,
- Using stool softeners,
- Making use of over-the-counter medicines to get some relief from itching or burning.
Thrombosed hemorrhoids are very painful and hence pain killers are prescribed in such cases. For a large number of patients, external hemorrhoids are improved within several days. Thrmbosed hemorrhoids may possibly improve within five says. Surgery may also be recommended to treat thrombosed external hemorrhoids if required.
Prevention of External Hemorrhoids
To decrease the strain or the pressure at the time of bowel movements, Keeping the stool soft so that it can pass easily, Reducing constipation, Exercising regularly, Increasing fiber in your diet, Emptying the bowel regularly without unnecessary delays.