Getting a Lot of Hemorrhoids? Options to Get Rid of Them
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins inside your rectum, or you may see these veins outside the rectum causing you pain. You may also have itching or even rectal bleeding if the hemorrhoids are very bad. There are at-home treatments you can try, as well as treatment from a doctor. Keep reading to learn how to feel better.
What to Do Yourself
There are over-the-counter medications that you can purchase to treat hemorrhoids. This medication is usually made of hydrocortisone or lidocaine. Each can help the hemorrhoids go away, as well as help with itching and pain.
You should also drink more water and increase the amount of fiber you get into your diet. If you do not get enough fiber, take supplements. A doctor can tell you the right amount to purchase as this will depend on your size and weight.
Soaking in a warm bath for a few minutes can help with pain and itchiness. If your stools are too hard, which is often the case for someone with hemorrhoids, take a stool laxative if needed.
Treatment from a Doctor
If you continue to have hemorrhoids, you need to see a doctor for treatment. One treatment they may suggest is a hemorrhoidectomy. With this, the doctor surgically removes the external hemorrhoids. The doctor will also check to see if you have internal hemorrhoids and prolapse them if so. The doctor will make small cuts around your rectum to remove the hemorrhoids. They may give you anesthesia to put you to sleep during the operation. They may also numb the area so you can stay awake.
After a hemorrhoidectomy procedure, you may feel pain for a couple of weeks so the doctor may prescribe pain medication. You may also have light bleeding for a few days after the procedure.
The doctor may also choose hemorrhoid stapling. With this, they use a stapling instrument to remove internal hemorrhoids. This instrument can also be used to pull the internal hemorrhoid back inside the rectum and hold it there.
With this treatment the doctor does not make external incisions. Instead, they lift the hemorrhoidal tissue, cutting off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid so it will die. Recovery generally takes a couple of weeks. The doctor will ask you to drink more water and put you on a special diet.
The doctor you see can give you much more information about these two procedures and how they work.