External hemorrhoids facts

External hemorrhoids are caused by swelling of the veins in the anal area. This condition is known to be quite painful, causing a great amount of discomfort to those who suffer from it. Generally, external hemorrhoids are known to be more painful than the internal ones, since they expose themselves outside the rectal area and the anus itself. The external hemorrhoids are also known as piles.

Silence Makes It Worse

Many people who suffer from hemorrhoids, especially external ones are afraid or ashamed, choosing not to seek medical assistance and ignoring this serious health problem. However, this is a very bad choice since, this way, even minor hemorrhoid problems can evolve into quite serious ones, leading to numerous other health issues when the whole condition escalates due to negligence.

Thus, hemorrhoids, both internal and external, should never be ignored. Rather, this condition should be taken seriously and people suffering from it should seek professional help as soon as possible since timely treatment can result in effective removal of hemorrhoids.

Possible Treatment for Hemorrhoids

Once signs like blood clots, itching, blood in the stool or pain and burning appear during bowel movement, you should seek medical assistance immediately. Usually, hemorrhoids can be dealt with through medication therapy. However, some cases demand surgery.

Medications are injected directly into the mucous membranes, leading to blood vessels getting smaller, cutting blood supply to hemorrhoids, causing them to disappear. Also, analgesic creams are applied around the anal area, helping people remove pain and irritation which are both common symptoms of this condition. You should never treat hemorrhoids on your own, since you may easily make matters worse.

As for surgical procedures, rubber band ligation is the most common one. Basically, the surgeon ties a small rubber band around the hemorrhoid, cutting the blood supply to it, making it deflate, shrink and, eventually, fall off. The same effect can be achieved with lasers, which cut off the blood supply effectively. If the hemorrhoids are bleeding heavily, they are usually removed by a scalpel.

Natural Remedies

People with hemorrhoids usually find relief in warm bath exposure. Warm water decreases the swelling and the irritation. Thus, fill your tub with warm water and sit in it for about 20 minutes. On the contrary, ice exposure is effective as well. All you need to do is expose your anal area to cold compress for up to 10 minutes, achieving the same effect. Aloe vera gel is helpful too, when applied onto and around the anal area.

Additionally, softening the stool will ease the pain during bowel movements. Thus, modify your diet or use over-the-counter stool softeners. Finally, drink a lot of water, avoiding constipation and hard stool and focus on consuming fiber-rich food which will keep your stool soft and incapable of damaging the walls of your anal area.