What are hemorrhoids? Hemorrhoids are swollen veins on the anus that can get bigger when they’re under pressure. There are external and internal hemorrhoids around the digestive system. Almost 50% of the population older than the age of 50 have hemorrhoids. For that reason, it’s important to always notify your physician when you're experiencing any symptoms. Here at the Digestive and Liver Center of Florida in Orlando, we work with this type of condition and strive to provide the best treatment for each individual patient. In order to receive the right treatment, it’s important to understand more about what hemorrhoids are and learn as much information as possible.
What are the symptoms?
As mentioned before, there are two types of hemorrhoids. There are the external hemorrhoids which will have symptoms such as itching and/or lumps in the anus, and pain when you are sitting down. The other type of hemorrhoids are internal hemorrhoids. These are the ones that have symptoms like bright red blood on the stool when there is bowel movement and hemorrhoids that fall from the opening of the anus. To catch the hemorrhoids at an early stage, it’s imperative to let your physician know when are experiencing any of these symptoms.
What causes hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids can be caused by a couple of things, for instance:
Sitting on the toilet seat for too long
During pregnancy
Diarrhea
Having a low fiber diet
Lifting too many heavy objects
Treatments for hemorrhoids
Fiber: when you are diagnosed with this condition, it’s important to modify your nourishment. Your physician may ask you to start consuming more fiber in your daily diet. Our GI experts in Orlando, recommend to eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereal.
Exercise: Any type of exercise is good for you. Even taking a walk for 30 minutes a day can make a difference.
Good Hygiene: It’s important to maintain your anus clean. Bathe and clean it with soft pads or toilet paper. You can also use different creams for the anus to be soft and protected from irritation.
Procedures: Sometimes your gastroenterologist might suggest removing the hemorrhoids. There are a couple of procedures that may be used in order to treat the condition such as, surgical treatment, endoscopic, band ligation and sclerotherapy.
Prevention
There are ways to prevent this condition. Some of the precautions include using the bathroom as soon as the bowel movements start and you get the urge. You can consider being more active, by walking more and doing exercises at least 3 days a week. Your diet is also an important factor to prevent hemorrhoids.
Most of the time, hemorrhoids won’t cause any danger to your health, but it doesn’t hurt to follow the different prevention tips suggested by our Orlando GI experts. An overall healthy digestive system means a happy life, right? Anyhow, always remember to speak to your GI doctor if you have any concerns or are experiencing any of the abovementioned symptoms. At DLCFL, we are determined to help each and every patient. At the moment, we are accepting new patients in the greater Orlando area, so if you have any concerns, can just give us a call at (407) 384-7388.