What are Piles?
Piles or hemorrhoids are a condition of swollen veins that can take place inside the rectum or outside the rectum.
Some studies say they consume a fiber-rich diet, and drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day may support managing symptoms and maintaining regular bowel movements.
Symptoms of Piles
- Bleeding when passing stool
- Prolapse
- Tender lumps around the anus
- Pain around the anus, especially while sitting
- Itching around the anus
What are the causes of Piles?
- Anal intercourse
- Pregnancy
- Being overweight
- Suffering from severe constipation and diarrhea
- Prolonged sitting on the toilet seat
- Straining during bowel movements
- Consuming fiber-deficient diet
- Carrying heavy weight regularly.
There are 5 Reasons why you should never hide Piles:
1. What you think are piles may not be piles.
'Piles' has become a general term for any problem related to the perianal region, the area from where we pass motions. Depending on the symptoms and examination findings, you may be suffering from hemorrhoids, fissures, fistula, perianal abscesses, or rectal prolapses. All of these are different illnesses, with totally different management altogether.
When you visit your doctor, tell them about your symptoms, which are different in all the diseases mentioned above.
- If you are bleeding while passing motions with little or no pain, you may suffer from hemorrhoids or dilated blood vessels in the anal region.
- If you have severe unbearable, burning pain during or after passing motions, with little or no bleeding, the chances are that you may be suffering from a fissure.
- If you have unbearable pain, swelling, and high fever, you may be suffering from a perianal abscess.
2. Careful examination is a must before starting medicines.
I get patients who have finished many courses of various OTC medicines for 'piles' without any benefit. I often ask them whether they called themselves checked before starting the commonly available medication. And the answer is usually a 'No'! Until we know what we are dealing with, how can we treat it?
3. Most perianal problems get treated.
A simple problem like a fissure or hemorrhoid can respond very well to medicines if detected timely and treated adequately. Diet plays a vital role too. Most patients who come to me are following the wrong diet. Your food must include a high amount of fiber found in salads, vegetables, and fruits. Fiber food contains roughage and makes motions soft and accessible. Oily and spicy food makes motions hard. By following the proper diet and healthy lifestyle changes, most surgeries are avoidable.
4. Surgery for piles is safe and effective.
Surgery is reserved only for those cases which do not respond to medicines. If you require surgery, it is a daycare procedure for most perianal problems. Stapler hemorrhoidectomy is an advanced procedure that is painless, bloodless, and most satisfying for patients with only a single day of admission. You can even get your surgery done on the weekend and get back to work from Monday!
5. What you think is piles, maybe cancer.
Not that I want to scare the reader, but an early anal cancer may indeed present as a bleeding mass per rectum. Hence, it is always recommended that your proctologist do a careful and gentle rectal examination to rule out cancer. And even if it is cancer, the earlier we deal with it, the better the results. After all, as they say, an 'a stitch in time saves nine!
Treatment of Piles
All types of hemorrhoid surgery involve safe procedures that can treat hemorrhoids effectively, and they are a good option if other nonsurgical treatments have not been successful. A full recovery is possible within 1 to 3 weeks in most cases.
Serious complications are rare, but it is possible to experience some bleeding after surgery. If the bleeding becomes severe, it is essential to contact a doctor.
