PROBLEMS AND TIPS TO OVERCOME PILES

Problem and tips to overcome piles

One of my friends asked me about this problem. So I searched for this content and compiled the article.

There are certain dogmas and inhibitions regarding piles. The people who suffered with this problem feel shy of speaking or sharing the problem with others or near and dear. There is an abundance of information on piles and hemorrhoids on the internet because of the high incidence of the condition, but despite this there is a lot of confusion on the subject. This is because most individuals are embarrassed or awkward about discussing some health problems and consider them to be of a personal nature. Very often otherwise health conscious individuals even defer going to a doctor or seeking medical treatment simply out of fear or anxiety of social discomfort. The fact is that piles problems are exceedingly common and if treated effectively can be cured permanently. Piles is not a disease, but is a condition that could be caused by some underlying infection, but there is no such thing as a piles infection. In most cases piles is simply caused due to faulty eating habits, with diets that are deficient in essential fiber, while being extremely rich in fat.



Piles

The lining of the anal canal contains three soft, spongy pads of tissue that act as an extra seal to keep the canal closed until you go to the lavatory. The lining of the gut is very slimy (so that faeces can pass along easily); the extra seal stops the slime (mucus) from leaking out. The pads contain a network of tiny blood vessels.
What are piles?

People sometimes think that piles (haemorrhoids) are like varicose veins of the legs (i.e. a single vein that has become swollen). This is not the case. A pile is one of the soft pads that has slipped downwards slightly, because the surrounding tissue is not holding it in place properly (British Medical Journal 2008;336:380–3). When this happens, the small blood vessels within the cushion become engorged with blood, so the cushion swells up. When faeces are passed, the pile may be pushed further down the anal canal to the outside, and this is called a prolapsed pile. Doctors classify piles into three types.

First-degree piles are swollen cushions that always remain within in the anal canal; these are painless.
Second-degree piles are pushed down (prolapsed) when faeces are passed, but return to their starting position afterwards.
Third-degree piles are pushed down (prolapsed) when faeces are passed, or come down at other times. They do not go back by themselves after faeces have been passed.

A sizeable number of people suffer from piles or hemorrhoids. Piles are essentially a condition that results due to the swelling of veins in and around the rectum. There are two types of piles; internal piles - where the swelling is located inside the anal passage and can be felt rather than seen; external piles - where the swelling is easily visible because they are located just outside the anus. Internal piles cause the discharge of dark colored blood whereas external piles are extremely painful with little or no blood discharge. Constipation or forcing out stools could lead to the rupture of the veins and this results in bleeding piles. This will cause internal bleeding or external bleeding, depending on the location of the rupture.

Piles symptoms, cures and treatment are connected and it is important to identify the cause of the piles for a lasting piles cure. Piles may be caused by a variety of factors apart from the most common diet causes. The direct cause being the exertion of excessive pressure on veins in the anal region causing them to get inflamed. Obesity can contribute to the development of piles and severely aggravate the problem because of increased pressure. For the same reason piles symptoms in pregnancy are not uncommon and the condition usually resolves naturally post delivery. In such scenarios simple home remedies for piles can offer a great deal of relief. Typically these would include diet remedies and modifications to your lifestyle. While there are piles remedies for quick relief it is absolutely necessary to make changes to your lifestyle and diet for a lasting cure to the condition. Failing this piles will simply keep recurring and worsen over time. In cases where piles have been caused by some underlying condition such as bowel cancer then treatment would need to address that underlying condition to cure piles.

This is one condition where home treatment is preferable as natural home remedies for piles are not just effective, but also a lot safer. Constipation is not just a contributing factor to piles, but it can make the passage of stools excruciating when suffering from piles. In such situations it may be necessary to take laxatives or seek medical help. Keep in mind however that frequent usage of laxatives can be dangerous as it may create a dependence, with lazy colon syndrome, where the bowels cannot be evacuated without consumption of a laxative. Natural laxatives like dates are therefore a much better idea. Curing piles or successfully passing stools is however not the end of the problem and it is important to make changes to your diet, including more fiber rich foods and water to prevent the problem from recurring.



Who gets piles?

Piles can occur at any age, but are more common in older people. They affect both men and women. In fact, most people suffer from piles at some time, but usually they are nothing more than a temporary problem. Many experts believe that they are caused by continuous high pressure in the veins of the body, which occurs because humans stand upright. They are particularly common in pregnancy because of the additional pressure from the baby, and because of hormonal changes. Sometimes they result from straining hard to pass faeces, which is more likely if you do not eat enough fibre, or lifting heavy weights. They are not caused by sitting on hot radiators or cold, hard surfaces, or by sedentary jobs.
What are the symptoms of piles?

The symptoms of piles can come and go. There are five main symptoms:

• bleeding, with bright red blood
• itching and irritation
• aching pain and discomfort
• a lump, which may be tender
• soiling of underwear with slime or faeces (‘skid marks’).

Itching and irritation probably occur because the lumpy piles stop acting as soft pads to keep the mucus in; instead, a little mucus leaks out and irritates the area around the anus. Pain and discomfort comes from swelling around the pile, and from scratching of the lining of the anal canal by faeces as they pass over the lumpy area. The scratching also causes bleeding, which is a fresh bright red colour and may be seen on faeces or toilet paper or dripping in the pan. A pile that has been pushed down (a second- or third-degree pile) may be felt as a lump at the anus.
How you can help yourself

Most piles get better in a few days without any treatment, but there are several ways of relieving the discomfort.
• Wash the area gently with warm, salty water, to get rid of irritant mucus that has leaked out. Dry carefully with cotton wool and apply petroleum jelly (available from pharmacies) or nappy rash cream to protect your skin if more mucus or moisture leaks out.
• Use soft toilet paper, and dab rather than wipe.
• Wear loose underwear and clothing (i.e. not tight trousers), so that nothing will rub the pile.
• Do not scratch. For more information on dealing with itch, look at the section on anal itching.
• Avoid constipation by eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and bran cereal. Aim for faeces that are soft enough to change their shape as you push them out.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• After you have passed the faeces, do not strain to finish. People with piles often think there is more to come, but this is a false sensation caused by the swollen spongy pads in the piles themselves. Do not read on the toilet and aim to be out of the toilet within a minute.
• If you can feel a lump, try pushing it gently upwards; try to relax your anus as you do so.
• If you have a lot of discomfort, buy a haemorrhoid cream or gel. A pharmacist will be able to help you choose one that is suitable for you. A haemorrhoid cream or gel does not cure the pile, but will usually relieve the discomfort effectively until the pile goes away of its own accord. Do not use it for longer than a week or two.
To stop piles returning, continue the high-fibre diet to keep your stools soft and do not put off opening your bowels, and avoid straining.
To get immediate relief from external piles pain sit in hot water tub for at least 15 mintes and let the piles be exposed to water...guaranteed relief within minutes...it is effective for internal & bleeding piles also..

For itching & pain relief insert tablet size frozen clarified butter or coconut oil on piles.
Doesn’t sit on hard surface for a long time
Drink lot of water
Use more Fiber food in the Diet
Use more fruits and vegetables in the diet
Doesn’t consume oily and spicy foods
Do Halasan and Sarvagasan in yoga to overcome this problem.


When to see your doctor

See your doctor if the symptoms last longer than a week. You should also see your doctor if you have bleeding, to ensure that there is not some other cause. Your doctor will examine your anus, feel inside the anal canal and may also insert a small metal tube, called a proctoscope, an inch or two into the anal canal to give a better view. For more information, look at the section on seeing your doctor about an anal problem.

What your doctor can do

First- and second-degree piles usually go away on their own if constipation is avoided, but your doctor may prescribe a short course of haemorrhoid cream to relieve symptoms. Third-degree piles may also go away on their own, but if they persist, they may need hospital treatment.

Only a few people need an operation; most are treated by banding or phenol injections. There is usually no need for a general anaesthetic or to stay in hospital overnight for these procedures. Stretching (anal dilatation) was a popular treatment in the 1970s, but is seldom used now.


Surgery. There are several different operations for piles.
• In the usual operation, the swollen spongy pad that forms the pile is cut away. It is painful for 7–10 days afterwards.
• A newer operation, called ‘stapling’, involves cutting away a 2 cm strip of the lining of the rectum and joining the cut edges with a special stapler. People seem to recover quicker from ‘stapling’ than from the ordinary operation. It is not yet a common operation in the UK, but it is popular in the rest of Europe. Although it is less painful than the ordinary operation, it seems to be less effective in the long-term and about 12% of people have a recurrence of the piles within 16 months (Surgery 2006;24(4):148–50). However, more research is needed.
• Another type of operation uses ultrasound to locate the arteries that feed blood into the pile. These arteries are then closed off using stitches. Bleeding from the pile decreases over the following few weeks. This treatment is becoming more popular, partly because it does not involve any cutting and is almost painless. More research is needed to see if it is effective in the long-term.
Compiled By
Dr.Kesiraju Ramprasad