Treating Hemorrhoids with Care
Treating hemorrhoids with care is the goal when you have this painful medical condition. They can usually be managed by simply changing your eating or bowel habits. Surgery is a last resort and usually can be avoiding by following simple treatment guidelines. Only the largest and most painful hemorrhoids need surgical intervention. Your goal in treating your hemorrhoids is to reduce the blood supply feeding your hemorrhoids in the hope that it will disappear. Then, you usually have scar tissue remaining that enhances anal tissue and helps prevent the return of additional hemorrhoids.
One non-surgical technique that is sometimes used to remove hemorrhoids is called rubber band ligation and is simply the tying off the hemorrhoids using rubber bands, heat, lasers or electrical current. These “fixative” procedures are useful in creating scar tissue at the site of the hemorrhoids. The most effective way of eliminating hemorrhoids is through a procedure called hemorrhoidectomy, which surgically removes the hemorrhoids. It is used most often for large, internal hemorrhoids and sometimes for clusters of small hemorrhoids. Doctors often use a combination of fixative and surgical techniques to remove hemorrhoids in some patients.
There are pros and cons for fixative and surgical hemorrhoid removal techniques. In general, fixative procedures are the choice if the hemorrhoids are small and protrude out of the anus only during a bowel movement. They then return to a normal position. For large hemorrhoids, the doctor usually recommends surgery to remove them. However, this is more risky and expensive for the patient so it is avoided if at all possible. There is also more pain and recovery time needed after a surgical procedure. The patient’s age also is something that the doctor considers. People over 70 or in poor health are usually advised to try non-invasive hemorrhoid removal techniques first.
Treating hemorrhoids is something that must be done if you have this debilitating medical condition. There is nothing quite as uncomfortable as experiencing the pain and embarrassment of hemorrhoids. It is a medical condition that can be effectively managed with the proper diet and treatment plan. It’s just a matter of changing your current life style and following simple treatment advice.