• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 9867 0

Anticipating pain during a bowel movement can make a person delay passing stool, which, in turn, can lead to harder, drier stool. Although not life-threatening, a blood clot that develops inside a swollen vein can cause considerable pain. A hemorrhoid that protrudes outside the anus prevents the anus from closing fully, allowing a discharge of mucus to seep out and irritate the surrounding area (see box at right).

Diagnosis

If you have symptoms of hemorrhoids, your doctor will perform a digital rectal examination (see page 144). He or she may also perform a procedure called anoscopy (see page 766) to examine the anus and rectum. To make sure that the bleeding from the rectum is not the result of colon cancer, he or she may recommend that you have a colonoscopy (see page 767) or sigmoidoscopy (see page 144).

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lining of the anus that can develop near the opening of the anal canal (internal hemorrhoids) or at the anal opening (external hemorrhoids). Some may protrude outside the anus.

Treatment

To soothe inflamed hemorrhoids, your doctor may prescribe rectal suppositories or ointments that contain hydrocortisone and pain relievers. If a blood clot has developed in a hemorrhoid and is causing extreme pain, your doctor may remove the clot. If a hemorrhoid does not heal, the doctor may wrap a rubber band around its base to cut off its blood supply; without a supply of blood, the hemorrhoid withers and falls off. Other techniques used to remove hemorrhoids include destroying tissue by freezing (cryosurgery), injecting a chemical to shrink the hemorrhoid, or using heat (infrared coagulation) to seal the hemorrhoid and prevent it from bleeding. Only in rare cases are hemorrhoids removed surgically (called a hemorrhoidectomy). In this procedure, a surgeon stretches the hemorrhoid, ties it off at the base, and slices it off using a scalpel or laser. The laser seals the blood vessels as it cuts.

Self-Help for Anal Itching

Anal itching (also called pruritus ani) is a common problem, usually caused by hemorrhoids or irritation. In children, the itching may be caused by pinworms (see page 444), especially if the itching is worse at night. Anal itching is more prevalent in older people because the skin becomes drier and less elastic with age.

If you have anal itching, your doctor may recommend the following tips to help heal irritated tissue and relieve the itching:

• Soak in a warm bath once or twice a day.

• Cleanse the anal area with mild soap and water (or just water) and dry the area gently but thoroughly.

• Use unscented soaps, lotions, and toilet paper to avoid irritation.

• When you are away from home, carry with you prepackaged pads that contain soothing lotions or oils to clean the anal area.

• Don’t scratch or rub the inflamed area.

• Wear cotton underwear to keep the area dry.

Self-Help for Hemorrhoids

If you have hemorrhoids:

• Don’t delay having a bowel movement, or strain or sit too long on the toilet.

• Eat plenty of high-fiber foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain or bran cereals or breads) and drink lots of fluids (especially water) to make your stool soft and easy to pass.

• To increase the water content of your stool, which makes it softer and easier to pass, take a psyllium-based fiber supplement (not a laxative) with a large glass of water.

• Exercise regularly to stimulate bowel movements to help relieve constipation.

• If you have protruding hemorrhoids, push them back in with your finger after every bowel movement.

• Apply an ice compress to the anal area to help relieve swelling.

• Sit on a doughnut-shaped pillow to ease pressure on sore areas.

• If you are having a painful attack, rest in bed.

• To relieve anal itching and irritation, use the self-help tips in the box above.

Rectal Abscesses

Rectal abscesses are pus-filled cavities surrounded by inflamed tissue that can develop in the tissue surrounding the anus, deeper in the rectum (between the