It is a common and frequent disease, with the most common age of onset being 20-40 years old. The latest epidemiological survey shows that the incidence of hemorrhoids has reached 48%, which means that nearly half of the population is suffering from hemorrhoids.
So how much do you know about this “unspeakable” problem?
Many people think that internal hemorrhoids are those that grow in the head of the anus and external hemorrhoids are those that are exposed outside the anus, but in fact, internal and external hemorrhoids are not only distinguished by location, but also by morphological differences.
The surface of the internal hemorrhoid is covered by a painless rectal mucosa, so in general, a simple internal hemorrhoid is not painful, but can have a feeling of anal swelling, mainly manifested by blood in the stool and the prolapse of the hemorrhoid nucleus during stool.
Internal hemorrhoids bleeding in the stool is usually painless and intermittent bleeding after the stool, in mild cases it is mostly blood in the stool or hand paper, followed by dripping blood, in severe cases there can be jet-like bleeding, long-term bleeding from the nucleus pulposus can lead to iron deficiency anemia.
Prolapsed hemorrhoid nucleus is usually a late stage symptom. In severe cases, internal hemorrhoids with thrombosis, coupled with muscle spasm, can lead to embedded hemorrhoids outside the anus, which can not be retracted in time, accompanied by obvious anal pain, which requires timely medical attention to avoid necrosis or complications of prolonged embedded hemorrhoids. The hemorrhoids are covered with sensitive nerves.
The surface of external hemorrhoids is covered with nerve-sensitive anal canal skin, which is usually manifested as a proliferation of skin elevation at the anal verge.
The symptoms of mixed hemorrhoids have the characteristics of both internal and external hemorrhoids.
If the hemorrhoid nucleus is frequently prolapsed, mucus or secretions can cause perianal dampness and itching when it is high.
What are the conditions that can easily be misdiagnosed as hemorrhoids?
”Doctor, I suspect I have a prolapse” “I always have blood in my stool could it be rectal cancer?” There are many clinical conditions that have some similarities to hemorrhoids, but they are usually not difficult to distinguish. When we encounter the symptoms of “blood in the stool” and “prolapsed swelling in the anus”, how can we distinguish them from other similar diseases?
1.Anal fissure
Anal fissures, like hemorrhoids, can be characterized by blood in the stool, which is bright red and does not mix with the stool. However, patients with anal fissures will have periodic severe pain in the anus after a bowel movement, mostly accompanied by constipation. The fissure can be seen in the perianal area during anal examination (there are also superficial anal fissures that only show blood on the hand paper after stool without pain).
2. Rectal polyps/papillomas
These two diseases are mainly manifested by prolapsed masses, which are spherical, conical or papillary in shape, while polyps are soft and painless and anal papillomas are hard and painful to touch and can be moved. The mass with a tip can be seen under the anoscope.
3.Prolapse of rectum
It is also called “prolapse” in Chinese medicine, usually seen in the elderly and children, the prolapsed rectal mucosa or rectum is loose and overlapping, cylindrical, with a soft and smooth surface.
4, ulcerative colitis
Mucus stool or pus and blood stool is the main. Often accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea, colonoscopy is required to make a clear diagnosis.
5.rectal cancer
Cancerous blood in the stool is mostly dark red with fishy odor, accompanied by changes in stool habits (such as thin stool shape), and the surface of uneven, hard and non-moving masses can be palpated by rectal palpation. Colonoscopy and histological examination can clarify the diagnosis. It is important to be alert to the fact that the incidence of rectal cancer and colon cancer have both increased significantly in recent years. For people over 40 years old with blood in their stools, they need to go to a regular hospital for sex colonoscopy to discharge tumors and precancerous lesions.
Do I have to have surgery if I have hemorrhoids?
Will it recur after surgery?
In principle, asymptomatic hemorrhoids do not need to be treated, but only when they are combined with bleeding, prolapsed nuclei, thrombosis and impaction. The main focus of symptomatic hemorrhoids is to reduce or eliminate their symptoms, and surgery is only considered when non-surgical treatment is ineffective. Even today, when minimally invasive surgical techniques have become very sophisticated, medication is still the preferred means of treating hemorrhoids.
In the beginning of the article we learned about the causes of hemorrhoids, it is clear that the onset of hemorrhoids is closely related to personal habits, not to make fundamental changes, even if you find the most knowledgeable doctor, using the most advanced surgical methods, but also can not guarantee that once and for all to eliminate the possibility of recurrence. The reason for this is that the hemorrhoids are caused and aggravated by chronic constipation, prolonged sitting and squatting, and an addiction to alcohol and spices.
What can I do to reduce the number of hemorrhoid attacks?
Since asymptomatic hemorrhoids do not require treatment, prevention is obviously more important than treatment for those who have them.
Here, the anorectal surgeon gives you the following points to focus on.
1. Improve your diet. Drink more water and eat more dietary fiber foods. The spicy food, because capsaicin can not be absorbed by the intestine, through the anal discharge will stimulate the rectal mucosa, aggravating the symptoms.
2, keep the perineum clean, or warm water bath, improve local blood circulation, is conducive to anti-inflammatory and reduce itching symptoms.
3. Avoid squatting and sitting for a long time to prevent poor local blood circulation.
4.Keep the bowel movement smooth. It is important to adjust bowel movements through food and develop regular bowel habits to prevent constipation or diarrhea.
It is a common belief that hemorrhoids are just a “minor problem”, especially for the older generation of people who are extra tolerant of pain. The actual “old hemorrhoids” that are untreated or have frequent attacks should be treated in a regular hospital as soon as possible to avoid delaying the “small problems” into “big problems”. The actual “big problem”.