Common Treatments For External Hemorrhoids
Friday, September 9th, 2011Hemorrhoids are a sort of varicose vein found in the rectum or anus, and are caused when the veins in these parts of the body are put under constant pressure, as in straining during bowel movements.
External hemorrhoid treatment can take many forms, from exercise to regular warm baths, to soothing ointments and creams to surgery. Eating a high fiber diet can also be one of the natural home remedies for hemorrhoids.
External hemorrhoids are usually more bothersome than internal ones since internal hemorrhoids occur in the area with fewer nerves to sense the pain. Surgery is also one way to treat external hemorrhoids. However, this should always be the last option and used only if any natural treatment is not working.
Hemorrhoid banding is one way to treat both external and internal hemorrhoids. This operation is performed by an expert who has specialized in the lower digestive tract, including the rectum and anus.
The patient will be given blood tests both before and after the surgery. During the surgery they’ll be given local, spinal or general anesthesia. In this surgery the doctors grips the hemorrhoid with forceps, and a rubber band is put around it to cut off its blood supply. The hemorrhoid then dies and sloughs off in about a week.
This operation is also called as rubber band ligation. It is very effective way to remove hemorrhoids, and the healing process takes only about two weeks. During that time the patient must take warm baths every 4 hours or after bowel movement. They also may have to take some pain killers.
A chemical version of rubber band ligation is to inject a drug into the hemorrhoid that will cause the dilated veins to shrink, thus also constricting the blood supply and causing the hemorrhoid to eventually slough off. This is called sclerotherapy. It’s often guided using ultrasound, so the doctor can precisely target the vein that he or she wishes to treat.
One external hemorrhoid treatment is hemorrhoidectomy, or the outright removal of the hemorrhoid. In this surgery the hemorrhoids are cut away, either with a scalpel or a laser.
Care is taken not to damage the nearby nerves or muscles, as this might cause complications like the patient being unable to easily pass urine. The surgical area can be left open or sutured, and is covered with gauze.
Other treatments are electrocautery, where the hemorrhoid is burned off, and cryosurgery, where the hemorrhoid is frozen and therefore destroyed. The hemorrhoid can also be stapled, which is less painful than surgical removal, but is usually done for more severe cases of hemorrhoids.
If you want to learn what causes hemorrhoids, visit Home-Remedies-for-Hemorrhoids.net/what-causes-hemorrhoids.