Diagnosing and Treating Hemorrhoids

Rectal bleeding most often means hemorrhoids and is usually seen on the toilet paper or in the bowel waste. But, because it may have other meanings such as cancer, rectal bleeding makes necessary an examination by the physician to be sure it is not serious disease.

Pain in the anal region is caused by just about all rectal diseases but when due to hemorrhoids, is confined to an enlarged and painful lump at the anal outlet and the pain is usually in proportion to the amount of swelling about the involved hemorrhoid.

Fig. 123. Hemorrhoid protrusion is a mass of enlarged varicose veins internal to the anus, which is temporarily pushed through the anal sphincter when straining at bowel movement. Usually painless, internal hemorrhoids can be pushed back into the rectum.

Protrusions from the anus noted in straining during bowel movements are often long endured, because when no pain or bleeding is present, the protrusion is easily tolerated and demands no immediate treatment, even though it usually means that internal hemorrhoids of a fairly marked degree are present. When a protrusion appears, it is almost inevitable that the more troublesome difficulties of hemorrhoidal pain and bleeding will soon follow.

The care of hemorrhoids is quite variable. Mild hemorrhoids seen in the mirror may cause no trouble at all, but severe painful hemorrhoids, possibly accompanied by itching and bleeding, may demand immediate care. Pain relief, from painful hemorrhoids, may be obtained with ice packs for the first day, and warm water soak baths afterwards for a period of about ten days. These painful attacks might occur during pregnancy, or at other times but regardless of when this inhuman disease occurs, most of us are forced to seek relief and let the world go by until we succeed.

The treatment of hemorrhoidal disease has gone through long evolution. Injection treatment, now rarely used, is often temporarily successful but is accompanied by many complications. However, it is still preferable in bedridden patients who cannot possibly stand even the mild rigors of the operating table, usually because of debilitating disease.

Surgical treatment of hemorrhoids is very successful. In the past, surgery too, was often followed by complications and recurrences but now it is a very effective operation, if done by a surgeon of experience and training in this field. Unfortunately, the field of hemorrhoidal disease has for many years been filled to over-flowing with healers who have less than the best of training, and who give less than the best of treatment for rectal diseases. Again, the qualified family physician has no equal in the ability to give his patients the best advice and treatment for hemorrhoidal as well as other types of diseases.