Hemorrhoids can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful but they’re not generally serious. Our advanced team of specialists can help you find ways to ease the discomfort, often without medical intervention.
Like varicose veins in the legs, hemorrhoids are swollen veins forming inside the rectum and under the skin around the anus. A common problem caused by pressure on veins in the pelvis and rectal area from straining during bowel movements or being overweight or pregnant. The pressure causes veins in the area to swell with blood.
Our team of providers, nurses, therapists and nutritionists is here to help you find the right combination of lifestyle changes and over-the-counter remedies to keep your hemorrhoids from flaring and causing you discomfort.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Depending on the location and severity of your hemorrhoids, symptoms can include:
- Bleeding during bowel movements.
- Itching.
- Swelling.
- Rectal pain.
In some cases, more serious conditions such as anemia or a blood clot in the hemorrhoid can result. If you don’t feel relief with at-home care or experience large amounts of rectal bleeding, lightheadedness or dizziness, call your healthcare provider or seek emergency care.
Since external hemorrhoids are visible, your provider can diagnose them easily. We may need to insert a lighted scope into your rectum to confirm internal hemorrhoids.
Treatment Options
Many people find relief from hemorrhoids with over-the-counter remedies and simple lifestyle changes. We recommend:
- Slowly adding fiber to your meals. You can also try a fiber supplement.
- Drinking more water.
- Using a special ointment to stop the itching.
- Exercising regularly. Losing excess weight reduces pressure on the veins.
- Avoiding being seated for too long. This includes sitting on the toilet.
- Not straining when you have a bowel movement.
If these approaches don’t help or your hemorrhoids are more severe, you may need medical treatment to shrink or remove them. Specialists at the Digestive Health Institute are skilled with such procedures and are available to talk with you about them.