One of the most common diseases among the adult population is hemorrhoids. This is a pathology characterized by varicose veins located in the rectum and anus. In this case, the formation of hemorrhoids occurs (photo below), which can be both inside and outside. Treatment of the disease can be carried out by both conservative and surgical methods.
Development mechanism
In the walls of the rectum there are many vessels, which, when connected, form plexuses called cavernous bodies. Normally, blood enters them from the lower extremities, after which it flows into the inferior vena cava.
Under the influence of various adverse factors, liquid connective tissue begins to stagnate in the cavernous bodies. Against the background of this process, the walls of the vessels are stretched, some of their sections protrude outwards. They andare hemorrhoids.
Reasons
According to statistics, about 80% of the adult population aged 25 to 50 suffer from the disease. It is most commonly diagnosed in males.
Predisposing factors for the development of hemorrhoids are:
- Hereditary predisposition. If one of the next of kin suffers from hemorrhoids, the risk of the disease increases significantly.
- Age. Over time, the vessels become less elastic, and formations form more easily in them.
Provoking factors for the appearance of hemorrhoids are the following conditions:
- Sedentary lifestyle. During the commission of any intense motor activity, a contraction of muscle tissue occurs, due to which blood circulation in the pelvis and lower extremities is accelerated. At the same time, the liquid connective tissue does not stagnate in any area. With a sedentary lifestyle, blood accumulates in the veins, resulting in the formation of hemorrhoids.
- Constipation. Failure of the intestines leads to the fact that feces are retained in the body. They accumulate and block the blood flow, squeezing the vessels. During the act of defecation, additional trauma to the mucous membrane occurs, which creates the risk of developing an inflammatory process. In addition, when emptying the intestines, a person has to strain, which further increases blood flow.
- Unbalanced diet. If there is not enough water in the diet andfiber, but at the same time it includes s alty, canned, spicy and smoked foods, as well as carbonated and alcohol-containing drinks, the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. The natural result is the stagnation of blood and the formation of hemorrhoids.
- Frequent pregnancies, childbirth. During the bearing of a child, the uterus increases in size and begins to compress the vessels located in the small pelvis. In addition, during pregnancy, intestinal function is disturbed, which leads to stagnation of feces. During childbirth, women are forced to strain hard, which can also cause hemorrhoids.
- Lifting heavy objects. High-intensity physical activity, which both men and women undergo in the gym, increases blood flow and creates favorable conditions for the formation of stagnation of fluid connective tissue.
- Permanent emotional overstrain or prolonged exposure to stress.
Some people are not even aware that they develop hemorrhoids. In order to prevent the transition of the disease to a neglected form, it is necessary to consult a doctor when the first discomfort occurs.
Symptoms
Hemorrhoids have two main symptoms:
- Bleeding before, during or after a bowel movement. Leakage of liquid connective tissue occurs through microcracks in the mucosa. In some cases, bleeding is so intense that it leads toiron deficiency anemia.
- Prolapsed hemorrhoids. Over time, there is a weakening of the connective and muscle tissue, and therefore the formations begin to shift towards the anus. Under the influence of provoking factors, they fall out.
Often the disease is accompanied by pain, sensation of a foreign body in the rectum, itching, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, burning.
Hemorrhoids can be internal and external. In the first case, the pathology may have several stages of development:
- I. The knots are painless, they do not fall out. After a bowel movement, you may notice a few drops of blood on paper or underwear.
- II. Nodes increase in size. During a bowel movement, they may fall out, but then they reset on their own.
- III. Knots protrude outward. The patient is able to set them himself.
- IV. The nodes are falling out. It is impossible to set them on your own. Symptoms at this stage are pronounced.
The disease can be both acute and chronic. In the first case, the symptoms occur sharply against the background of pinching or thrombosis of the hemorrhoid. The chronic form develops slowly and is not accompanied by pronounced symptoms.
Diagnosis
When the first symptoms of the disease occur, it is necessary to consult a proctologist. It is enough for a specialist to conduct an external examination and a digital rectal examination in order to put the correctdiagnosis.
If the doctor detects the presence of other pathological structures, he may prescribe additional diagnostic measures:
- Anoscopy.
- Colonoscopy.
- Blood test.
- Fecal analysis.
Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor makes the most effective treatment regimen. Depending on the stage of the disease, he also decides whether hemorrhoids should be removed.
Conservative therapies
At the initial stage of the development of the disease, it is shown to carry out activities that normalize digestive processes and prevent constipation. In addition, it is important to prevent the transition of the disease to the next stage.
The treatment regimen at this stage includes the following items:
- Drug therapy. The doctor prescribes drugs that improve the microcirculation of liquid connective tissue (for example, Detralex, Proctosedil), relieve inflammation and unpleasant symptoms (candles "Relief", "Gepatrombin G"), painkillers ("Lidocaine") and hemostatic agents.
- Correction of the diet. The patient is forbidden to eat smoked, pickled and canned foods, as well as drink alcohol-containing drinks.
- Correction of lifestyle. Treatment of hemorrhoids will be ineffective if the patient does not increase the degree of their physical activity.
At the second stage of the development of pathology, the use of the following medications is indicated:
- Improving peristalsis. Mostoften doctors prescribe the drug Regulax.
- Strengthening vessel walls (Detralex, Troxevasin).
- Eliminating pain ("Ultraproject", "Nefluan", "Proctoglivenol").
- Keeping the inflammatory process ("Relief").
At the third and fourth stages of the disease, conservative methods of treatment are ineffective or do not bring results at all. In such cases, the doctor decides on the advisability of using minimally invasive methods or performing an operation to remove the formations.
Surgical treatment
Currently, two less traumatic techniques are widely used:
- Latex ligation of hemorrhoids.
- Desarterization.
The essence of the first method is as follows: through the anoscope, with the help of a ligator, a ring made of latex is thrown onto the formation. After about 2 weeks, it is rejected simultaneously with shrunken tissues.
Ligation of hemorrhoids has contraindications. It is not prescribed for anal fissures, paraproctitis and inflammatory processes in the anus and perineum. In addition, the procedure is not performed for thrombosis of hemorrhoids.
In the presence of the above contraindications, the vessels are ligated, through which the formations are nourished. Over time, they dry out, decrease in size and are rejected on their own. This method is called "desarterization of hemorrhoids".
When extremelyadvanced form of the disease is surgical intervention. It can be done in several ways:
- Excision with a scalpel.
- Radio wave method.
- Laser coagulation.
The choice of method directly depends on the size of the formations and the individual characteristics of the he alth of each patient. If you continue to strictly follow the doctor's instructions, the risk of re-formation of hemorrhoids after tissue removal in the future is minimized.
Folk methods
The use of alternative medicine prescriptions does not preclude the need to see a doctor. Folk methods are not prohibited, but it is recommended to first consult with a specialist. This is due to the fact that some drugs can worsen the course of the disease, provoke an allergic reaction, or reduce the effectiveness of medicines.
Most Effective Recipes:
- Take 1.5 tbsp. l. crushed leaves of St. John's wort, pour them with 200 ml of boiling water. Put the container on fire for 10 minutes. After the specified time, cool the broth, strain. Means to take three times a day, 70 ml before a meal. Following the same algorithm, you can prepare a decoction of mountaineer, sage or chamomile.
- Take 10 handfuls of birch leaves. Pour 5 liters of boiling water over them. Let the product brew for 15 minutes. After that, the liquid must be poured into a bath filled with water. Then you need to immerse yourself in it for 15 minutes. The procedure is recommendedrepeat every other day.
- Melt vaseline candles in a water bath. Add to them 1 tbsp. l. propolis extract (previously crushed). Mix ingredients thoroughly. From the resulting mass, it is necessary to form rectal suppositories. Then they need to be put on a sheet of parchment and put in the refrigerator. Candles are ready for use after hardening. The course of treatment is 10 days. 1 suppository must be injected into the anus at night.
Judging by the reviews, small hemorrhoids resolve on the background of regular use of alternative medicine. Doctors believe that it is advisable to turn to folk methods only in the initial stages of the development of the disease.
Consequences
The presence of both internal and external hemorrhoids significantly reduces the patient's quality of life. In addition, in the absence of timely treatment, the risk of developing serious complications increases.
Ignoring the problem leads to the destruction of the tissues of the small pelvis. Fecal masses, passing through the intestines, increase the risk of infection, since the end products of the vital activity of the human body contain bacteria, microbes and fungi. Often, nearby organs are involved in the inflammatory process.
In addition, hemorrhoids, if left untreated, lead to the following pathological conditions:
- Thrombosis of nodes. Very often turns into necrosis, which is life-threatening.
- Anal fissures.
- Paraproctitis. It's a complicationcharacterized by the formation and accumulation of pus in the rectum.
- Anemia. It develops against the background of constant bleeding.
To avoid such complications, do not self-medicate.
Prevention
In order to prevent the development of the disease, the following rules must be observed:
- Avoid constipation. To do this, you need to adjust the diet in accordance with the principles of a he althy diet and do not forget about the drinking regimen.
- Regularly carry out hygiene measures. It is advisable to wash the perineum after each act of defecation. At the initial stage, doctors recommend abandoning the use of toilet paper. It can be replaced by washing with warm water.
- Every week, conduct baths with the addition of potassium permanganate. The duration of being in the liquid is only 2-3 minutes.
Regularly following these rules, you can reduce the risk of formation of hemorrhoids to a minimum.
In closing
Varicose veins in the rectum and anus affect most of the world's population. Hemorrhoids are a pathology that can develop both slowly and rapidly. At the initial stage, patients, as a rule, do not feel pronounced symptoms. Over time, the intensity of their manifestation increases, there is a prolapse of hemorrhoids to the outside. When the first warning signs appear, it is recommended to consult a proctologist. Based on the resultsdiagnosis, he will make the most effective treatment regimen.
