Hemorrhoids - Research Paper Example

Hemorrhoids Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, are normal vascular formations in the anal passage that helps with bowl movements but can become “swollen and and inflamed veins in the anus and lower rectum (The Mayo Clinic),” which is when they become the painful bumps that many people have become familiar with. When hemorrhoids reach this point, they become painful little balloons inside or outside of the anal passage. Hemorrhoids are very common, especially in adults, resulting in more than half of adults having to deal with hemorrhoids by the time they reach fifty years of age.

Hemorrhoids are actually very simple to develop, which is due in part to the fact that hemorrhoids already exist in the body. All it takes to disrupt them is an increase of pressure in the lower rectum. Aspects that can cause increased pressure are straining during bowel movements, sitting on the toilet for long periods of time and chronic diarrhea. Other factors include obesity, pregnancy and anal intercourse. It is also possible to inherit the ability to develop hemorrhoids, as well as the possibility of developing them simply due to age.

Signs and symptoms connected to hemorrhoids are painless bleeding during bowel movements, itching in or around the anal region, and swelling or painful lumps around the anus (Salinitri, pg. 16). Other symptoms include hemorrhoids jutting out from the anus that are very painful. The types of symptoms that an individual experiences is based entirely on where the hemorrhoids are, whether internal or external. When hemorrhoids are on the inside of the body, they are harder to feel, do not cause pain and often go unnoticed unless they start to bleed.

Numerous options are available for treatment of hemorrhoids. Unfortunately, there is no cure for hemorrhoids, though there are plenty of methods to help alleviate the pain. Once a person develops hemorrhoids, and even after they have disappeared, it still remains in their body, capable of reappearing in the future. For more mild symptoms, over-the-counter creams and suppositories can be used. Their main purpose is to help relieve the pain caused by the hemorrhoids. For more painful symptoms, a doctor can prescribe other medications.

There are other options to help with the treatment of hemorrhoids, such as rubber band ligation, which is when the doctor places rubber bands are an internal hemorrhoid to cut off its circulation (Kelsey, pg. 43). Injections are also available to help shrink the hemorrhoids, though this is not as effective as rubber band ligations. With the rise in science and technology, laser treatments also exist to cause hemorrhoids to shrivel; unfortunately, this method only increases the chance of the hemorrhoids returning.

There are some prevention methods to avoid getting hemorrhoids, including eating foods that are high in fiber, drinking plenty of liquids, introducing fiber supplements into a daily diet. It is also suggested that people should go to the bathroom as soon as they feel the urge, exercise as often as possible and avoid long periods of sitting on the toilet or standing.Works CitedThe Mayo Clinic. "Hemorrhoids." Mayo Clinic Medical Information. N.p., 24 Dec. 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. .Kelsey, Charles.

The Diagnosis and Treatment Of Hemorrhoids. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing Company, 2010. Print.Salinitri, Philip D. Hemorrhoids: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment. New York: Nova Science, 2010. Print.