Piles (haemorrhoids) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between hemorrhoids and piles? ›

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your lower rectum. Hemorrhoids inside the rectum are usually painless but tend to bleed. Hemorrhoids outside the rectum may cause pain. Hemorrhoids (HEM-uh-roids), also called piles, are swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum.

To remove a hemorrhoid using rubber band ligation, a health care provider inserts a small tool called a ligator through a lighted tube, called a scope, into the anal canal and grasps the hemorrhoid with forceps. Sliding the ligator cylinder upward releases rubber bands around the base of the hemorrhoid.

Haemorrhoids (piles) often clear up by themselves after a few days. However, there are many treatments that can reduce itching and discomfort. Making simple dietary changes and not straining on the toilet are often recommended first.

Hemorrhoids often bleed during bowel movements. If left untreated, the bleeding can become more frequent and severe. Excessive bleeding can lead to anemia, a condition characterized by a lack of healthy red blood cells, which transport oxygen to the body's tissues.

Piles rarely cause any serious problems but sometimes they can lead to the following. External piles (swellings that develop further down your anal canal, closer to your anus) can become inflamed and swollen; ulcers can also form on them. Skin tags can form when the inside of a pile shrinks back but the skin remains.

How are piles treated? Anyone with low grade piles can treat the condition by taking simple actions like drinking more water, increasing fibre intake, and making sure the area is always clean. It is also common for a doctor to prescribe creams to help with irritation, as well as corticosteroids or laxatives.

Sitz baths

Generally, experts recommend people with painful hemorrhoids sit in warm water for 15 minutes, several times a day — especially after a bowel movement. “This is one of the best treatments,” says Dr. Lipman. A sitz bath for hemorrhoids is generally available at a local pharmacy.

Grade 4 hemorrhoids are prolapsed internal hemorrhoids which will not go back inside the anus. For treatment of Grade 3 hemorrhoids and Grade 4 hemorrhoids doctors will often refer patients to surgeons for more serious hemorrhoid treatment procedures.

You often won't see anything if you have piles and look at the area round your back passage. This is because most piles are inside your anus and rectum and don't protrude from your bottom. Larger internal piles may hang down out of your back passage, where they look like a discoloured rubbery lump.

Should I push my hemorrhoid back in? ›

Yes, you can push a hemorrhoid back in. In fact, pushing it back inside can protect the blood vessel and lower your risk of getting a blood clot or hemorrhoid strangulation. A strangulated hemorrhoid happens when an internal hemorrhoid pushes outside the anus and gets trapped outside by sphincter muscles.

Piles can occur due to straining during bowel movements. Excessive straining is the result of constipation. A change in diet can help keep the stools regular and soft. This involves eating more fiber, such as fruit and vegetables, or primarily eating bran-based breakfast cereals.

If the hemorrhoid bursts, an emergency care must be sought. The serious complication that's caused by excess blood loss are dizziness, faintness or even hypotension/shock. However, per rectal bleeding can also be a particular sign of other disease conditions, such as colorectal and anal canal cancer.

Don't delay bowel movements during hemorrhoid flare-ups. Go when you need to go, because putting off bowel movements can worsen constipation, which then aggravates the hemorrhoids.

Though hemorrhoids are rarely a serious health issue, ignoring them may prolong your suffering. Or worse, become a chronic problem that causes ongoing rectal pain, anal itching, and/or bleeding during bowel movements.

Hemorrhoids are also called piles. We're all born with hemorrhoids, but at baseline, they don't bother us. It's only when they become swollen and enlarged that they produce irritating symptoms.

Check if it's piles

bright red blood after you poo. an itchy anus. feeling like you still need to poo after going to the toilet. mucus in your underwear or on toilet paper after wiping your bottom.