Symptoms of Piles
- Bleeding during bowel movements — the most common symptom of internal hemorrhoids is bright red blood covering the stool, on toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl.
- Pain, itching or irritation in your anal region
- Symptoms of external hemorrhoids may include painful swelling or a hard lump around the anus that results when a blood clot forms.
- Difficulty in passing motion – and a sense of incomplete evacuation.
Major Causes
- Straining during bowel movements
- Many women get piles during pregnancy and childbirth.
- Long-term (chronic) constipation or diarrhea.
- Irregularity in food habits and lack of exercise
- Aging and hereditary causes
Diagnosis of Piles
Piles can be diagnosed by an investigation of the symptoms and a physical exam by a proctologist. Diagnosis is made by examining the anus and anal canal, and it is
important to exclude more serious causes of bleeding, like rectal cancer. The physical exam can suggest whether further testing is needed.
Depending on the conditions, further investigations may be done through colonoscopy, barium enema x-ray or MRI / CT Scan.
The delay in treatment of Piles will lead to complications like infections, Abscess, Fistula and Fissure-in-Ano, Thrombosis and Prolapse,
severe bleeding and Anaemia. There is an ever-present danger of progression of the disease from the first to fourth degrees. Consulting a proctologist at the earliest can
help the patient getting better results from treatment and prevent complications and unnecessary sufferings.
Treatment for Piles available at Santhosh Hospital
Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, general health and how severe the condition is.
An effective oral medicine for the treatment of Piles is yet to be discovered in any system of medicine. The main goal of treatment is to reduce your symptoms.
Piles cannot be cured by taking medicines internally or by taking a few injections. Medical application of creams and suppositories can relieve irritation and pain
but rarely provide long-term benefit.
Surgical management of this condition has made tremendous progress from complex ligation and excision procedures in the past to simpler techniques that allow the
patient to return to normal life within a short period. Advanced treatment treatment methods for piles include Cryo- Therapy, Barron's Band Ligation, Infra-Red Coagulation
and Laser Therapy.
Cryo-Therapy
Cryotherapy has proven to be very effective effective non-surgical treatment for piles, with little or no side effects, especially in those cases where the piles are not very severe.
Cryotherapy reduces the swelling in the nerves in the rectal area, by shrinking the blood vessels causing piles, thus reducing pain and discomfort.
Rubber band ligation
Bleeding from first-, second- and some selected third-degree hemorrhoids can be treated by rubber band ligation.
A tiny rubber bands is placedaround the base of an internal hemorrhoid to cut off its circulation. The hemorrhoid withers and falls off within a week.
This procedure is effective for many people.
Infra-Red Coagulation
Infrared coagulation is an effective outpatient treatment for first- and second-degree piles. The infrared probe is applied to the base of the hemorrhoids through
a proctoscope to burn hemorrhoid tissue using infrared light. It is simpler and more effective than injection treatment and less painful.
Harmonic Scalpel
The Harmonic Scalpel uses ultrasonic technology, the unique energy form that allows both cutting and coagulation of hemorrhoidal tissue at the precise point of application.
This method is useful on large hemorrhoids that may bleed during surgery, thus minimizing blood loss and reducing the time needed for surgery.
Laser Surgery
Our modality of treatment also includes Laser Surgery. If other procedures haven't been successful or you have large hemorrhoids, Laser Surgery advised. The surgery can be done with local anesthesia combined with sedation.
