Piles - Symptoms, Causes, Prevention & Treatments

Piles (Haemorrhoids) – Symptoms, Causes, Prevention & Treatments

Piles, also known as hemorrhoids, are enlarged veins at the lower part of the rectum or inside the anus.

The enlarged veins are maybe internal or external around the anal area and range in sizes.

Internal hemorrhoids are the most common type of piles and are between 2-4 centimeters inside the rectum.
External hemorrhoids. It is not as common as the internal one is located under the skin around the anus.

Table of Contents

Symptoms

The most common sign of hemorrhoids is

Rectal bleeding – bright blood after a bowel movement. Other symptoms include:
Itching around the anus
Pain
Swelling

Causes

Straining during bowel movement
Lifting heavy object
Pregnancy
Low fiber diet
Obesity
Constipation
Sitting too long

Prevention

To reduce your likelihood of developing it, you should live a healthy lifestyle. The following are things you could do to reduce your chances.

Piles

Exercise – doing 30-40 minutes of exercise daily could reduce your chances of developing it.
Diet – maintaining high fiber foods
Not Straining during a bowel movement.

Treatments

Treatments depend on the severity of your hemorrhoids and how bad the symptoms are.

Most of the symptoms usually go away on their own, but some will require treatment.

Rectal cream – to relieve the itching and pain
Diet – Eating more fiber and fruit
Hydration – drinking more water
Sitz bath – Sitting in warm water for 20 minutes, 3-4 times a day can reduce the symptoms.
Ice packs – The icing technique helps in relieving the pain and swelling.
Surgery – If your hemorrhoid is severe, and the treatments above haven’t helped, you may require surgery to remove them

Disclaimer: Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is at your own risk. This article is strictly for informational purposes. The author is not a medical practitioner and as such you should not substitute the information here for professional advice.