Internal Hemorrhoids
Internal Hemorrhoids are developed inside the anus. They are generally painless as the visceral nerves do not sense pain but only feels the pressure. However, an internal hemorrhoid can cause discomfort and a little bit of bleeding when hard stools rub against them during bowel movement. At times they protrude outside the anus and cause severe pain.
Symptoms
The symptoms for internal hemorrhoids are more severe than for external hemorrhoid. The most common symptoms are painless bleeding and protrusion during bowel movements. Bright red streaks of blood may be found on the toilet paper, in the toilet bowl or on the surface of the stool.
There may be a lot of itching and irritation of the skin as internal hemorrhoids seeps mucus. You may also feel the urge to pass stools right after the bowel movement. This is because of the bulging of the hemorrhoid at the end of the large intestine. The larger the hemorrhoid, the greater is the discomfort.
Even though internal hemorrhoids are not very painful, pain increases once they become large as they are squeezed by the muscles that control the anus. If you have severe pain the treatment needs to be started immediately.
Internal Hemorrhoids are more dangerous than the external hemorrhoids because initially they are painless and are generally ignored by the patient. But by the time the pain develops and the patient starts looking for medical guidance, the size of the hemorrhoid would have enlarged.
They are caused by a high fat and a low-fiber diet, poor bowel habits, pregnancy, aging, chronic constipation and sitting in the same position for longer period of time.
You cannot assume that you have a Hemorrhoid if there is bleeding during bowel movement. The bleeding could also be a result of colon or rectal cancer. It is advised that you take medical assistance as soon as you see streaks of blood during the bowel movement.
The treatment for internal hemorrhoid is concentrated on relieving pressure by increasing fiber content in our diet and making changes in our bowel habits.
Some of the treatments include
Warm bath many times a day.
Increased intake of fluids and fibers in our diet and
Use of stool softeners.
On following the above-mentioned treatment, most of the patients may see improvement after a few days, however if the symptoms do not improve, an internal hemorrhoid protrudes or it causes repeated bleeding then surgery may be recommended by the doctor.
The different surgical options available are
Rubber band ligation
Infrared coagulation
Hemorrhoidectomy
Sclerotherapy
Internal Hemorrhoids are a very common occurrence among pregnant women. This is due to the pressure of the fetus in the abdomen and also due to hormonal changes. For most women during pregnancy, internal hemorrhoid is a temporary problem.
Hemorrhoids can be avoided during pregnancy by keeping stools soft and emptying bowels as soon as there is an urge.
As the saying goes “Prevention is better than cure”. So we need to ensure that with proper diet and good bowel habits, we can keep a safe distance from Hemorrhoids.