Ramsay Health Care UK | 12/03/2021
Ramsay Health Care UK | 12/03/2021
The human body undergoes many changes as we get older, some of which can be more uncomfortable than others. Piles, also commonly referred to as haemorrhoids, are one condition that can arise over your lifetime that can make your everyday bodily functions a bit more difficult. Although more common the older you get, it’s possible to get haemorrhoids at practically any stage in life.
Piles are where the blood vessels inside and around your anus have become enlarged, which can cause a number of symptoms that lead to pain and discomfort. Your anus has a natural lining of spongey tissue that’s supplied with blood vessels, known as the anal cushions, which assist your anus with closing after going to the bathroom. However, sometimes the blood vessels can develop into larger lumps, distending further within your anal canal and sometimes appearing outside of the anus.
Yes – piles are graded depending on whether the lump comes out of the anal canal and how far it emerges out of the anus if it does so. The lower grade piles are considered to be internal piles, while the higher grades are external. External piles, which are closer to the anus, can be especially painful and even more so if it contains a blood clot.
There are a number of different symptoms which are linked to haemorrhoids that you could experience. However, not every case of piles causes pains or has every symptom listed. These can include:
Individual cases of piles will vary in terms of symptoms and these issues can also be attributed to other problems or conditions, e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, anal fissures (tears), etc. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, then contact your GP for advice in order to properly identify the cause.
While mild haemorrhoids can get better by themselves after a few days, more serious cases may need specific treatment. Depending on how severe and disruptive your piles are in your everyday life, you may need hospital treatment in order to help address the issues they’re causing. This can be in the form of non-surgical haemorrhoid treatments, which will likely be used first, or surgical procedures for haemorrhoids if the problems persist.
Piles treatments without surgery include:
If one or more of these methods aren’t effective in treating your haemorrhoids, then surgery may be suggested by your doctor. This could be in the form of an haemorrhoidectomy, stapled haemorrhoidopexy, or haemorrhoidal artery ligation – your doctor will discuss each procedure in detail and assess which one would be best for you in terms of piles removal.
There’s no sure-fire way to prevent yourself from getting piles but there are lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments you can make that can help with the symptoms of piles:
We have a number of experts who can handle issues stemming from anal disorders and issues with this general area. If your doctor has recommended that you undergo a colorectal surgery, then we can help if you’d prefer to opt to do this privately. You can organise a consultation or find out more details on our consultants and procedures by getting in touch with us here.