The anal canal has specific vascular structures to help with stool control, known as Haemorrhoids. Under healthy conditions, they help the passage of stool by cushioning it. Composed of arterio-venous channels and connective tissues, Inflammation of these haemorrhoids, causes piles. Prone to occur at any age and irrespective of gender, piles are a common pathological condition.
Piles are most commonly caused due to prolonged high pressure in the veins. Some more reasons that can cause this condition are constipation, excessive straining during bowel movement, and recurrent diarrhoea. Swellings that are the result of piles are round, lacking in colour and small lumps. These lumps can be felt by the patients either on the anus or hanging from the anal canal. Any damage to these lumps can cause bleeding. In general, piles are painful. Various prescribed treatments are available for this ailment to help with the symptoms and relieve the patient's pain.
Piles symptoms are not severe in most cases. Did you know that there are cases in which the symptoms get resolved on their own after some days?
A person suffering from piles may have the following symptoms-
- A hard and painful lump felt around the anus can get filled with solid or semi-solid blood. Such a kind of piles is known as a thrombosed external haemorrhoid.
- After a stool is passed, the bowels still feel full.
- Itchiness, redness or soreness in the area surrounding the anus.
- Painful passing of stool.
- Bleeding after a bowel movement.
But it is essential to know that piles can take a more severe form. Then the symptoms may include the following-
- Anal fistula leads to creating a new channel between the inside of the anus and the skin's surface.
- Inability to contain bowel movements (Fecal Incontinence)
- Infections and blood clots can be caused as a result of blood supply being cut-off to the haemorrhoid. These are known as strangulated haemorrhoids.
- Infections
- Excessive anal bleeding (can lead to anaemia)
Following are the four grades of piles-
- GRADE I- Small inflammation on the lining inside of the anus and are usually not visible. It is not usually painful or detectable at this stage.
- GRADE II- Found inside of the anus but are more prominent than grade I piles. Passing of stool may push them out, but they will return without any medical help.
- GRADE III- The lump can be felt hanging from the anus but is easy to push back in. When the piles appear out of the anus, they are known as prolapsed haemorrhoids.
- GRADE IV- Lump can be large and is present outside of the anus. These need medical attention and cannot be pushed back without it.
The outside edge of the anus might develop small lumps due to external piles. If a blood clot is developed within them, it blocks blood flow and causes pain and itchiness. More commonly known as thrombosed external piles (haemorrhoids that are clotted), they need urgent medical treatment. The diagnosis and treatment are dependent on the grade of piles.
Piles, as a disease, can be genetic and inherited. So family history needs to be considered, and increasing age tends to increase the chances of piles. Blood vessels surrounding the anus and inside the rectum are stretched because of the increased pressure in the lower rectum. As a result, they get swollen, or they bulge, leading to piles. The causes include-
- Straining when passing a stool
- Chronic diarrhoea
- Pregnancy
- Chronic constipation
- Lifting heavyweights
External piles are visible to the doctor. So no particular procedure is required to diagnose them. As for internal piles, which can be hard to detect, the following tests can help diagnose.
- Examination of the rectum to detect abnormalities and anal canal
A digital rectal exam is conducted to look for any unusual growths inside. So what is this rectal exam? The doctor will insert a gloved and lubricated finger inside the rectum. Then the doctor will examine the insides of the rectum. This exam helps the doctor get further insights for appropriate treatment or tests. Sometimes only a rectal exam won't be enough to diagnose internal piles properly. - Visual inspection of the rectum and anal canal
A rectal exam might sometimes not help the doctor check for internal piles because the piles can be soft and difficult to be detected. So an examination of the lower portion of the colon and rectum using an anoscope, proctoscope or sigmoidoscope is suggested. These scopes enable the doctor to see inside your anus and rectum.
Acute attacks of piles and inherited tendency to get piles can be controlled using homoeopathic medication. Preventing constipation due to piles and reducing the pain caused by them are additional benefits the treatment offers. Depending on how you control your diet and alcohol intake post-treatment, homoeopathy can reduce the chance of reoccurrence to almost zero.
These medicines are specific to every individual, so the doctor will consider the patient's in-depth history to decide piles' treatment. Based on a detailed study of your history of piles and previous medicines that have been administered, further homoeopathic treatment is decided. In short, homoeopathy is no less than a blessing for those battling with piles (pain or painless).
The main advantage of opting for homoeopathy treatment is that it offers remedies for the suffering caused. It provides a solution to the pain and bleeding and provides an alternative to surgery.
Homoeopathy can be very effective. Those who want to avoid the surgical removal of lumps can surely think of this alternative. Medicines prescribed in this treatment have no side effects. Thus, homoeopathy can prove handy in treating some cases of piles.
