Posts Tagged ‘Diarrhoea’
Hemorrhoid Rectal Bleeding
Rectal bleeding is not normal you know that and it is completely understandable that you may be reticent in consulting a doctor, however, It is essential that you have an accurate diagnosis. This may seem extremely daunting and something you don’t feel you can do but it is extremely important. Bowel cancers have been delayed in their diagnosis due to the shyness of people who do not wish to be examined.
Hemorrhoids are a condition which needs diagnosing accurately – you should NOT attempt to self diagnoses this condition as you could be wrong and other anal conditions such as those below need to be excluded:
- Anal warts
- Anal fissures
- Cancer of the bowel
- Rectal polyps
- Inflammatory disease
Doctors do this all the time – and we all know that, but it is your bottom and you don’t want it messed with they understand that -BUT – they do this all the time and your bottom is really not different from many others. They are very discrete and understand your embarrassment and are gentle. You need to be examined to eliminate other conditions and it is better by far to have hemorrhoids rather than cancer.
In conjunction with your rectal bleeding you will need to inform you doctor if you have
- Recently lost weight without dieting
- Changed your bowel habits recently i.e you now have constipation or diarrhoea or have your bowels open more frequently.
- Noticed a colour change in your stools or if there is mucous/slime on the toilet paper
- Noticed what colour and how much blood you are loosing each time you have a bowel movement
Hemorrhoid Causes
- It appears to be one of those conditions which can affect people over 50 years old although it is not unknown in younger people.
- Hemorrhoids can be a rather unpleasant side affect of pregnancy due to the pressure which is exerted on the perineum by the additional weight. Fortunately once the pressure is relieved often so is the condition, although this may be a predisposing factor for reoccurrence later in life.
- People who are obese can also suffer from hemorrhoids due to the same extra pressure being exerted; you can do something about this by loosing weight.
- People who have anal sexual intercourse are at a higher risk of developing hemorrhoids due to the friction on the mucosal layers of the bowel causing the vessels to thin and engorge.
- People who suffer from chronic (constant) bowel conditions which cause either diarrhoea or constipation. Diet tablets which cause you to have loose watery stools can exacerbate hemorrhoids.
- People who when they go to the toilet have to strain to push the stool (faeces / poo) out are more likely to suffer.
I am afraid the bad news is there is no definitive “cure” as such despite many internet claims. Symptoms can be alleviated and hemorrhoids treated but that is no guarantee that the condition will not come back.
There are positive steps you can take to help your self and these will be covered later in the site.
Contrary to what granny has probably told you – you do not get hemorrhoids by sitting on cold floors or hot radiators and not from sitting down all day.!
The condition in England it is spelt haemorrhoids in America it is spelt hemorrhoids common misspellings include heamorrhoids, hemoroids, hamorhoids, hemmerhoids hamerroids, hemmoroids and more often piles which is probably the easiest to spell if we are honest about it!
