Hemorrhoids are dilated or bulging veins of the rectum and anus. It is usually caused by an increase in pressure in the rectal veins. It is estimated that almost 75 percent of Americans will experience or suffer from this condition. Hemorrhoids can occur any time but may be more common to aging people. Although this health condition may not be considered as a dreadful disease, early treatment is still recommended to avoid complications. There are cases where some people will experience extreme pain and blood may be present in stool during a bowel movement.

In general, there are two types of hemorrhoids, internal or external. The approaches in treating internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids differ. Prolapsed hemorrhoids or external hemorrhoids may also show different symptoms. But how can we say that a hemorrhoid already prolapsed. Hemorrhoids form when the muscles that support the hemorrhoidal vessels in the rectum weaken. It will then become enlarged and will result in the sac-like protrusion inside the rectal canal. This condition is now called internal hemorrhoids. When this is pushed outside of the anus, it is called prolapsed hemorrhoid. A common cause is the excessive straining during a bowel movement.

Some prolapsed hemorrhoids can be retracted after passing stool. There are some instances where it can be pushed back into the anus after it has protruded. However, a person with this condition should be very careful in doing this to avoid complications such as pain and it may result in a strangulated hemorrhoid. If the inflamed hemorrhoidal tissue does not respond to manual pressure, don’t force it.

The available treatment for prolapsed hemorrhoids varies. There are times that it responds well to home treatment such as the use of herbal medicines and other over the counter ointments and creams. The symptoms associated with prolapsed hemorrhoids may also disappear when using alternative methods of treatment. For severe cases, surgery may be required by your health care professional.

But before thinking of a surgery, try first all the available home treatment for prolapsed hemorroids. The basic thing to do is to check your diet and fiber intake. Healthy foods coupled with enough fiber will prevent constipation and will help in the prevention of prolapsed hemorrhoids. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will also help. Since you will be having a normal bowel movement, too much straining is avoided. Using sitz bath will also help alleviate pain and cure the inflammation. There are also some herbs which can be used as compresses and can be applied to the area to reduce swelling and prevent infections. Hemorrhoid creams and lubricants such as vaseline, clearmed, and many others are available treatment for prolapse hemorrhoids.

In instances where surgery is required, your doctor may recommend infrared photocoagulation, laser coagulation and hemorrhoidectomy. These procedures have their own advantages and disadvantages, so ask your doctor about it. Just like in other surgical procedures, complications and other side effects may happen after a hemorrhoidectomy and even to procedures which are considered as less invasive such as laser surgery.

Most abnormal health conditions in the anal area usually show similar symptoms. For some people that self medicate, there is a high percentage that they are treating the wrong disease. This is also a risky practice since taking medications may just aggravate the condition and the symptoms will still continue to provide discomfort to an individual.

Pain during a bowel movement could be caused by so many abnormalities in the colo-rectal area. Blood in stool is also commonly blamed to hemorrhoids but it can be caused by other diseases which are more chronic and needs immediate medical attention.

A common example is anal fissure which is sometimes treated as hemorrhoids. A person with anal fissure may just suspect that it is a hemorrhoid since the symptoms are similar. But before we discuss the symptoms of this anal problem, let us first describe the condition. An anal fissure is simply a tear or split in the lining of the anus or anal mucosa. This condition is more common in younger children. In babies, it is estimated that around 80% of babies suffers from this condition. In adults however, this is less frequent since the susceptibility of the person to suffer from anal fissure declines as he gets older. Cases in adults are commonly caused by constipation.

The good thing about this condition is it heal by themselves provided no other aggravating factors are introduced and proper care is present. However, if the anal fissure becomes worst a surgery is recommended.

The common symptoms of anal fissures are pain in the anal area, anal bleeding which is characterized by bright red blood from the anus and blood in the surface of the anus. An individual will also feel pain everytime he made a bowel movement and may even feel pain afterwards. Blood smears in the toilet paper are also common.

Health experts identified many causes of anal fissures. As mentioned earlier, this condition is commonly caused by chronic constipation which usually causes a tear in the anal mucusa. Lack of liquid intake will cause a dry and hard stool. This will also aggravate the condition. Diarrhea, Chron’s disease and inflammation in the anus and rectum can result to anal fissures.

Pregnant women are also susceptible to this condition especially during childbirth. If a person is infected by pinworm, scratching the anal area can lead to fissures. Improper care of the anal area like rough or excessive wiping after a bowel movement can also cause this problem. Other causes are anal injury and cancer of the rectum.

So if you are experiencing these symptoms, it is better to consult your health care professional to pinpoint the actual cause. A physical exam is recommended so that the medications and treatment are appropriate to the condition.

It has already been proven that using sitz bath for hemorrhoids is an effective remedy. The procedure can be used to treat mild symptoms of hemorrhoids or for more severe cases of hemorrhoids. The only problem why some people suffering from this condition did not get the benefits is due to improper sitz bath procedure. Even if this is one of the simplest home remedy for hemorrhoids, a lot of people may not understand why it is done and how it is being done.

Sitz bath or hip bath is a type of bath in which only the hips and buttocks are soaked in water or saline solution. This type of bath is a European tradition which has expanded and became popular all throughout the world as an alternative treatment for health conditions in the perianal area.

The needed materials for this procedure are available in most pharmacies and health stores. There are ready made sitz bath kits, solutions and even some herbal preparations which can be used when doing sitz bath. To start the procedure, all the materials needed should be prepared in advance to avoid disruption in the therapy. You have to place the sitz bath over the toilet bowl filled with warm or cool water. Make it sure that the water is not too hot or not too cool. The temperature range of the water should be from 90°F to 100°F. The kit or the basin should be properly affixed to the bowl to ensure that it will not slip which can cause harm or injury to the person using the bath.

It is also a must that the patient should be able to reach the floor with their feet. A footstool can be used if he or she can’t reach the floor while sitting on the tub or basin. This will help support the weight of the body from pressing too much weight on the sitz bath.

The patient with hemorrhoid should only immerse their hip when doing sitz bath. This should be performed at least 10 to 15 minutes per interval and can be repeated many times within the day. Many people have said that this would already alleviate the pain caused by hemorrhoids.

To make the sitz bath more effective, the use of Epsom salt diluted in the water is recommended. The saline solution provides additional relief especially for women suffering from vaginal discomfort. There are also some herbal preparations which can be added to the bath but please make it sure that there are no harsh ingredients on the product as it may just cause other side effects. Ask your doctor before using any over the counter products.

If your sitz bath kit comes with a bag which is used to continously add water to the bath, hung it above the head level and the water temperature should be the same with the basin water. Please also check the draining vents when doing the sitz bath and make it sure that the excess water will be drained through the toilet bowl.

After the therapy, the patient should pat the area dry with a clean towel. Do not extend the time spent on the sitz bath as it does not provide additional benefits.

But a word of caution, people who underwent a hemorrhoidectomy should not use sitz bath to alleviate the pain or use it to hasten the healing. There is a study that the use of sitz bath after a hemorrhoid surgery does not give significant effect to the recovery of the patient.