Introduction
The swelled blood vessels in the internal pathway of the anus are called piles. Your anus combines sensitive, spongy tissues with blood vessels. Due to inflammation, the blood vessels are dilated between the walls of the anus and rectum, causing pains & bleeding while stool passes through the pathway of the anus. The development of inflamed blood vessels is called piles.
What Are Piles?
Piles are a common health issue that causes huge discomfort during bowel movements. Having piles, you have to experience regular rectal bleeding as the hard lumps in the anus area clog up the pathway of feces. Generally, piles are growing lumps in the anal canal, which consists of sensitive blood vessels, supportive veins & elastic fibers. Due to the development of inflamed vessels in the spongy tissues inside the anal canal, you have to go through painful rectal bleeding while your anus opens up for passing stool. In the entire anal area, piles can grow as internal or external lumps, generating the critical issues of constipation.
Know About Types of Piles:
Internal Piles:
In the deep internal portion of the anus, internal piles are found. While factors such as fluctuations in blood flow, hormonal changes, constipation, and too much anal sex irritate the sensitive skin of internal piles or hemorrhoids, it generates enlarged blood vessels. It causes lots of complications during bowel movements.
Based on the size or range, internal piles are categorized into four grades:
- While the tiny lumps form due to mild inflammations in the internal anus lining, called grade-I piles. These kinds of piles are generally invisible. If you have grade I piles, you will not experience the steady symptoms of piles as the mild growth of lumps does not poke out from the anal pathway.
- Grade II types of piles are a little larger than grade -I, but it grows in the internal lining of the anal canal. If you have grade-II piles, the growth of lumps can poke out from the anal canal during a bowel movement but also returns without effort.
- Grade III piles means the prolapsed & dilated vessels in the lining of the spongy anal tissues. Grade III piles generally appear in the external area of the anus. While the patients have Grade III piles, they feel a spongy lump hanging from the rectal part, but it can be inserted inside the internal anal canal if they apply force for backward movement.
- Grade IV piles always grow as large lumps in the external area of the anal canal, and they can not be inserted with force. Grade IV type of piles requires immediate treatments.
Leaving grade IV piles without treatment can reach the severe condition as lumps grow to the highest range at the edge of the anus. And in this condition, you have to experience continuous itching, which is painful also as blood clots start to develop around the external anus canal. As a result, during regular bowel movements, patients have to go through awful conditions with pain & bleeding. So, grade IV piles always require immediate medical consultation.
Prolapsed Piles:
While internal hemorrhoids are affected due to pressure strains, they swell. And ultimately, it is stretched like lumps outside the anus. Then, the growth of lumps is called prolapsed piles. Prolapsed piles look like red-colored swollen clumps, responsible for a burning sensation, too much irritation, and pains around the anal canal.
External Piles:
External piles or hemorrhoids are found on the opening of the anus, where stool comes out. External piles cause discomfort during sitting, bowel movements, and different physical activities.
What Are Thrombosed Haemorrhoids?
While external piles grow around the anal canal & sensitive skin portions develop swollen blood vessels at a wide range, the lumps strangulate blood supply to the spongy tissues. As a result, the development of blood clots in the anal canal is termed Thrombosed Haemorrhoids.
So, in simple terms, Thrombosed Haemorrhoids are the prolapsed version of external piles around the anal canal.
Common Symptoms of Piles:
Pile patients have to go through critical discomfort the whole time they spend in the lavatory during bowel movements. Take a glance at the following chart to get ideas about the common discomforts of piles:
People having piles or hemorrhoids may experience the following:
- Area of discomfort: In the rectum
- Specific Circumstances: During sitting on the commode or while the anus opens up for bowel movements
- Effects on the anal part: Itching, swelling, and feeling of growing lumps inside the anal canal.
- Gastrointestinal Complications: Constipation or bleeding with stool.
What Are The Primary Symptoms of Piles?
- The growing lumps around your anal canal.
- Growing itchiness in the anal area.
- Having piles, you will always feel you still have to pass more stool when you go to the toilet.
- Pains during bowel movement
- Mucus discharge & blood on toilet paper while you wipe the anus.
All the symptoms hint you may have piles, and you should consult your physician to avoid deterioration of the mild lumps around the anal canal.
What Are The Severe Symptoms of Piles?
While the patients ignore the initial symptoms of piles, they start to deteriorate with major complications of constipation:
- The untreated piles always invite dreadful complications of bowel movement.
- As the lumps in the anal canal become hard daily, patients have to experience the pains of too much anal bleeding. In the worst cases of piles, patients can face anemia at the end of chronic piles symptoms.
- Chronic or long-term piles often cause loss of self-restraint over urination.
- Patients can suffer from anal fistula as a severe condition of piles.
- With long-term piles, while anal muscles reject blood supply to the spongy tissues, patients face huge pains during bowel movements
What Are the Symptoms of Thrombosed Haemorrhoids?
Patients with Thrombosed Haemorrhoids always go through uncanny feelings caused by growing lumps & blood clots in the sensitive anal area. Mucus is very common on wiping tissues or underwear if you have Thrombosed Haemorrhoids. Above all, if you have Thrombosed Haemorrhoids, the severity of itchiness & pain in sensitive anal portions becomes intolerable.
How Long Piles or Hemorrhoids Can Last?
The grade of piles or the severity level defines how long patients have to suffer pain from piles. In general cases of grade I pile, hemorrhoids can fade away within one week. In the cases of grade II piles, the patients can suffer from hemorrhoids for 2-3 weeks. While complications in the anal canal increase, patients should not wait for normal recovery; they should consult health professionals.
In external piles, patients have to consult a doctor as soon as possible to prevent the deterioration of piles symptoms. In some severe cases of piles, doctors recommend pain relievers to reduce the pain during bowel movements.
You must remember that the human body naturally develops internal hemorrhoids as a biological feature. The most important fact about piles is that in the cases of grade III and grade IV hemorrhoids, lack of proper treatment can compromise the blood supply to the spongy tissues in the anal canals. As a result, hemorrhoid strangulation can cause critical blood clots, which worsens the conditions of bowel movement.
So, in severe cases of hemorrhoids, doctors recommend surgery, and the patients get relief from the worst conditions of piles within several weeks.
Causes of Piles:
Piles or hemorrhoids are common prolapsed conditions of the blood-supplying veins around the anal canal.
Cleveland Clinic explains that internal hemorrhoids are normal and essential physical features of the human body. The human body grows internal hemorrhoids to serve a specific purpose. Internal hemorrhoids work as an anal cushion, which blocks leakage of stool through the anal canal during abdominal pressure, sneezing, and coughing.
But external hemorrhoids are far different and cause many complications during bowel movement. Different factors increase the pressure in the anal veins and turn them into lumps, which grow daily and act as hanging skin around the anal canal. As a result, during bowel movement, it causes too much pain and uncanny feelings.
The swollen veins lead to piles. The following points explain what specific reasons cause piles:
How Constipation Gradually Leads To Piles?
Constipation is a condition when patients have to push hard daily to pass stool through the anal canal. In this condition, while patients go through chronic constipation due to extreme pressures on the blood-supplying veins during everyday bowel movements, the veins start to swell. And finally, the swollen veins through the rectum and anal canal turn into piles or hemorrhoids.
Aging: A Major Factor Behind Piles or Haemorrhoids
With aging, people lose energy levels and become habituated to a sedentary lifestyle. Naturally, lifestyle changes slow down the blood flow in the lower portion of the human body. So, as a lower portion of the human body, the anal canal receives reduced blood flow. As a result, the blood concentration in the sensitive veins around the rectum and anus causes too much swelling. Therefore, the swollen veins lead to piles or hemorrhoids.
How Is Coughing Responsible For Piles?
Long-term sneezing, vomiting, and coughing put too much pressure on the abdominal tissues. Chronic abdominal pressure directly affects the specific rectum areas, which are called anal cushions. As a result, the inflamed veins of anal cushions lead to dilated blood vessels around the anal canal. Thus, the abnormal growth of blood vessels turns into lumps in the sensitive portion around the anal canal. The lumps are called piles. So, persistent coughing and sneezing can cause piles of complexities.
Is Pregnancy Leads To Piles?
Due To Enlarged Uterus:
Piles in pregnancy are one of the common health complications. In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, while a woman's uterus becomes large, it creates pressure on the blood-supplying veins of the anal canal. Then, swollen veins lead to lumps around the anal canal. As a result, pregnant women must endure piles of pain and unwanted complications.
Due To The Rising Level of Progesterone:
In pregnancy, the level of progesterone becomes high in women's bodies. So, too much progesterone contributes to dilating the vein walls, and the veins of the anal canal become prone to swelling. And the enlarged veins cause piles or hemorrhoids. Thus, during pregnancy, women have to endure the complications of piles.
How Low Fiber Diet Leads To Piles?
During bowel movements, smaller & harder feces always generate strains in the anal passage. And according to health professionals, low-fiber diets are responsible for harder & smaller stools, which affects the compatibility & flexibility level of bowel movements. And chronic strain during bowel movement heightens abdominal pressure and pelvic congestion and prevents venous return. And all these chronic strain-driven factors are responsible for weakened veins around the anal canal. Thus, a low-fiber diet leads to piles.
Does Heavy Weight Lifting Cause Piles?
Weight-lifting always generates pressure on the intra-abdominal-tissues, which can cause inflammation in the cushion-like anal tissues. As a result, in some cases, if people start a new exercise session with weight-lifting, they can face the complications of piles.
Does Anal Sex Contribute To Piles?
Internal hemorrhoids are a natural part of the anal canal and grow like cushion-like tissues with the combination of blood vessels. Internal hemorrhoids control the unintentional leakage of stool through the anal canal. But, in individual cases, if regular anal sex irritates the cushion-like tissues, it can damage the supporting veins of natural hemorrhoids. In these cases, the enlargement of supportive anal veins can cause lumps in the rectum's internal or outside passage. So, too much frequency of anal sex or forceful anal sex can cause piles.
Diagnosis of Piles:
In the cases of external piles, doctors check the surrounding area of the anus. But in the cases of internal piles, doctors prefer digital rectum examination and relevant procedures to be sure about the growth of hemorrhoids.
Experienced health professionals use the following procedures while they diagnose internal piles:
Anoscopy:
With an anoscope, doctors examine the lining between the anus and lower rectum. Anoscopy is a proven technique to check the condition of the lower digestive tract, which causes bowel incompatibility.
Rigid Proctosigmoidoscopy:
Using a proctoscope, the doctor checks the lining of the patient's rectum & lower portion of the colon. So, the end-to-end examination with a proctoscope determines the exact condition of the tissue lining between the lower colon & rectum as doctors easily diagnose the growth of hemorrhoids.
Treatments of Piles:
Effective Home Remedies For Piles:
Home remedies can relieve the swelling of inflamed blood vessels around the anal canal. If you have mild inflammation of hemorrhoids, then you can follow the following home remedies:
How Fiber-rich Foods Help to Reduce Piles Complications?
The major complications of piles include burning & swelling of the rectum. And in the severe conditions of piles, patients become helpless with rectum bleeding. Doctors explain that the smaller and harder stool during constipation generates strains around the anal canal and leads to piles. On the other hand, a fiber-rich diet is essential to soften stools, and this kind of food is the best for bulky stools. So, high-fiber-based foods reduce strains in the anal canal and increase the flexibility of bowel movement. So, fiber-rich foods always help to reduce pile complications.
Are Topical Treatments Effective on Piles?
Hydrocortisone is a medicine for piles, available as ointments, creams, and suppositories. Hydrocortisone-based solutions are considered an effective topical treatment for piles. Some Hydrocortisone solutions contain moderate amounts of local anesthetics, which soothe piles' burning sensation and painful discomforts.
How Warm Bath or Sitz Bath Eases Piles Complications?
People who have piles should soak the anus portion in warm water with Epsom salt after painful bowel movements. As one of the best home remedies for piles, doctors suggest bathing in the bathtub after filling it with warm water.
Besides, you can buy a sitz bath from a local pharmacy if you have no bathtub. Sitz bath is a small plastic bowl that easily fits the toilet space and offers a convenient option for soaking your lumps around the anus. With a sitz bath, you can experience soothing effects on the painful sensation of piles.
Are Oral Pain Relievers Effective For Piles?
If you can only use a shared bathroom in a hostel, applying topical medicines such as ointments can create tons of hassles. So, oral pills can do their best to reduce piles' pain, swelling, and sensation. Oral pain relievers are clinically approved to reduce the severity of the pile's symptoms.
Allopathic Treatments For Piles:
The doctors-recommended allopathic pile treatment can cure piles in two ways:
Surgical Treatment For Piles:
Surgical treatments for piles can be two types:
Surgeries With Anesthetic Process:
With anesthetic procedures, doctors can prefer the following methods of surgery:Haemorrhoidectomy:
It is a major operation following anesthetic criterias to remove piles. This type of surgery can be done in the following ways:Clamp & Cautery Haemorrhoidectomy
As one of the oldest methods of piles surgery, doctors prefer Smith's pile clamp to remove lumps with insulated blades.Open Haemorrhoidectomy(Following the Milligan-Morgan method)
As one of the most preferable surgical techniques, this method safely removes hemorrhoids.Submucosal Haemorrhoidectomy
It is a streamlined surgical technique to remove piles safely and repair the mucous-membrane ligament.Whitehead's Circumferential Haemorrhoidectomy
Such a surgery technique ensures the safe removal of critical growth of hemorrhoids by internal circumstances.
Stapled Haemorrhoidectomy
This proven technique stops the dripping of extra tissue when doctors staple leftover hemorrhoidal tissues.
Haemorrhoidal Artery Ligation:
This is another methodology of piles operation with anesthetic criteria.
Doctors prefer the Haemorrhoidal artery ligation surgical method to ensure less blood loss during operation. Following this technique, doctors stitch all the connected blood vessels to stop the blood supply to the lumps. As a result, hemorrhoids start to shrink gradually. Thus, doctors follow Haemorrhoidal artery ligation to trim the size of hemorrhoids which hang from the anus.
Surgeries Without Anesthetic Criteria:
Banding:
This typical procedure ties the hemorrhoids using a compact rubber band, which can cut off the blood supply.
Injection Sclerotherapy
This non-anesthetic piles removal method ensures the shrinking of hemorrhoids by injecting a specific chemical. This injection freezes the blood-supplying tissues, and piles start to fade with a smooth scar.
Infrared Photocoagulation
Doctors follow the coagulation therapy using infrared light to fall off the small to middle-size hemorrhoids.
Laser Hemorrhoidectomy
This is such a painless method of pile removal, which is completely safe as laser energy is used to treat piles.
Atomizing Hemorrhoids
In this non-anesthetic surgery, an atomizer is vital in minimizing the hemorrhoid masses into merely a fine mist. Then the mist is safely removed using a vacuum.
Non-Surgical Treatment For Piles:
Doctors or health professionals prescribe painkillers, creams, and ointments to treat piles. An anti-inflammatory medication - corticosteroids can do the best to ensure recovery from the pile's complications.
As a smoothening ointment, Arsha Hita Ointment works effectively to reduce Piles' itching and burning sensation.
Hydrocortisone-based ointments, creams, foams & suppositories work the best to reduce pain & sensation of piles.
Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory medication for patients who have piles. But be sure you don't have any complications in your stomach, heart, or kidneys if you take Ibuprofen. With high blood pressure and asthma complications, you should not take Ibuprofen.
Acetaminophen and Naproxen also work the best to reduce pains in piles.
The laxative supplements help to prevent constipation making bowel movements flexible. So, piles of patients get good results while they take laxative supplements.
Prevention:
Piles cause irritable swelling around & inside the anus. The sole factor behind piles is constipation. Naturally, a low-fiber diet, a sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, and obesity lead to the growth of hemorrhoids. So, in the primary stage, some essential steps can easily prevent the severity and pains of piles.
5 Effective Solutions To Get Relief From Piles:
Triphala Powder:
If you have chronic constipation issues, then consumption of Triphala powder at night can help ease the condition. So, having Trifala with lukewarm water helps to prevent the growth of lumps around or inside the anal canal.
Castor Oil:
Castor oil is one of the best solutions in traditional pile treatments as it has anti-inflammatory properties. Castor oil effectively reduces the size of piles and soothes pain.
Healthy Dinner:
A deep-fried, spicy diet slows down the functions of the digestive system. So, a harder stool causes extreme pressure in the veins around the anus. As a result, piles break out. If you focus on including healthy food in dinner, you will get benifits, effectively preventing piles.
Sufficient Water:
One of the most effective solutions to piles is drinking lots of water, which is essential to ease bowel movement. Regular intake of 8-10 glasses of water keeps the digestive system healthy, and it best ensures flexible bowel movements.
Regular Salads:
If you add healthy salads such as cucumber and carrots with lunch & dinner, you can prevent piles' symptoms. As cucumber contains excess water and carrots are loaded with Vitamin K & Vitamin - C, salads play vital roles in improving vein functionality. So, regular salads prevent piles symptoms.
Overall Criterias of Piles:
FAQs:
What Factors Leads To Piles?
The end portion of the digestive tract is called the anus, where feces exits from the body. And the rectum is the end segment of the large intestine, while it connects to the anus. In the lower rectum and anus pathway, hemorrhoids lie as cushion-like tissues. Any kind of strain, pressure, or increment of blood volume dilates the blood vessels in the anus & lower rectum pathway. As a result, the chronic inflammation of hemorrhoidal tissue leads to lumps around the anal canal, and the lumps are called piles.
What Are The Effective Home Remedies For Piles?
You can apply the pure version of aloe vera gel around your anal canal, as it is clinically proven to reduce the pain and sensation of piles. But, be careful about the aloe vera gel additives as they can irritate the hemorrhoids. Besides, anti-itch soaps and wipes, which contain liquid Witch Hazel, can relieve the pains and sensation of piles because Witch Hazel is anti-inflammatory.
Wrapping Up:
All the discussed points explain piles' symptoms, causes, treatments, and diagnosis. So, if you go through the points, you can resolve the pile's complications.
