Shockingly simple explanation of ' Piles' Hemorrhoids.

What are 'Piles' Hemorrhoids?
Have you ever seen swollen veins on people's legs? Pregnant women? Middle-aged men? When these veins swell-up in the anus-rectum they are called Hemorrhoids, commonly 'Piles'.

What causes 'Piles' Hemorrhoids?
1.Standing a lot. e.g teachers, preachers, guards.
2.Weak tissues. Some people have a problem with an important tissue building block called 'collagen'. This is what gives skin its strength, keep breasts up... and contributes a great part  to the strength of the walls of blood vessels, including veins. So when this tissue building element is faulty, the walls of the veins are slack and may sag. When they sag in the anus then piles form. These collagen disorders are hereditary, so piles may run in famlilies.
3.Too tight 'asses'. When the outer valve(sphincter) closing the anus is too tight, flow of blood across  them may be impeded...and you got your piles.
4.Too much of pressure in the belly. When the pressure in the belly is too much blood flow across this region may be impeded to cause Piles, Hemorrhoids, when the blocked veins swell. Indeed some women have piles each time they are pregnant, to usually resolve when they deliver. Tumours may also increase the pressure in the belly.

How could piles Hemorrhoids manifest?
1.Bleeding, usually at the end of stooling.
2.Protrusion from anus.
3.Pain

Don't confuse piles with:
1.Anal fissures, a slit-like wound in the anus, usually very painful.
2.Anal fistula, a side-track running from inside to outside the anus(rectum). May even leak faeces.
3. Prolapsed rectum. Can usually be pushed in with the finger.

What can be done?
1. The hemorrhoid can be injected with a drug so it shrivels. Such a drug is called a sclerosant.
2.Surgery. The hemorrhoid can be removed in an operation.
3.Slackening the outer valve of the anus. The patient is put to sleep and a manouvre done to slacken the valve.
4.Softening the stool, drugs, a diet rich in fibre.

What can happen?
1.The Pile may become infected.
2.Blood-clots may form in the piles.
3.Treatment may damage the valve and cause inability to hold faeces, with  faeces leaking. Oral drugs, of-course, don't cause this, but are mostly supportive.
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The information in this blog is accurate and intended for informational, educative and advisory purposes. Not for making treatment decisions.
This blog is operated by a practising medical doctor.