Hemorrhoids – not your usual topic of discussion at a social function. It isn’t even a subject that husbands and wives usually discuss together, let alone with acquaintances. Curiously, hemorrhoid creams, particularly Preparation H, are the number one shoplifted items in convenient stores today.
However, if you have hemorrhoids you are not alone. It is estimated that between 60 and 80 percent of the adult population over 50 years of age have hemorrhoid problems.
Because of the horror stories of the pain and extreme discomfort after surgical excision of hemorrhoids, (just about everyone knows of at least one example), most people suffer in silence using creams that shrink the swollen tissue (that’s why the stuff works under eye lids), or change their diet, exercise, increase fluids and fiber, etc. But, none of these conservative home remedies ever cure hemorrhoids – they only temporarily relieve the swelling, bleeding, pain and pressure.
How do I know so much about hemorrhoids? Well, first I am a physician, but most importantly I had them – boy, did I have them!
I remember my first initial symptom was a feeling of fullness after a bowel movement, actually a feeling of not being able to empty my bowels. Then later on came spotting, bleeding and more intense pressure.
As an anesthesiologist I certainly knew and had observed surgery for hemorrhoids and had treated patients afterwards for the pain of the surgery. Not wanting the expense, pain, discomfort, anesthetic, bowel prep and time off work for myself, I researched alternative treatments.
I came across a little known 20-year-old proven procedure (most family practitioners and even Medicare thought it was a new procedure). It is called Infrared Coagulation of hemorrhoids, IRC for short. It is quick, safe and absolutely painless, and it works. It certainly took care of my problem.
The only minor drawback is that it takes several treatments (approximately 5-8) to completely scar down the existing hemorrhoids.
The beauty of this treatment is that it requires no bowel prep at all, except for normal hygiene, a quick two-minute treatment, during a 15-20 minute office visit, with no pain, no post-treatment discomfort and it’s even covered by insurance. You can immediately return to work, ride a bike, play tennis or even just have a bowel movement.
Just for your information, hemorrhoids are really the same as lower leg varicose veins (dilated veins) but they occur around the anus. When they originate outside the anus, they are called external hemorrhoids and likewise internal hemorrhoids originate from veins inside the anus.
Anything that increases pressure in the abdominal area, intra-abdominal, can cause dilated hemorrhoidal veins - like straining during a bowel movement; sitting too long on the toilet; constipation; chronic diarrhea; chronic lung disease with bearing down when coughing; obesity; pregnancy; straining or lifting a lot; or even just standing for long periods of time. That is why they are so common, period! Increase in intra-abdominal pressure, for any reason, causes blood coming back to the heart from the lower extremities to slowdown flow and pool up (backup), thereby causing the veins of the lower extremities and arms to dilate up. Once that pooling effect has been prolonged or repetitive, then the stretching of these veins causes the connective tissue and then the muscle layers around them to break down and the veins will remain stretched and dilated. IRC scars the veins back down.
The bottom line is if you have spotting or bleeding with or without a bowel movement, please see your doctor as soon as possible to rule out the bad stuff such as bowel or rectal cancer. Hopefully your diagnosis is “just hemorrhoids;” then there is cure – IRC.
