Acute disease
This disease is not fatal. It can be treated with both traditional and surgical methods. More often it affects men, but women who have given birth after thirty years are also at risk. People are embarrassed to even tell their doctor about it, and when they decide to start treatment under the supervision of a professional, the disease is already so advanced that they have to undergo surgery.
Currently, there are a huge number of medications for hemorrhoids, special diets and exercises have been developed, and people continue to self-medicate, aggravating the course of the disease. When unpleasant symptoms appear, they go to the pharmacy and buy the usual suppositories, after using which the pain, itching and bleeding go away, but after some time the disease returns again. How to properly organize treatment of hemorrhoids during exacerbation so that the disease does not return? It must be remembered that therapy should include not only the use of local remedies, but also systemic drugs, traditional medicine recipes, changes in lifestyle and diet.
Causes of occurrence and exacerbation of hemorrhoids
Physical inactivity | If a person does not move enough, the blood in the pelvic area stagnates, and against the background of changes in the tone of blood vessels and veins, this becomes a decisive factor in the formation of the first nodules. |
Problems with bowel movements | Constipation often provokes the development of hemorrhoids. A person has to make additional efforts during defecation, which leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. |
Errors in nutrition | Sweet, floury, fatty and spicy foods negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract and also disrupt the elimination process. |
Pregnancy, childbirth, menstruation | Doctors name different reasons for the appearance and exacerbation of hemorrhoids in women. But they are all associated with periodic hormonal fluctuations and changes in the body that occur during pregnancy and lactation. |
Nervous tension | Hemorrhoids from stress are more common in women. They are more sensitive to any irritants. Nervous stress affects the tone of the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. |
Heavy physical activity | As a result of lifting heavy objects, organs descend, intra-abdominal pressure increases, and existing nodes fall out. |
If we consider purely female causes of the appearance or exacerbation of hemorrhoids, we need to focus on several factors. It is known that vascular walls become thinner if the hormone estrogen is produced in smaller quantities. In women, this occurs in the second phase of the menstrual cycle. Blood begins to flow into the pelvic area, where, under the influence of hormones, the vessels and veins are weakened, and either new nodes appear or existing but collapsed formations are filled with blood. First signs
This is the main reason why hemorrhoids occur or worsen before menstruation. And given that many ladies suffer from PMS, the emotional background is also unstable, and accordingly, even more unfavorable factors appear. If a woman moves little, eats poorly, lifts weights or drinks alcohol, exacerbations of chronic hemorrhoids before menstruation become more and more frequent.
Can existing hemorrhoids worsen due to nervousness? It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to this question, because, basically, a complex of adverse events leads to increased manifestations of the disease. But if a severe neuropsychic disorder occurs, it may well affect the recurrence of the disease. At this moment, it is important to start taking sedatives in order to normalize the emotional background and reduce tension in the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. If stress and worsening hemorrhoids always appear together, you need to reconsider your lifestyle, minimize irritating factors, visit a psychotherapist and try not to be nervous.
Causes
The pelvic area is characterized by an extensive venous network that supplies the intestines with blood. If blood enters in excessive quantities, and intra-abdominal pressure increases, this leads to the appearance of stagnation.
In this case, there is an overflow of venous blood into the cavernous bodies and the formation of hemorrhoids, which are constantly increasing. There are many reasons for this mechanism of development of hemorrhoids.
In most cases, they are:
- sedentary work;
- poor nutrition;
- inactive lifestyle;
- improper functioning of the digestive tract;
Most often, exacerbation is observed in those people whose activities involve constant sitting or standing.
If a person often consumes sweets, refined foods, and animal fats, this leads to the appearance of a pathological condition. It is also caused by consuming insufficient fiber.
Hemorrhoids can become inflamed with frequent constipation or diarrhea. Lifting weights leads to exacerbation of hemorrhoids, which is explained by an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. In women, hemorrhoids often become inflamed during pregnancy.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of exacerbation of hemorrhoids are a feeling of fullness in the rectum, burning and itching in the anorectal area. Traces of blood and mucus appear on the toilet paper, going to the toilet becomes problematic - the painful sensations increase during the act of defecation. In women, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome may increase - nausea, migraine, diarrhea.
With an exacerbation of chronic hemorrhoids, the symptoms manifest themselves acutely and painfully. The painful sensations do not go away, the temperature rises, and the nodes may fall out. The presence of a foreign object and strong pressure are felt inside the intestine, the anus becomes wet and inflamed.
Clinical picture
In acute inflammation of hemorrhoids, symptoms appear immediately. The first sign is pain in the anus.
Acute pain with hemorrhoids is common. This sign accompanies the patient everywhere. It begins to intensify after the act of defecation, cutting underwear into the anus, after the patient begins to actively move and carry heavy loads.
When hemorrhoids become inflamed, symptoms may be as follows:
- they begin to bleed;
- there is severe itching in the rectum;
- the disease is accompanied by a burning sensation;
- sphincter spasm due to prolapse;
- thrombosis of blood vessels in the anus.
The internal appearance of the disease is accompanied by incomplete bowel movements. The lump can only be detected by digital examination of the rectum.
Signs of inflamed hemorrhoids:
- the anal area is red;
- the lump feels hard to the touch;
- the bump is bluish in color;
- swelling is observed;
- Patients move slowly.
In acute hemorrhoids, the symptoms and treatment of which are recorded in ICD 10 under code I84, intestinal dysbiosis develops, manifested by hypovitaminosis, immunodeficiency, and hypersensitization of the body.
Also, an inflamed node, if left untreated, can lead to the development of cryptitis (inflammation of the sinuses of the rectal canal due to the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms). The symptoms are similar, but add general weakness, heaviness in the stomach, and discharge of pus during bowel movements.
Complications
If hemorrhoids worsen, you should definitely visit a doctor. The specialist will conduct an examination and possibly refer you for an anoscopy or colonoscopy to confirm the diagnosis. In order to prevent possible complications and relieve symptoms of the disease, the doctor will draw up a treatment regimen, which will include oral administration of tablets, the use of local remedies - suppositories and ointments, hygiene procedures, special gymnastics, adherence to a diet and daily routine. The proctologist will tell you what to do in case of exacerbation of chronic hemorrhoids, if the nodes are already falling out, causing pain and awkwardness to the person, he will tell you how to reset them.
An advanced disease can lead to constant bleeding, which can cause iron deficiency anemia. If the disease is not treated for a long time, conservative therapy at a late stage will no longer help, and surgery will have to be performed. Advanced hemorrhoids lead to muscle atrophy in the affected area and fecal incontinence.
If a woman systematically experiences an exacerbation of advanced hemorrhoids during menstruation, it is contraindicated to use suppositories containing glucocorticosteroids and antispasmodics, which can increase bleeding, for treatment. It is better to use suppositories with calendula, sea buckthorn oil, Posterizan, Relief Advance and Anestezol, which work only locally and do not have a systemic effect.
Minimally invasive methods
In cases where, in case of chronic hemorrhoids of the 2nd degree, treatment with suppositories and tablets did not bring the required result - hemorrhoids continue to bother a person with pain and bleeding, doctors recommend resorting to minimally invasive interventions. Such procedures are performed on an outpatient basis and do not require the use of anesthesia.
For stage 2 hemorrhoids, treatment can be performed using the following methods:
- ligation of nodes - placing a latex ring on the narrow part of a varicose lump, as a result of which the blood flow to this area stops and the tissues die;
- cryodestruction - using liquid nitrogen aimed at the node, it is frozen and then rejected by the body;
- sclerotherapy - for chronic internal hemorrhoids of the 2nd degree, treatment will consist of introducing a sclerosing solution into the tissue of the node, under the influence of which the size of the defect decreases, it gradually resolves;
- photocoagulation - a light beam is directed through an anoscope to the base of the hemorrhoid, under the influence of which tissue coagulation occurs.
Contraindications to minimally invasive procedures - treatment of stage 2 hemorrhoids without surgery are thrombosis of nodes, as well as paraproctitis that a person has.
First aid for exacerbation
The first action in case of exacerbation of hemorrhoids should be a visit to the proctologist and strict adherence to all recommendations.
If it is not possible to urgently visit a doctor, you must follow the following recommendations before visiting the clinic:
Recovery period
- Maintain bed rest. During an exacerbation of the disease, you should not move much, as this can cause prolapse of the nodes and increased bleeding.
- You need to take a sedative, because anxiety can make the situation worse.
- Limit intake of fatty, spicy, smoked foods, flour products and sweets. You cannot drink alcoholic beverages or smoke.
- Add fiber-rich vegetables to your diet. To facilitate the elimination process, you need to eat salads made from fresh carrots, cucumbers with vegetable oil, eat prunes and kiwi.
- Observing personal hygiene will help relieve the exacerbation of recurrent hemorrhoids at home: washing the anus with cool water after going to the toilet, bathing in chamomile and plantain decoctions, refusing toilet paper in favor of wet wipes with a therapeutic effect.
- If you experience very severe pain during bowel movements, you can take a mild laxative.
- Traditional medicine gives advice on how to relieve exacerbation of chronic hemorrhoids. Bleeding will be stopped by a decoction of viburnum bark taken orally. Local compresses made from aspen leaves and lubricating the anus with sea buckthorn oil will help relieve inflammation. For the same purpose, it is recommended to use candles made from ice, potatoes, propolis and honey.
Surgical techniques
If there is no significant improvement in the patient’s condition after conservative and minimally invasive treatment for grade 2 internal hemorrhoids, treatment will be carried out by a surgeon. Today, two main surgical intervention techniques are used: Milligan-Morgan or Longo.
With an open hemorrhoidectomy, not only the hemorrhoids are excised, but also the areas of mucosa next to them. As a rule, this operation is used when combining varicose veins of the rectum with anal fissures. To reduce tissue trauma and quickly stop bleeding, electrocoagulators are used. The recovery period may take 3–4 weeks.
Whereas with intervention using the Longo method, the operation time takes 30–50 minutes, and the hospital stay is no more than 2–3 days. Hemorrhoidal nodes are not excised, but sutured and, as it were, pulled up. Blood supply becomes worse, and defects are rejected by the body.
For stage 2 hemorrhoids treatment , the doctor’s advice must be strictly followed. The earlier surgery is performed, the better the prognosis.
Treatment methods
When treating exacerbation of combined hemorrhoids, it is recommended to use ointment and suppositories simultaneously. Suppositories will act inside the rectum, directly at the site of inflammation, reducing the intensity of the process and relieving painful symptoms. In this case, ointments are applied externally, affecting external nodes and prolapsed formations, relieving sensations of itching, burning, fogging, and relieving eczema of the anal area.
To quickly achieve the effect of therapy, it is necessary to include oral medications in the treatment. The drugs “Detralex” and “Venarus” in tablet form are recommended to be taken during the period of exacerbation of hemorrhoids according to a special regimen specified in the instructions for the drugs.
If internal chronic hemorrhoids worsen, you can start using Hepatrombin G suppositories, which, thanks to the combined composition, relieve several symptoms of the disease at once and quickly cope with inflammation. In case of severe bleeding, it is better to use suppositories with methyluracil, known for their regenerative and hemostatic properties. Natalsid suppositories have a similar effect. For severe pain, anesthetics will help - “Aurobin”, “Relief Advance”, “Anestezol”.
The most common question from patients in proctology departments is the following: how long does an exacerbation of chronic hemorrhoids last? In each specific case, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the course of the disease, the nature of work, eating habits, body type and the presence of allergies. On average, the acute condition resolves two weeks after the relapse, if the therapy is selected correctly and the patient follows the doctor’s recommendations.
Causes of second degree hemorrhoids
The formation of grade 1–2 hemorrhoids is the result of pathological changes in the vascular wall of the veins that drain blood with metabolic products in it from the rectum. In some areas, expansions and protrusions appear - hemorrhoidal bumps, which can become inflamed and bleed.
Provoking factors contributing to the appearance of second-degree hemorrhoids :
- uncorrected diet – addiction to heavy, spicy foods;
- physical inactivity – sedentary work, lack of sports activities;
- for women – pregnancy and subsequent childbirth;
- excess weight – every “extra” kilogram makes the situation worse;
- dehydration - living in an area with a hot climate, working in workshops with dry air;
- carrying heavy loads – for loaders, weightlifters;
- constipation - defecation is accompanied by a sharp jump in intra-abdominal pressure.
The venous walls in the rectal canal are stretched and deformed - stage two hemorrhoids become chronic.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine offers a large number of remedies to alleviate acute conditions during exacerbation of chronic recurrent hemorrhoids. First of all, homeopaths say, it is important to stop taking hot baths and organize therapy with low temperatures. A cool shower, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the blood vessels of the whole body, baths with chilled herbal decoctions, ice candles - all these are well-known techniques for combating the disease. But it should be remembered that this method is not suitable for everyone, since its use can cause inflammation of the female organs or prostatitis in men.
If chronic hemorrhoids worsen, treatment at home may include the use of garlic-based products, known for their ability to reduce blood viscosity. Candles are made from it, greased or oiled before use. Garlic is boiled in milk, taking the remedy after meals. Some traditional medicine experts have gone further - they advise eating several cloves of garlic a day, washed down with milk.
Another popular recipe for a remedy for an unpleasant illness: pour boiling water over nettle, infuse, strain, and consume internally. The plant contains many vitamins, large amounts of calcium and minerals. Treatment with it normalizes blood composition and helps strengthen blood vessels. External hemorrhoids are treated with potato compresses. The tubers are grated, lightly squeezed, placed in gauze, and applied to the anus for fifteen minutes. The method is effective because after using potatoes, not only pain and itching go away, but even the size of the nodules decreases.
Diet rules
To consolidate the positive results of drug therapy and live a normal life without exacerbations of hemorrhoids, you need to make adjustments to your usual routine and, first of all, adjust your diet.
Gentle diet
- You should avoid eating food cooked in a frying pan in large amounts of oil. Stewing should become the main type of heat treatment of products. It is acceptable to bake lean meat, game or fish in foil.
- You need to eat fractionally - five to six times a day, in small portions. This schedule has a positive effect on the functioning of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Food is digested faster and absorbed better.
- You should drink up to two liters of fluid a day, which will protect you from constipation. It is better to drink clean water or natural fruit drinks; you should refrain from drinking tea and coffee.
- Alcohol can provoke an exacerbation of chronic hemorrhoids, what to do in this case? Completely stop drinking alcoholic beverages, which thicken the blood and cause swelling.
The daily diet should include:
- low-fat vegetable soups.
- fresh vegetables and fruits.
- grain or rye bread.
- kefir, yoghurt, low-fat sour cream and cheese.
- crumbly porridge.
- eggs.
- marshmallow, honey, nuts.
Following a diet will provide significant assistance in exacerbating chronic hemorrhoids. However, as improvements appear, it is important to continue to eat properly to prevent relapses of the disease in the future.
Prevention
If a person is concerned about the question “why does hemorrhoids often worsen?”, he should pay attention to the preventive measures that need to be taken so that the disease does not return.
Doctor gives recommendations
- Walk more, do gymnastics, exercise.
- Eat right, don't drink alcohol. Drink more clean water.
- Maintain a daily routine. Develop the habit of going to the toilet at the same hours.
- Stop using toilet paper.
- Carry out hygiene procedures more carefully, and do not forget about them after the symptoms of hemorrhoids disappear.
Exacerbation of chronic hemorrhoids can have different causes, but with a more careful attitude to your health, it is quite possible to get rid of frequent relapses of the disease.