MEDICATIONS
Medications cannot cure hemorrhoids, but they can help relieve symptoms. You might try one or more of the following nonprescription remedies:
OTHER TREATMENT
Occasionally, increased pressure on external hemorrhoids causes them to break and bleed. The bleeding causes a lump (clotted hemorrhoid) to form.
PREVENTION
You can help prevent the irritating and painful symptoms of hemorrhoids by following the steps outlined below.
AVOID CONSTIPATION
To decrease symptoms from hemorrhoids, avoid constipation:
WHAT INCREASES YOUR RISK
Certain bowel habits, physical stresses, and other conditions increase a person's risk for developing hemorrhoids or can make existing hemorrhoids worse. Some of these factors can be prevented, some cannot.
HOME TREATMENT
Home treatment, which mainly involves establishing healthy bowel habits (see the Prevention section in this topic), may keep your hemorrhoids from getting worse.
SURGERY
Surgery is not needed to treat most hemorrhoids. It is usually considered only after other treatments (including home treatment) have failed.
EXAMS AND TESTS
A number of conditions that affect the end portion of the large intestine (anal canal) and colon (large intestine) can cause bleeding, mucous drainage, itching, and discomfort.
Hemorrhoids develop when pressure on the veins in the pelvic area builds up over months to years, causing veins in the end portion of the large intestine (anal canal) to swell and gradually stretch out of shape.
WHEN TO CALL A DOCTOR
People may think that their symptoms are caused by hemorrhoids, and yet they may have other serious health problems. Cancer of the large intestine and other conditions have many of the same symptoms as hemorrhoids.
