When you feel the pain and itch of hemorrhoids, it might not even dawn on you that there are different types and severities of hemorrhoids until it gets so bad that you visit your doctor.
Types of Hemorrhoids
There are a few different types of hemorrhoids, each with their own specific characteristics. Knowing the symptoms of each type may help you in determining what sort you have and what the best hemorrhoid treatments are for your particular problem.
External Hemorrhoids are visible and can be felt outside the anal canal. They can be very uncomfortable and make you feel like there is something there that doesn’t belong. They can itch, be painful, and swell up to make sitting difficult. They can also make it painful to have a bowel movement and to wipe afterwards.
When you have external hemorrhoids, they can become Thrombosed Hemorrhoids if a blood clot develops. This would mean that the affected vein has ruptured, and it can be very painful. Sometimes, thrombosed hemorrhoids bleed a lot and may require surgery to repair.
Internal Hemorrhoids are hemorrhoids inside the anal canal or rectum. Sometimes, there is no pain with internal hemorrhoids, because there aren’t pain receptors inside the rectum. If you have this type of hemorrhoid, you may not even know it until you see blood when you have a bowel movement. If internal hemorrhoids are not treated, then Prolapsed Hemorrhoids or Strangulated Hemorrhoids may occur.
Prolapsed hemorrhoids are really internal hemorrhoids that have been pushed out of the anus by becoming distended and swollen. If a prolapsed hemorrhoid becomes trapped outside of the anal canal, then the blood supply can be cut off, and it becomes a strangulated hemorrhoid.
Treating the Type
External hemorrhoids which are not bleeding and not thrombosed may be treated with a hemorrhoid cream, ointment, warm baths, witch hazel, or another soothing and healing remedy. Mild internal hemorrhoids can be treated with suppositories of hemorrhoid cream, witch hazel, and possibly by taking a supplement. There are many home remedies to try, and some of them have been said to work wonders.
There are more invasive treatments for thrombosed, prolapsed, and strangulated hemorrhoids. These include rubber band ligation, hemorrhoid surgery, and laser coagulation (an electric current being delivered to the area, shutting down the blood supply to the hemorrhoid).
Finding the right treatments may depend on finding out what type of hemorrhoids you have. If you are not sure, consulting your doctor will help you get the information you need to make sure that what you use is the best option for treating your hemorrhoids.
You can also use the Internet to find the newest and most recommended hemorrhoid treatments available. Doing research is always a good idea before making a final decision as to what treatments to try, as it helps to know what to expect. You can also find ways to combine hemorrhoid treatments in order to get the best and fastest results. Hemorrhoids may be painful, but the sooner they are taken care of, the less trouble you will have with them.