How Can You Treat Chronic Hemorrhoids?

Whether you developed hemorrhoids during pregnancy or have been struggling with them for years, you're likely anxious for any treatment that will provide you with permanent relief. While cremes and donut-shaped pillows can momentarily ease the itching and pain associated with these enlarged veins, they don't treat the underlying cause of hemorrhoids, and can provide only temporary pain management. However, there are now some treatments that can help permanently eliminate your hemorrhoids, with few side effects. Read on to learn more about some of your long-term hemorrhoid treatment options.

Banding

An effective and simple way to eliminate even the most stubborn hemorrhoids is "banding," or rubber band ligation. This procedure is most effective on hemorrhoids that are primarily internal -- causing bowel pain and pressure when you use the restroom, sit for too long, or even lift heavy objects, but that are often nearly invisible upon external examination.

During this procedure, your doctor will either place you under general anesthesia so that you are fully asleep, or give you a spinal block and an anti-anxiety medication so that you don't make any sudden movements. After inserting a thin scope into your anus, your doctor will use what looks like a set of long tweezers to grab the hemorrhoid from the side of the colon wall and place a rubber band tightly around the end of the vein. Because no blood can flow through the hemorrhoid, it will quickly die and fall off. You'll pass both the hemorrhoid and the rubber band with your next bowel movement, and should notice a significant decrease in pain associated with your internal hemorrhoids.

Cauterization

One of the first signs of hemorrhoids you may have noticed was a telltale pink or red smear on the toilet paper after wiping. This is due to the enlargement of the veins around your anus -- because these veins are so close to the surface of your skin, they're prone to rupturing upon even the slightest pressure. This constant injury and healing process is what causes a great deal of the itching you may be experiencing.

By placing you under general anesthesia and draining the excess blood from these veins, then sealing them with a cauterizing tool, your doctor can ensure that these veins no longer protrude from your anus, even after normal blood flow has returned to the area. This treatment is ideal for hemorrhoids that are mainly external, without significant interior swelling or distortion.

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