
I was feeling very scared when I looked down the toilet last week and saw bright red blood in the toilet and on the toilet paper – I asked myself ‘have I got something seriously wrong with me?’
No was the answer, what a relief! After a visit to my doctor I found out I have haemorrhoids or piles as they are also known. Piles are a very common, yet never talked about problem that affect most people at some time in their lives. In fact, about half of the population will have experienced piles by the age of 50. Piles cause huge discomfort and at their worst can become thrombosed or prolapsed, however, they are not usually life threatening and there are lots of piles treatment options available.
Interestingly piles are more common in those of a higher socioeconomic class and in those who live in rural areas. Getting piles has been viewed as a symptom of indulging too much in the good things in life!
What causes piles? I asked my doctor. In a nutshell, they result from too much pressure on the hemorrhoidal veins. This can result from a variety of reasons including obesity, age, pregnancy, constipation, diarrhoea, hereditary factors, sitting for long amounts of time, poor diet and a lack of exercise is a frequent piles cause. Pregnant women and older people tend to suffer the worse with piles.
Depending on the type and on the degree of the hemorrhoid there are many types of piles treatment on the market. Treatments range from hydrotherapy to creams and lotions and suppositories to surgery. Generally piles are treated with a variety of simple and effective solutions.
Although piles are generally benign the symptoms caused by them can be very uncomfortable and embarrassing - itching, bleeding, burning, pain and discomfort are not nice!
In most cases, symptoms from piles disappear in a few days.