One of our regular readers has asked us can hemorrhoids make your legs hurt? Hemorrhoids are bulging veins in the lower rectum or around the anus. By 50, almost half of all individuals suffer hemorrhoid symptoms.
Internal or external hemorrhoids may occur. Internal hemorrhoids form in the anus or the rectum. External hemorrhoids form outside the anus. Hemorrhoids are sometimes referred to as piles.
External hemorrhoids are the most frequent and inconvenient. Hemorrhoids may cause significant itching, discomfort, and trouble sitting. They are, thankfully, curable.
What Are The Symptoms Of Hemorrhoids?
The symptoms you experience are determined by the kind of hemorrhoids you have.
Internal hemorrhoids may result in:
After having a bowel movement, there is blood on the tissue.
Skin that protrudes from the anus during bowel movements
Among the external hemorrhoid symptoms are:
Itching throughout the anus
uncomfortably large lump(s) or swelling around your anus aches or pains around the anus, particularly while sitting
Hemorrhoids are not always painful. On the other hand, external hemorrhoids may sometimes cause a blood clot to develop on the skin. This is referred to as a thrombosed hemorrhoid. Internal hemorrhoids may prolapse as well. That is, they will not retract into the anus. Both prolapsed and thrombosed hemorrhoids may be very painful.
Although hemorrhoids are unpleasant, they are not life-threatening and generally resolve on their own without treatment.
Consult your doctor if you have any bleeding or dark bowel motions. Bleeding may be caused by factors other than hemorrhoids and should be investigated. Consult your doctor if your hemorrhoids do not improve after a week of home therapy.
Can Hemorrhoids Make Your Legs Hurt?
The discomfort and itching associated with external hemorrhoids and the possibility of bleeding may be aggravated by straining or wiping. Can hemorrhoids hurt legs?
Varicose veins are visible as huge blue veins on the legs in many cases. Aching, heaviness, or throbbing in your legs are all possible symptoms of this condition. Mild swelling in your ankles and feet is possible. Leg cramps are another possibility.
What Are The Causes And Risk Factors For Hemorrhoids?
It is possible to get hemorrhoids if excessive pressure on the veins around your anus. The following are examples of possible causes and risk factors:
Suffering from chronic constipation or diarrhea, as well as indulging in consistent heavy lifting or other activities that place a strain on your body, as well as being obese. Suffering from chronic constipation or diarrhea, as well as being obese.
Carrying a pregnancy while having anal sexual relations, which might exacerbate hemorrhoids (an enlarged uterus presses on the vein in the colon, causing it to bulge) having reached the age of fifty
How Are Hemorrhoids Diagnosed?
Depending on your risk factors for gastrointestinal illness, your doctor may recommend an extra test such as an anoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy to rule out any problems.
Each of these procedures involves your doctor utilizing a tiny camera to examine your anus, rectum, and colon to detect any abnormalities.
Because you get a colonoscopy, the last 2 feet (50 centimeters) of your colon are examined, whereas an anoscopy examines the interior of your anus. An anoscopy is also known as a colonoscopy when it concerns the whole colon.
During these examinations, an ultra-small fiber-optic camera is introduced into your rectum, and the results are recorded. Using this procedure, your doctor will be able to gain a good view of the interior of your rectum, allowing them to inspect hemorrhoids more closely.
What Are The Treatment Options For Hemorrhoids?
Pain Relief
Every day, spend at least 10 minutes soaking in a warm tub of water to alleviate pain and discomfort. If you have external hemorrhoids, you may also sit on a warm water bottle to reduce the discomfort.
In severe cases, an over-the-counter (OTC) medication suppository, cream, or ointment may be used to ease the burning and itching while the pain is being treated. Hemorrhoid suppositories are available both online and at retail outlets.
Fiber Supplements
Prevention
Avoid straining during a bowel movement to avoid or minimize the aggravation of hemorrhoids. Additionally, attempt to boost your water consumption. Drinking enough water might help to prevent your stool from becoming firm.
Using the bathroom as soon as you see a bowel movement coming on can help avoid the development of hemorrhoids in the future. Exercise regularly to prevent constipation and avoid sitting for extended periods on hard surfaces such as concrete or tile to avoid being constipated.
Consuming foods rich in dietary fiber may help reduce the likelihood of having hemorrhoids shortly.
Thrombosed Hemorrhoid
Blood vessels line the anal canal of a person. A hemorrhoid may occur when these blood arteries become dilated or bulging.
Hemorrhoids may occur on the inside of the anal channel or on the outside. Internal haemorrhoids are those on the inside, while external haemorrhoids are those on the outside.
When an internal or external hemorrhoid fills with blood clots, the condition is known as thrombosed haemorrhoids. The term “thrombosis” is derived from the word “clotting.” Hemorrhoids that have thrombosed might become uncomfortable and painful.
Symptoms
Thrombosed hemorrhoids cause the following symptoms:
- Itching around the anus when sitting, walking, or going to the bathroom to pass a stool puffiness or lumps around the anus while passing a stool
Thrombosed hemorrhoids may potentially get infectious, resulting in an abscess. A fever is one of the extra signs of an abscess.
Causes
Hemorrhoids are not a sign of a more serious health problem, although they may be connected to a person’s diet.
When additional pressure is applied to the anal channel, a person may develop haemorrhoids. This might be due to:
- When attempting to pass a stool, pressing too forcefully
constipation - suffering from diarrhoea
- not using the restroom on a regular basis
- being pregnant, since the baby’s weight may put strain on veins
- giving delivery, since the anal canal might be affected by the pressure
- sitting for a lengthy amount of time, such as when riding in a car
Some people with external haemorrhoids produce blood clots, but not all. Scientists are still puzzled as to why blood clots occur in certain external haemorrhoids.
Certain factors may increase the likelihood of developing haemorrhoids, including:
- consuming insufficient fibre, which may result in constipation
- pregnancy
- sitting for long periods of time
- becoming older, since tissues deteriorate with ageing
Treatment
Thrombectomy is often performed to treat thrombosed haemorrhoids. This is a minor treatment in which physicians cut the hemorrhoid and drain the blood.
Before performing the surgery, the doctor will provide an anesthetic to the patient so that they do not feel any discomfort.
This technique works best if performed a few days after blood clots form in hemorrhoids. Other therapies may be required if this is not always feasible.
If a thrombectomy fails, surgery may be necessary. There are several surgical treatments available. These are some examples:
- Hemorrhoidectomy: This is a procedure that is performed under general anesthesia to remove hemorrhoid, including the blood vessels and clot. Because it is more intrusive than other methods, it is only used in extreme instances.
- Rubber band ligation: This procedure involves wrapping an elastic band around the root of hemorrhoid. This shuts off the blood supply, causing it to shrink over many weeks.
- Stapled hemorrhoidopexy: This procedure involves the hemorrhoids being stapled in place while the patient is sedated.
Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are fairly prevalent, yet due to the nature of the condition, they are seldom discussed publicly, making them somewhat mysterious.
They were accurately defined by the AARP as “essentially varicose veins of the tush.” You probably had no idea:
- Hemorrhoids are most often caused by excessive sitting and constipation. Hemorrhoids are very common during pregnancy and childbirth.
- They’re rather common. By the age of 50, half of all individuals have them, and 75% of us will have them at some time in our lives.
- Hemorrhoids are classified into two types: internal (which may cause bleeding) and external (which are near the anal opening and can itch and burn).
- It sounds terrible. However, you do not have to endure. There are treatments available to alleviate the unpleasant sensations that haemorrhoids may bring.
Harvard Medical School recommends various remedies for haemorrhoids’ irritation:
- Consume more fibre. Choose fiber-rich foods such as beans, nuts and seeds, vegetables (such as peas and artichokes), fruits (such as pears and raspberries), and oats.
Experiment with internal lubrication. A spoonful of mineral oil mixed with applesauce or yoghurt and eaten at breakfast or lunch permits faeces to pass more easily past the hemorrhoid, although specialists caution against doing so for a lengthy period of time. (If you do this, you should put a liner in your underwear to absorb any oil leaking.) - When you have to go, GO. When you get the desire, go to the restroom right away; don’t put it off till a more convenient moment. Postponing bowel motions may cause constipation, which aggravates haemorrhoids.
- Put your feet up. Elevating your feet using a step stool while you sit on the toilet modifies the posture of the rectum, which may allow for better stools transit.
- Go to the pharmacy. Over-the-counter hemorrhoid treatments include witch hazel-infused pads and lotions such as Preparation H and its generic variants. If none of these help, see your doctor about prescription medications.
- Allow it to soak. Sitz baths may be beneficial. Soak the inflamed region in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes, two to three times a day, using a basin that fits under the toilet seat.
Home Remedies For Easing Discomfort
Some home remedies for haemorrhoids may help relieve pain and discomfort:
- Hemorrhoid cream: Using an over-the-counter hemorrhoid cream to ease discomfort may assist.
- Pain remedies: Taking over-the-counter pain medicines may help you feel better.
- Sitz bath: Soaking the afflicted region in warm water and gently patting dry several times each day may help lessen discomfort.
- Applying a cold compress or ice pack to the afflicted region may help to relieve pain and inflammation.
- Witch hazel: Applying witch hazel to the afflicted region may relieve itching and discomfort.
- Using moist wipes instead of toilet paper might help to minimise friction and discomfort in the afflicted region.
- Aloe vera: Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation may be reduced by applying pure aloe vera to the afflicted region.
- To cure haemorrhoids at home, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
- DiseasesRecommended Source suggests using a stool softener or fibre supplement. This helps passing a stool simpler, which decreases inflammation.
- Wearing loose cotton clothing: Avoid wearing tight garments made of synthetic fibres. Wearing loose cotton garments might help to decrease inflammation and keep the afflicted region dry.
When Should You See A Doctor?
If your symptoms linger more than a couple of weeks, or if you encounter noticeable consequences, such as those listed below, it’s time to consult a doctor.
Hemorrhoids are generally diagnosed based on your symptoms and a physical examination. To check for internal haemorrhoids, a digital rectal exam may be utilised, or a tiny scope may be used to search for or identify haemorrhoids inside the rectum.
When haemorrhoids get infected, they may be excruciatingly painful. Hemorrhoid patients may have the following complications:
Thrombosed haemorrhoids arise when a blood clot forms inside an external hemorrhoid.
Prolapse occurs when an internal hemorrhoid becomes big enough to press through the rectum.
Skin tags that persist on the anus after the removal of an external hemorrhoid
Bleeding may occur when haemorrhoids get inflamed and can lead to anaemia.
Infection, which is particularly dangerous when internal haemorrhoids prolapse or when an external hemorrhoid develops a painful
These sorts of issues often need surgical intervention. The good news is that, with modern surgical and anaesthetic procedures, many of these treatments may be done in the privacy of the surgeon’s office – while others may need a more extensive intervention in a hospital operating room.
Tanner surgeons give in-office hemorrhoid treatment that is quick, painless, and delivers long-term relief.
The surgeon uses a modest amount of mild suction to “raise” the hemorrhoid and wraps a thin rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid. The treatment is painless since there are no nerve endings at the root of the hemorrhoid.
The operation, also known as hemorrhoid banding or rubber band ligation, differs from previous treatments in that the band is put in such a manner that it is not painful. There is no need for a scalpel or incisions.
The hemorrhoid will come out in a day or two. Most patients are unconcerned when the hemorrhoid comes off; they are just concerned with long-term comfort.
If you have hemorrhoids or other associated issues, talk to your doctor or a Tanner surgeon about the therapies that may help you find long-term comfort.
