Hemorrhoids: An early visit to the doctor saves the knife

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Itching and pain in the buttocks - enlarged hemorrhoids can be extremely annoying. Most of those affected try to treat their symptoms themselves with home remedies and ointments. Because most of them are embarrassed to talk about their problem - even to their doctor. False shame is not appropriate: those who go to the doctor early can possibly save themselves an operation.

Everyone has hemorrhoids. They are cavernous bodies that consist of a network of blood vessels. They run in a ring in the mucous membrane above the sphincter and together with it seal the anus.

False shame delays a doctor's visit

Around 70 percent of all adults will develop problems with hemorrhoids at some point in their life. But only about four percent of those affected seek help from a doctor, reports the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases. The experts recommend consulting a family doctor or specialist at the first sign. Typical symptoms are itching, burning and pain in the anal area as well as blood when defecating or on toilet paper. If patients delay treatment, the damaged blood vessels in the anus often have to be treated surgically.

Many operations would be avoidable

"Of the around 50,000 hemorrhoid operations in Germany every year, a large part could be prevented if patients went to the doctor earlier," suspects Dr. Peter Meier from Henriettenstift in Hanover. If patients see a doctor at the first sign, simple treatment methods such as stool regulating medication, physical activity, and high-fiber diet are sufficient to get the problem under control in more than 95 percent of cases.

Rule out other causes

A visit to the doctor is also necessary to rule out other causes for the symptoms. Because eczema, fungi or infections with herpes or human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause similar symptoms and must be treated accordingly.

Hemorrhoid diseases are becoming more and more common in industrialized countries. An unfavorable diet, lack of exercise and obesity all contribute to this. "If you eat too one-sided and low in fiber, this often leads to constipation," explains Meier. When going to the toilet, the pressure on the hemorrhoids increases. The blood backlog causes the vessels with the mucous membrane to bulge outwards and cause problems.

Source: An early specialist visit can prevent surgery, press release by the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS), 27.0.2016

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