What are Piles? and Treatment of Piles?

About Piles

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What are Piles?

"Hemorrhoids" are like Cushions, composed of arterio- venus channels & Connective tissues, in anal canal, which helps in regulation or control of stools. Due to excessive stress sometimes they become pathological or "Piles “with symptoms of Swelling & inflammation. Condition is known as "Varicose Veins inflammation" in ano-rectal region.

Piles can be internal & external & initially can be characterized by slight pain & itching sensation while defecation, later on it becomes worse with daily bleeding & pain along with external or internal lumps or lobules like structures. Piles can come at any age, but they’re most common in age groups of 45 to 65. It’s difficult to exactly know the number of people getting piles, but in UK, between four and thirty people in every 100 are thought to get piles or hemorrhoids in their life span piles are very common during pre & post pregnancy. They may develop due to hormonal changes (chemicals) in your body and the increased pressure in your abdomen, although doctors aren't sure. However condition improves & gets better once your baby is born.

Types of Piles

Depending on the origin & morphology Piles or Hemorrhoids are broadly classified as

  • Internal Piles (Hemorrhoids): Occurs in Anal Canal & Rectum.
  • External Piles (Hemorrhoids): Outside Anal Canal near anal opening.
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Internal Piles are further classified as

  • Grade-I : Hemorrhoids (Piles) are still in the interior anal canal & there is no protrusion or prolapsed. However there is minor itching or pain.
  • Grade-II : Hemorrhoids (Piles) are similar to grade-I however bleeding is also observed at this stage. Additionally some small protrusion will come outside during bowels & reverts back to its original position.
  • Grade-II : Hemorrhoids (Piles) are similar to grade-I however bleeding is also observed at this stage. Additionally some small protrusion will come outside during bowels & reverts back to its original position.
  • Grade-IV : This is a final stage and haves all symptoms of earlier stage except haemorrhoids can no longer be manipulated back into place in the rectum.

Symptoms Of Piles

Piles don’t always cause pain or other symptoms. Other symptoms are

  • Bleeding along with bowel movement – you may see blood on toilet paper or on your faeces.
  • A lump in or around your anus.
  • A feeling that your bowels haven’t emptied completely.
  • Watery discharge or mucous from anus, or leaking faeces.
  • Itchy or sore skin around your anus.
  • Pain and discomfort during or after a bowel movement. Above symptoms can be caused by problems other than piles, such as inflammatory bowel disease, anal cancer, bowel cancer & anal fissure (tear) so always consult your Doctor in such conditions.
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Cases of Piles

Modern Lifestyle, Junk food, Stress, improper eating habits accounted for a majority of Ano-rectal complications like Piles, Fissures & Fistula. In all Ano-rectal diseases major contribution is of a Varicose veins inflammation which in normal terms are swollen veins. There can be a lot of reasons for these ailments however the basic reasons are

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  • Improper eating habits,Junk food.
  • Straining to empty your bowels, for example if you have constipation.
  • Indigestion & Prolonged Constipation.
  • Ageing – as you get older you may be more likely to get piles because your anal canal weakens.
  • Diarrhoea lasting a long time.
  • Long-term coughing.
  • Having a family history of piles.
  • Excessive Oily, Spicy, fatty & Non-Veg food.
  • Lack Of High Fiber Diet.
  • Long sitting working hours.
  • Prolong use of Antibiotics & Allopathic drugs.
  • Pregnancy & Overweight.
  • Excessive Heavy weight lifting.
  • Liver is not working or acting with full vigor.

Prevention Of Piles

Small changes in lifestyle can make your bowels regular & faeces soft, thus preventing constipation and piles.

  • Eat plenty of fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereal, wholegrain rice and pasta, nuts, beans and pulses. Aim to eat 20 to 30g of fibre a day. As a guide, half a cup of bran cereal contains nearly 10g of fibre and a medium-sized apple has about 3.5g.
  • Drink plenty of fluids & have lite but regular exercise.
  • Avoid caffeinated drinks & Alcohol.
  • Avoid sitting for long time in same place.
  • Don’t fight the urge, when you have to go, go. This is one of the simplest ways to prevent Piles. “Ignoring Nature's Call has its own risks, and hemorrhoids are one of them”.
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FAQ’S About Piles (Hemorrhoids)

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Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, are enlarged veins situated in or around the back passage (anus). They occur when these blood vessels become swollen or pathological.

Under pressure the blood vessels in and around the anus stretch & becomes inflamed. Chronic coughing and lots of heavy lifting are common ways that pressure in the abdomen is increased and that in turn results in increased pressure in the veins located around the anus. Pregnancy, being overweight and childbirth can also cause piles.

As straining on the toilet is one of the common cause for piles to develop, avoiding constipation and having to strain is important to improve symptoms. Eating a healthy diet, having plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre, drinking plenty of water, keeping active and keeping stress levels under control & proper sleep will help in regular & proper bowels. Ayurvedic ingredients like trifla are very common in avoiding constipation.

No, skin tags aren't the same as piles, but you may have them if you get piles. Usually, you won’t need any treatment for skin tags. Taking care to clean around any skin tags after every bowel movement will reduce soreness and itching

No. This is a very common belief but it’s a myth. Sitting on hard or cold surfaces may make haemorrhoids feel more uncomfortable for those people who already have them but will not actually cause Piles. Ignoring the urge to go to the toilet, inactivity, missing breakfast or eating on the go, however, can cause constipation, which makes straining and consequently haemorrhoids more likely.

Ice packs help reduce swelling and sitting in a warm bath filled with plain water for 5-10 minutes three times a day will relieve symptoms too. Try not to sit for long periods of time since this may cause more irritation. You can visit your Doctor for advice on treatment to relieve pain and irritation. Stool softeners can be used to get the bowels working properly again and help to eliminate the need to strain.

Make sure your diet contains plenty of fibre, drink lots of fluids and increase the amount of exercise you get. These measures will help prevent constipation, one of the main causes of Piles.

Sitting for long intervals on the same place increases the ano-rectal complications. Have regular breaks, in these breaks stand up and walk around. At lunchtime, take a walk, even just for minute or five.

Condition can become worsen with time, eventually leading to complications. Surgery is needed only in about 10% of patients with piles. So we should not delay in getting an early diagnosis & proper treatment. Ayurvedic medicines for piles are one of the best piles treatment options.

  • Complications Of Piles

    • Piles are very common & rarely cause any serious problems but may lead to some complications, such as
    • Formation of ulcers on external piles
    • Thrombosed piles – This is where a blood clot forms within a pile, causing severe pain.
    • Skin tags can occur when the inside of a pile shrinks back but the skin remains.
    • Mucus discharge from anus can cause the surrounding skin to get very sore and damaged.
    • Severe piles (fourth degree) can sometimes get strangulated, means they lose their blood supply & becomes very painful and causes the tissue to die.
    • Gangrene may develop from stage-IV internal Piles which can be life-threatening also.
    • Perianal abscess/sepsis may occur. As the blood vessels are directly connected to the liver, any infection in anal region can easily spread All over the body and cause serious complications like portal pyemia, septicemia, coma & death.
    • Untreated Piles or repeated piles surgery in long term can lead to very rare rectal cancer.
    • Piles can make you feel self-conscious (about having sex for example). If you need any advice, contact your Doctor.