Hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids, although often considered trivial, often bother sufferers because of pain, discomfort, and even bleeding when defecating. However, sufferers often hesitate to see a doctor for various reasons, one of which is embarrassment. Understanding hemorrhoids is very important to educate so that sufferers receive appropriate treatment.
Hemorrhoids or in medical terms hemorrhoids is a condition where the blood vessels at the end of the large intestine (internal hemorrhoids) and the veins in the anus area (external hemorrhoids) are swollen and inflamed.
Symptoms of internal hemorrhoids include:
- Pain and heat in the anal area
- Bloody stools
These internal hemorrhoids can be further divided based on their size and severity, ranging from degree one to degree four. In grade one, a small swelling appears inside the anus wall and is not visible from outside the anus. In second degree the swelling is larger and comes out of the anus during defecation and can re-enter after defecating. Grade three has one or several lumps hanging in the anus but the lumps can only go back in by pushing. Grade four is when there is a large lump hanging in the anus but cannot be pushed back.
External hemorrhoids or external hemorrhoids are the most uncomfortable type of hemorrhoid, because they are located around the anal canal and close to the skin area, so they can cause skin erosion and irritation. If blood clots occur in the veins, sudden pain will occur.
Symptoms of external hemorrhoids include:
- Feels sore, hot, and sometimes itchy in the anus
- There is a lump in the area around the anus
- Bloody bowel movements
Some ways to treat hemorrhoids are by consuming foods that are high in fiber, drinking more water, not straining when defecating, not sitting or squatting on the toilet for too long, sitting in a container with warm water or what is also called a "sitz bath". times a day to reduce pain.
If you have been using hemorrhoid medicine sold in pharmacies for more than a week and there has been no improvement in your symptoms, you are expected to immediately see a doctor to analyze whether you need surgery to remove the hemorrhoids or not.
One action that can be carried out is the HAL-RAR (Hemorrhoid Artery Ligation with Recto Anal Repair) method, which is a procedure where the doctor will tie the large blood vessels in the anus and repair the lump using a Doppler device. This is often chosen to avoid minimally invasive procedures without a scalpel.
With the many choices of surgical and treatment methods nowadays, it is hoped that hemorrhoid sufferers will no longer be hesitant and embarrassed to see a doctor.
Article written by dr. Irawan Sukarno, Sp. B, FICS (General Surgeon Specialist at EMC Cikarang Hospital).