The Importance of Colon Screening for Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids develop when veins in the anal canal form a small bulge in the side. This happens when pressure builds in the vein causing stress, it’s this pressure that causes the wall to bulge out, and the bulge is the hemorrhoid. With external hemorrhoids, you may be able to see or feel the hemorrhoid as a small bump at the anal opening. External hemorrhoids cause pain, itching, swelling, burning and bleeding. Internal hemorrhoids are located within the anal canal and can’t be seen or felt without a colon exam. With internal hemorrhoids you may not have any pain or discomfort because these hemorrhoids are located in an area of the anal canal with no pain sensors, so bleeding may be the only indicator of a problem.
When it comes to colon health, it’s important that you don’t ignore early symptoms. Although hemorrhoids are the most likely the cause of anorectal symptoms, there are other colon diseases such as colon cancer and polyps that can have the same symptoms. This is why preventative colon screening is recommended for everyone over the age of 50 and anyone who may have hemorrhoid like symptoms. But not only is screening important to catch these more serious health risks, it also allows your doctor to see your hemorrhoids and advise you on a hemroid treatment plan. The earlier you get diagnosed and start treating your hemorrhoids, the more likely it is that you can prevent your hemorrhoids from developing complications.
One potential complication that you can potentially avoid with early treatment is prolapse; this is when internal hemorrhoids become so distended that they can actually fall out of the anal canal. In some cases these prolapsed hemorrhoids can reduce on their own, this is a Grade II hemorrhoid. Prolapsed hemorrhoids that can be manually reinserted into the anal canal are Grade III hemorrhoids, but if they can no longer be manually reinserted this is a grade IV hemroid which is the most serious grade. Once prolapse occurs, internal hemorrhoids can become more painful and difficult to treat, so the earlier you start treatment, the better off you will be.
Related posts: