Hemorrhoids Are A pain, But these Shots Help And Don’t Hurt
In Los Angeles, and in all cities across the United States, people have hemorrhoids. In fact, the majority of adults have them. Hemorrhoids are a major source of confusion, laughter and trips to the drug store for remedies. When the store bought remedies and the home remedies fail to help, a trip to the proctologist, also known as a colon and rectal surgeon, is the next stop.
The proctologist has a large bag of tricks that has been accumulated over many years. For the most part, the treatments are successful, and surgery is a rare event. High on the list is hemorrhoidal sclerotherapy, or injections.
What Helps?
Anything that you can do at home, that you have found useful, will be adequate to treat your symptoms. This assumes of course that you have seen a physician and have been evaluated for other, more serious causes of your symptoms.
Home remedies include stool softeners, vaseline, sitz baths to soothe the area and the avoidance of any foods that bother you. If none of the above help, visit your proctologist for relief.
Sclerotherapy. Shots. To The Rescue.
Hemorrhoids are nothing more that a collection of arteries, veins, nerves and connective tissue. They are present at birth and actually help us ease our bowel movements through the anal canal. There are usually three hemorrhoidal groups. When they enlarge, for whatever reason, they become irritated and cause symptoms such as bleeding, itching, pain, a mucus discharge and prolapse, or protrusion from the anal opening.
One of the oldest and most reliable treatments is sclerotherapy. The theory behind sclerotherapy is that when the medicine is injected next to the hemorrhoid, a microscopic inflammation is created. It heals by scarring. The scar entraps the hemorrhoid and pulls it inward, thus, shrinking it. The hemorrhoid is not removed or cured, it simply is smaller, and, hopefully asymptomatic. A series of injections may be required.
What’s In It? Why Is It Painless?
The sclerotherapy medicine is a dilute solution of phenol, a chemical irritant, mixed in olive oil as a carrier. Approximately ½ to 1 cc is administered with each shot. The shots are painless because the solution is injected in an area of the anal canal that has few, if any, classical pain fibers. You may feel a slight fullness as the area stretches to accommodate the solution. This part of the canal does have stretch receptors.
One shot may be enough to do the job, or a series of shots may be needed. It depends on your symptoms and your response to the treatment. The results may be permanent or may be temporary. Many people choose to have periodic shots to control the symptoms. The feeling is that an occasional hemorrhoid shot is better than having an operation.
Los Angeles Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates.
The surgeons of Los Angeles Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates are trained in all aspects of care for diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. By calling (310)273-2310, you can schedule a consultation and begin the therapy necessary to take care of your particular problem. The visit is confidential and you will be able to ask the questions you need to ask in order to understand your diagnosis and planned treatment.
