External hemorrhoids during pregnancy: how to treat

Hemorrhoidal disease can appear at any age, regardless of gender. Very often pregnant women suffer from this pathology.

Most women who apply to a proctologist are worried about external hemorrhoids during pregnancy. It worsens the quality of life, causing a lot of inconvenience, manifests itself in severe pain.

If this disease is detected, it should be treated immediately. The period of bearing a child is a contraindication to many methods of therapy.

How to determine this disease, what are the causes and how to treat the disease, you should learn more.

Features of the disease

Proctologists distinguish internal and external hemorrhoids during pregnancy. With external hemorrhoids, an abnormal process occurs when varicose veins in the vessels of the small pelvis occur, affecting the hemorrhoidal cones.

External hemorrhoidal disease includes an uncomplicated form of the inflammatory process in the rectum with prolapse of hemorrhoid nodes from the anus, but an independent pathology.

External hemorrhoids are formed with an increase in cavernous formations located under the epithelium around the sphincter in the anal area.

In remission, the pathology does not bother the pregnant woman. Exacerbation of the disease leads to the formation of blood clots, accompanied by acute pain.

In the absence of proper treatment, the muscular apparatus of the anorectal zone is weakened.

This leads to a strong protrusion of the knots, they begin to sag, preventing the expectant mother from leading her usual lifestyle. Additionally, there is a risk of deterioration during labor.

Causes of pathology

The period of bearing a child is a natural process that is not related to pathological changes.

During this period, the woman's body undergoes many changes, leading to hemorrhoids.

The main reason for the development of hemorrhoidal disease is a violation of blood circulation in the venous vessels of the cavernous formations.

They are located on the outer part of the anal canal. These education are provoked by congenital or acquired insufficiency.

If the venous outflow is impaired, blood stagnation forms, leading to the expansion of the cavernous bodies.

Muscle tissues are under great stress, the formation and increase of nodules occurs. They are well felt through the perineum.

Not every woman develops external hemorrhoids during pregnancy, even if she has a predisposition to this.

There are reasons provoking this ailment:

• The uterus exerts pressure on the venous vessels in the pelvic region. As the fetus develops, it gains mass by putting pressure on the blood vessels in the pelvis. This leads to impaired blood flow, the formation of stagnation of blood, hemorrhoids are stretched. Symptoms are affected by the size of the fetus and uterine sac. The larger they are, the more pronounced the unpleasant symptoms of the disease due to stagnation. The most difficult period for pathology occurs in the last months of pregnancy.
• Constipation. With the onset of pregnancy, hormones are rearranged to reduce the tone of the uterus. This natural phenomenon provides natural protection against spontaneous abortion. At the same time, the tone in the intestines decreases, which leads to difficulties in emptying the intestines. Hard stools can compress veins and injure the mucous membrane.
• Sedentary lifestyle. In the early stages of pregnancy, many pregnant women lead an active life and are constantly on the move. Therefore, hemorrhoids are very rare. As the gestation period increases, the motor activity of the expectant mother decreases. She devotes more time to rest and sleep. As a result, blood flow in the anal canal is disrupted, bumps are formed.
• The diet is changing. Many women change their usual menu to reflect changes in taste preferences. There is a constant need for smoked meats, pickles, spicy dishes. All this provokes blood flow to the veins of the rectum, blood stagnation is formed, developing into nodular formations.

Therefore, external hemorrhoids during pregnancy occurs in the presence of a predisposition or by exposure to provoking factors.

Symptoms

The disease can be recognized by some signs. The first symptom of pathology is severe pain in the anal area.

They can appear suddenly or during bowel movements. Another reason for the onset of pain is sitting or standing for a long time.

An increase in pain is noted when sneezing, coughing, and physical activity. The nature of the pain can be mild or excruciating.

Additionally, the following symptoms are noted:

• itching sensation;
• burning sensation;
• cracks in the anus;
• discharge.

The manifestation of bleeding is noted less often than during rectal hemorrhoids. Bloody spots are found on underwear, towels, napkins, and not in feces.

The bumps are well felt in the anal valve area. They often hurt a lot. With an increase in nodules, the patient may feel a foreign body in the anus.

With the development of the inflammatory process, the pain syndrome increases, the body temperature rises.

Complications

With such a pathology, complications can develop. They are represented by inflammation of the nodes, the formation of a blood clot.

Both complications often occur at the same time. Blood clots in venous vessels form in one of the hemorrhoidal cones.

The woman experiences unbearable pain, which does not depend on the acts of defecation. Each patient has her own pain threshold, the size of the blood clots does not affect the nature of the pain.

The nodes acquire a blue tint, swell. In the absence of proper treatment, the edema spreads to adjacent tissues, leading to an inflammatory process.

Inflammation goes through several phases of development:

• Pain, itching and burning sensation intensify. This symptomatology is aggravated by acts of defecation, the use of junk food - pickles, pickles, spicy foods, smoked meats. The nodule thickens, swells.
• Symptoms intensify, redness of the skin around the node is noted, and swelling increases. It is impossible to touch education due to unbearable pain.
• The inflammatory process affects the subcutaneous fat tissue, adjacent areas. The skin turns blue, becomes crimson. Partial necrotization is possible, pronounced seals are palpable.

A strong inflammatory process can lead to serious consequences, including pararectal abscess, pathological fistulas.

Mandatory emergency medical care is required, since pus can penetrate the placenta to the child, causing harm to his health.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing external hemorrhoids during pregnancy is very simple. At a proctologist's appointment, the doctor conducts compulsory palpation and digital examination.

In order to clarify the diagnosis, you will need to undergo sigmoidoscopy. The procedure consists in introducing a special apparatus into the cavity of the anal canal to study the state of the intestine.

Additionally, an irrigoscopy is prescribed. It allows you to determine the severity of the course of the disease. With the use of contrast, an x-ray of the intestine is performed.

With pathology, specific complaints and symptoms may appear. Based on this information, the doctor can quickly diagnose.

With a timely visit to a doctor, you can make a diagnosis, prescribe the correct treatment. This will quickly get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of the disease, prevent the development of serious complications.

Treatment

When making an accurate diagnosis, the question arises, how to treat external hemorrhoids while carrying a child?

Only the attending physician can answer this question, since the body of each woman is individual.

There are several methods of treating pathology:

• drug therapy;
• surgical intervention;
• folk recipes.

After a thorough diagnosis, the doctor will select the safest and most effective treatment.

Drug therapy

The safest way to treat hemorrhoids during pregnancy is traditional conservative therapy.

Only approved drugs are used during this period. Only a doctor should prescribe medications; treatment should take place under his personal supervision.

For these purposes, gels, ointments, and creams are carefully selected:

• Relief, Relief Advance. The ointment contains shark liver, which is an anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, hemostatic, anesthetic substance. The composition includes phenylephrine, which constricts blood vessels. Relief Advance contains benzocaine, which has an analgesic effect.
• Fleming's ointment. The composition contains extracts of medicinal herbs, which have an anti-inflammatory, tonic effect on the venous walls, relieve puffiness. Due to the zinc content, wounds are dried, menthol soothes pain.
• Vishnevsky ointment. Due to natural components (birch tar, castor oil oils), the severity of all symptoms of the disease is effectively reduced. The drug is aimed at stopping inflammation and infection, quickly regenerates tissues.
• Bezornil. The natural preparation of Chinese healers is safe and effective. Applicable at any stage of pregnancy. Contraindication - individual intolerance to the composition of the drug.
• Hepatrombin G. The main components are heparin, lauromacrogol. The composition fights against blood clotting, blood clots, inflammation. The drug is hormonal, therefore it is not used in the 1st trimester.
• Heparin ointment. Applied from the 2nd trimester. Contains heparin, which promotes the resorption of blood clots, prevents the appearance of new blood clots. The contained benzocaine relieves pain and itching.
• Posterized. The composition includes inactivated bacteria responsible for stimulating local immunity. I block inflammatory processes, relieve pain, relieve itching, burning.

For effective therapy, venotonic drugs are prescribed. These include Detralex, Troxevasin, Flebodia 600, Venarus.

They actively fight venous insufficiency. Thanks to the composition, the walls of the blood vessels are strengthened, the tone in the veins increases, and blood stagnation in the pelvic area is prevented.

Surgical intervention

With the ineffectiveness of conservative therapy, complications before childbirth are possible. In this case, the doctor prescribes an operative surgical intervention.

This situation is very rare, since any operation using anesthesia can negatively affect the child.

The list of procedures for such a pathology during pregnancy is limited. The following techniques are used:

• Cryodestruction. Under the influence of extremely low temperatures, the affected tissues and nodules are frozen. After a while, they die off, disappear. The procedure does not cause bleeding, pain, leaves no scars or stitches.
• Infrared laser coagulation. With radiation, coagulation of proteins located in blood vessels is achieved. This leads to the death of the nodes due to the cutoff of the recharge.

In the event of a pararectal abscess, the formation of a blood clot in the vessels, rectal fissures, these methods are not used.

Traditional therapy

It is not uncommon for pregnant women to resort to alternative medicine. It can be beneficial, but it cannot be done on its own.

You should definitely consult with your doctor. There are such treatment methods:

• sitz baths;
• ointments;
• compresses.

All of them are made on the basis of natural ingredients - medicinal plants, essential oils, vegetables and fruits.

A well-known remedy is sea buckthorn oil. They are impregnated with a gauze bandage, applying it to the affected area.

For the baths, decoctions of medicinal herbs are prepared, which are added to cool water. The procedure is carried out under the supervision of a physician.

External hemorrhoids appear in many pregnant women during the period of gestation. This pathology cannot be ignored, but immediately seek help from doctors.

Self-treatment is unacceptable, since you can harm not only a pregnant woman, but also her developing fetus.

With a timely visit to the doctor, proper treatment and the implementation of all the recommendations of a specialist, the disease will recede.

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