Hemorrhoids in men: how to treat and causes of appearance

Among the diseases that are not customary to talk about in men's circles, one is the most troublesome. Faced with this problem, representatives of the stronger sex prefer not to notice unpleasant symptoms and postpone a visit to a specialist. However, this ailment should not be kept silent. Hemorrhoids in men: how to treat and what measures should be taken when the first symptoms occur, read on.

Features of male hemorrhoids

Most of the patients facing this pathology are between the ages of 30 and 50. The peak of the development of the disease occurs at 40 years. The discomfort caused by this pathology affects not only the physical, but also the mental state: irritability and regular outbursts of aggression are observed.

Hemorrhoids are an abnormal enlargement of veins in the anus. Depending on the location of the pathology, 2 types of pathology are distinguished:

• outer;
• interior.

With prolonged inactivity, the disease flows into a chronic form, in which improvements alternate with painful manifestations of pathology. In the acute stage, pronounced painful sensations and a feeling of the presence of a foreign body in the anus appear.

Symptoms of hemorrhoids

At the first stage, mild manifestations of the disease are often ignored. The main symptoms of hemorrhoids, regardless of gender, include the following phenomena:

• bloody discharge in the stool;
• discomfort during bowel movements;
• itching;
• burning;
• loss of nodes;
• regular constipation;
• secretion of mucus during bowel movements.

Also, the pathology is accompanied by inflammatory processes.

Etiology of the disease

Male hemorrhoids are subjective in nature, so it is difficult to identify the causes of its occurrence. However, there are a number of objective factors that contribute to the onset of the disease.

Table 1. Factors contributing to the onset of the disease

Cause	Description
Genetic predisposition	The likelihood of the appearance of the disease increases if this pathology was encountered in male relatives.
Passive lifestyle	Potential carriers of the disease can be drivers, office workers and people whose activities are associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Low physical activity leads to a deterioration in blood flow in the pelvic region and creates a favorable environment for the onset of pathology.
Physical exercise	Heavy physical work or hobbies associated with lifting weights, such as barbell exercises, increase the risk of developing the disease.
Alcohol	With the frequent use of alcohol, there is an increased blood flow to the pelvic region. This is especially true for spirits.
Chronic constipation	Insufficient use of fiber, which is contained in large quantities in fruits and vegetables, or active consumption of meat products, is fraught with a slowdown in food processing. As a result, food stagnation occurs, leading to hemorrhoids.

Age-related changes, bronchitis, intestinal obstruction and tumors in the abdominal cavity are often accompanied by the formation of hemorrhoids.

Consequences of the disease

The amount of damage caused to health depends on at what stage of the disease the patient sought medical help. A timely untreated ailment leads to sad results:

1. The formation of blood clots in the veins.
2. Paraproctitis.
3. The appearance of anal fissures.
4. Hemorrhoidal anemia.
5. Pinched hemorrhoids.
6. Nonspecific colitis.
7. Cryptite.
8. Thrombosis.
9. Fistula.
10. Gas gangrene of the small pelvis.
11. Malignant tumors.

Delaying a visit to a specialist can have serious health consequences and even cost your life. If bloody discharge is found in feces, you should consult with a proctologist and carry out the necessary diagnostics. If the bleeding does not stop for several hours, an ambulance should be called.

Treatment of male hemorrhoids

When the first signs of illness appear, you should immediately seek professional help. Like any ailment, hemorrhoids are much easier to cure at the initial stages of development.

For therapy to bring good results, the methods of stopping the disease must correspond to its stage. A prerequisite for a successful recovery is to strictly adhere to the doctor's prescriptions and fully complete the course of recommended activities.

Many effective treatments have been developed:

• at the initial stages of the disease, appropriate medications are used, including rectal suppositories, and painless procedures are performed to stop bleeding;
• in severe stages, doctors solve the problem surgically or use minimally invasive techniques - sclerotherapy, cryodestruction, ligation with latex rings or photocoagulation.

Also, with hemorrhoids, a diet and a number of physical exercises are prescribed. It is possible to completely get rid of the disease only by adjusting the lifestyle and eliminating all possible risks of the return of the disease.

Conservative therapy

This method is used both at the initial stage and during the transition of the disease into a chronic form.

Features of therapy:

• general - the prevention of the disease, the use of phlebotropic drugs that tone blood vessels and improve blood circulation;
• local - relief of thrombosis and inflamed bumps, causing burning and bleeding.

Depending on the manifestations of the disease, one of the listed areas is chosen.

Table 2. Medical measures

Symptoms	Peculiarities	Recommended drugs	Photo
Painful sensations	Caused by pinched nodes and the formation of cracks in the rectum. In order to eliminate discomfort, pain relievers are prescribed.	"Posterizan"; "Proctoglivenol"; "Nefluan".
Thrombosis of nodes	Topical anticoagulants are used.	"Hepatrombin G"; ointments containing troxevasin.	"Hepatrombin"
Inflammatory processes	Medicines based on water-soluble liquid agents with pronounced anti-inflammatory properties are involved.	Levosin; "Mafinid".
Bleeding	Eliminated with adrenaline-based suppositories. They also use suppositories with a hemostatic effect, which contain thrombin.	"Adroxon"; Beriplast.

In addition to these drugs, a good anti-inflammatory effect is obtained after the use of "Prednisolone" and "Polidocanol". They have an excellent anesthetic effect and practically do not contribute to the occurrence of allergic reactions.

In our special article, find the most effective hemorrhoid ointment.

Minimally invasive therapy

Until a few decades ago, this method involved surgical intervention. The development of medical technology has made it possible to carry out more gentle procedures. The essence of therapy is an outpatient method of treating an ailment that does not involve surgical intervention.

Contraindications for the use of minimally invasive therapy:

• paraproctitis;
• thrombosis of nodes.

With strong inflammatory processes in the anus or perineum, it is not advisable to use this method. A distinctive feature of this method is the absence of anesthesia.

Table 3. Varieties of minimally invasive therapy

View	Description	Indications for use
Ligation with latex rings	A ring made of latex is placed on the leg of the hemorrhoid. Thanks to this, the lump is cut off from the blood supply. The exit from the body of the affected area occurs during bowel emptying. The duration of the procedure is 3 minutes. Course - from 3 to 6 times.	1st and 2nd degree
Sclerotherapy	It is carried out using an injection containing toxysclerol. An injection is made into the cavernous tissue of the node. It is used as an adjunct to other minimally invasive procedures. It is practically not used as an independent method.	1st and 2nd degree
Cryodestruction	Destruction of the affected tissue in the node using extremely low temperatures. Does not apply to the popular methods of removing hemorrhoids.	1, 2 and 3 degrees
Infrared photocoagulation	It is performed using infrared radiation for coagulation - treatment of vascular tissues and hemorrhoids. Used as an additional procedure.	1st and 2nd degree

All procedures are done on an outpatient basis.

Surgical treatment of hemorrhoids

Operations associated with the removal of various formations of a hemorrhoidal nature are performed using general anesthesia. In rare cases, epidural anesthesia is used. Cutting off occurs both within the framework of the classical hemorrhoidectomy, and using the Longo method.

Features of Operation Longo:

1. The procedure is performed using a circular endosteppler.
2. The stapler cuts off the affected tissues of the anus and at the same time stitches the mucous layer with titanium staples.
3. It is used for chronic stage 1 and 2 degrees. In the advanced form of the disease, it is not used as the main one, only as an addition to more effective procedures.
4. The duration of the operation is 1 hour.
5. It is done under general anesthesia.
6. Hospital stay - 2 days.
7. The postoperative period is 2 weeks.

Features of classic hemorrhoidectomy:

1. Removal of hemorrhoids is performed with simultaneous restoration of the anal mucosa.
2. It is used at any stage of the development of the disease. In most cases, it is used in the treatment of stage 3 and 4 hemorrhoids.
3. It is performed under general anesthesia or with epidural anesthesia.
4. The duration of the procedure is 40 minutes.
5. The hospital stay is 3 days.
6. The recovery period is 4 weeks.

One of the most radical methods of removing hemorrhoids is the classic hemorrhoidectomy.

Traditional methods

Among the huge arsenal of tools, the emphasis should be on taking a bath. They quickly relieve the inflammatory process with external hemorrhoids and relieve painful sensations. It should be remembered that the use of any, including folk remedies, is possible only in consultation with the attending physician.

Popular recipes:

1. Cool bath with potassium permanganate. Dissolve a few grains of the substance in 1 glass of cooled boiled water. Pour the solution into a large container with cool water. In the morning and in the evening, sit in the basin for 5 minutes.
2. Baths of decoctions of onion husks, dandelion, chamomile, garlic or calendula. Boil 50 gr. raw materials in 4 liters of water and insist for 4 hours. If garlic is used, take 1 head of minced product per 5 liters of boiling water. Pour the resulting infusion into a bath and take it for 15 minutes.

Ointment based on propolis successfully copes with external hemorrhoids. To prepare it, you need to mix 15 gr. bee glue and 100 gr. olive oil and boil in a water bath for 15 minutes. Apply to damaged areas 2 times a day for 2 weeks. Candles cut from potatoes, which need to be placed in the anus at night, are also effective.

Video - Ways to quickly treat hemorrhoids at home