Piles – How and Why?

Piles or Haemorrhoids are abnormally inflamed or engorged blood vessels in the anus. It causes great pain and discomfort to the sufferer.

How and Why?

• Bad lifestyle habits like Alcohol Intake, Spicy food, High blood pressure, strenuous exercise, prolonged sitting or traveling, less fluid intake are the most common causes of piles.
• Other causes include stress, bad bowel habits, pregnancy and childbirth
• When an individual suffering from piles ignores the symptoms, it can lead to bleeding and prolapse of the engorged veins
• When piles are retracted, bleeding can be a dangerous situation, leading to shock
• Sometimes, strangulation of piles can also occur. This is associated with severe pain. Other notable complications include a blood clot, ulceration, and uncommonly gangrene, or tissue death, or necrosis. There may also be fibrosis (excess tissue) as well as the discharge of pus. 

Types of Piles:

1. Internal Piles: It cannot be felt as it occurs in the anal canal. When the disorder progresses, the piles protrude
2. External piles: The swelling can be felt around the anal canal

Grades of Piles

1. First-grade piles develop inside the anal canal or the rectum
2. Second-grade piles are protrusions from the anus, they return inwards on their own
3. Third-grade piles are similar to second-grade piles, but protrusion needs to be pushed back manually
4. Fourth-grade piles are a protrusion that hangs outside of the anal canal

Symptoms of Piles

• Pain is the most common symptom in external piles. This can get worse while straining to pass stools. Pain can be accompanied with burning before, during or after passing stools in some cases.
• There may also be a discharge of mucous with itching around the anal orifice.
• Chronic Constipation: when one is constipated, one tends to exert pressure to empty the bowels. Slowly, the pressure affects the blood vessels in and around the anus. This may lead to piles.
• Bleeding: Fresh blood from the anus is one of the earliest symptoms of piles. Bleeding can occur during, before or after passing stools.
• Unsatisfactory Evacuation: Individuals, who suffer from piles, often feel that they have not been able to evacuate their bowels completely.