Hemorrhoids: Causes, Home Remedies, Treatment

There are various very unpleasant symptoms in the anal region and on the anus , which are generally referred to as hemorrhoids. However, to describe all complaints in the form of a thickening, fold or bulge on the anus as such is incorrect according to the medical definition. The treatments vary accordingly.

Below we provide an overview of various complaints and their symptoms in the area of ​​the anus and rectum in order to be able to distinguish hemorrhoids from other complaints. Unfortunately, the entire body area around the rectum, anus and anus is still associated with a lot of shame and taboos, although it has an eminent impact on our well-being - and on many other areas that we will discuss in this guide.

In addition to hemorrhoids, pathological symptoms in this area of ​​the body can also include skin tags, anal thrombosis or even carcinoma . We will not go into the latter in detail below, as medical attention is urgently required. If you are unsure, you should consult a specialist.

What are hemorrhoids

Various elements work together in the rectum to ensure that the anus is securely closed. In addition to the pelvic floor muscles, the anal sphincter (sphincter ani) has the most important function. A little deeper in the rectum there is a network of small arteries and veins that ensure the fine adjustment for complete closure (e.g. in the case of thin stools). This system is called the hemorrhoidal border or hemorrhoidal plexus and refers to a ring-shaped collection of (note!) hemorrhoids. The term does not originally refer to a disease, but rather the healthy hemorrhoids fulfill the extremely important function of securely closing the intestine.

Strictly speaking, when a pathological change occurs, we should not speak of hemorrhoids, but rather of hemorrhoidal disease , but for the sake of simplicity we will stick with the usual term in the following.

Internal hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids occur when individual vessels in the hemorrhoidal margin enlarge and become pathological for a variety of reasons. They are classified from grade 1 to grade 4. As long as the enlargements are moderate and remain inside the intestine, they are referred to as internal hemorrhoids or grade 1 hemorrhoids. These often go unnoticed and cause little or no discomfort. If the causes are not remedied and internal hemorrhoids continue to swell and enlarge, they protrude temporarily or permanently to the outside.

External hemorrhoids

If the enlargements or bulges can be seen or felt on the outside of the anus, they are external hemorrhoids. These unusual thickenings, swellings, bulges or clearly protruding skin folds sometimes appear overnight and are startling. External hemorrhoids are usually noticed when cleaning after a bowel movement or due to itching, pain or bleeding.

Classification or severity of hemorrhoids

The classification of hemorrhoids is divided into the following levels of severity:

Grade 1 hemorrhoids refer to the internal variant with no or only minor symptoms.

Grade 2 hemorrhoids mean that they temporarily protrude from the anal canal - usually after a bowel movement - but then regress spontaneously or gradually afterwards.

Grade 3 hemorrhoids are those that do not retract into the anal canal on their own, but can be pushed back into the rectum manually using a finger or dilators (see below). This process is called repositioning.

Grade 4 hemorrhoids is the classification for the degree of severity in which repositioning is no longer possible and they remain permanently outside. Grade 4 hemorrhoids can usually only be removed surgically.

There are other clinical pictures in the anal region:

Anal thrombosis, anal fissures and skin tags

As mentioned at the beginning, hemorrhoids are often confused with other pathologies (clinical pictures) in the anal region such as skin tags, anal fissures or anal thrombosis. How can you recognize these or hemorrhoids?

In contrast to other pathologies, anal thrombosis or anal vein thrombosis are acute events: within a few hours, a clot develops in the form of a bluish-black, bulging knot. Another clear sign is severe, stabbing pain. Anal thrombosis or anal vein thrombosis usually only occurs individually.

Skin tags are relatively harmless phenomena, namely thickened folds of skin in or around the anus, which can occur singly or in multiples. They are usually skin-colored to dark, feel soft and look like bags or flaps of skin. They usually do not cause any pain or discomfort, but because they make cleaning the anus more difficult, they can occasionally cause itching and, in severe cases, inflammation.

An anal fissure is a longitudinal tear in the anal sphincter or in the anal canal. Although it often looks very fine on the outside, it can go very deep and cause severe pain, especially when defecating, cleaning after defecation or showering. However, no tissue protrudes and there is no feeling of a foreign body, which means that an anal fissure can be clearly distinguished from hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids cause a distinct foreign body sensation. They usually develop over a long period of time and do not necessarily have to be painful. The most noticeable symptom is almost constant, severe itching. Bleeding can occur during or after bowel movements, which does not necessarily have to be painful. Wetness and stool smearing are the reason for permanent hygienic discomfort and can easily lead to inflammation. In this state, hemorrhoids are almost permanently painful.

Causes and Development of Hemorrhoids

The most common causes of hemorrhoids are:

Chronic constipation

It often results from a combination of a low-fiber diet, low fluid intake and a lack of exercise, favored by sedentary work.

Incorrect toilet behavior

Hectic trips to the toilet, frequent, strong straining during bowel movements, especially in an awkward sitting position. Patients with chronic constipation are particularly prone to this.

Overload in the pelvic floor

Incorrect lifting of heavy loads, excess weight and/or a weak pelvic floor promote the development of hemorrhoids.

Weak connective tissue

Another possible cause is hereditary, which can also manifest itself in other parts of the body in the form of varicose veins.

Frequent diarrhea or frequent use of laxatives

Cause excessive expansion of the hemorrhoidal cushion and thus also create the basis for hemorrhoidal disease.

pregnancy and birth

Women are more prone to developing hemorrhoids due to their hormonal situation and the natural stresses they experience during this time. For more information, see Hemorrhoids after pregnancy and childbirth .

Prevention and home remedies for hemorrhoids

To prevent hemorrhoids and to support treatment, your diet should be rich in fiber to ensure good and problem-free digestion. Fiber is a largely indigestible food component, mainly carbohydrates, which is mainly found in plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables and grains and counteracts digestive problems.

A sufficient fluid intake of about 2 to 3 liters per day, with the majority being water, ensures a smooth stool consistency and facilitates defecation.

Proper toilet behavior when defecating is important. Avoid pushing and straining, instead "push" from your stomach. Breathe in deeply and push the air as far down as possible (stomach, pelvis). The correct posture helps with this, namely a rounded back and feet flat on the floor. If this is not possible due to your height, use a footstool. Instead of the upright, "civilized" sitting position, the posture should be as close as possible to the natural position that is optimal for defecation: squatting.

Anal hygiene after using the toilet should be very thorough and always consist of two steps: After the dry preliminary cleaning with soft toilet paper, a wet follow-up cleaning should be carried out using a washcloth that is changed daily and only in exceptional cases with a mild, nourishing washing lotion instead of wet wipes. This removes the breeding ground for inflammation. Finally, a healing ointment or hemorrhoid ointment can be applied if necessary.

Suitable home remedies are:

• naturopathic-based suppositories
• Ointments containing the ingredient Hamamelis (witch hazel).

For severely swollen or inflamed hemorrhoids, the following can help:

• Cool sitz baths with sea salt or oak bark
• quark packages
• nasal spray because it reduces swelling

The measures mentioned above are both good preventative measures and important support for effective treatment of existing hemorrhoids, which you can carry out yourself. In addition to suppositories, ointments and medication, there are also very suitable aids. If you are not sure, a visit to the doctor should clarify whether you have hemorrhoids and whether you can treat them yourself.

Effective tools for self-treatment: “Viball” and “FMS dilators”

• To clarify: dilators and dilatators mean the same thing, both terms are in use.

With our medical products "FMS dilators" and "Viball medical love balls" you can efficiently treat hemorrhoids yourself . Both product lines are certified medical products and therefore meet the legally prescribed conditions for effectiveness and safety during use. You can find further details about both product lines and their many other possible uses below. In this guide we describe the (combined) use of Theros® FMS dilators and Viball® for hemorrhoids.

FMS dilators: Optimal for repositioning

Theros® FMS dilators are high-quality glass dilators made of extremely shatter-proof borosilicate glass. FMS dilators are used for the vaginal or rectal treatment of a wide variety of diseases or problems in women, men and non-binary people such as vaginismus, anal spasms, prostate problems and much more.
The extremely smooth and cooling material allows for extremely gentle but intensive application.

Repositioning is the pushing of the hemorrhoids back into the hemorrhoidal margin from which they emerged. This should be done with a cooled dilator if possible. Due to the many sizes available and the optimal fit, it is not unusual for repositioning to be successful the first time using an FMS dilator, so that repeating the application is not necessary. For repositioning, you should choose the largest dilator possible, which will give the hemorrhoids in the rectum the space to move out. Finding a single dilator in the optimal size for this is very unlikely, because the following factors play a role:

• The degree of your symptoms: Grade 1, 2, 3 or 4
• the current status of your symptoms: inflamed or not?
• your individual physique, your physical characteristics
• your sexual habits: Are you used to rectal insertion / anal penetration?
• your psychological state: Are you (acutely or generally) more relaxed or tense?

 A set of dilators is therefore ideal. Within a dilator set, you can choose the size that is currently optimal (daily). You can also increase the size gradually by using several dilators in succession to increase the repositioning effect. As a man, you can also use them to massage your prostate and thus increase your potency. We offer various standard sets at a special price, or you can put together your own individual set with up to 20% discount.

You don't know which size(s) to choose? Under " How do I determine the right size?" we give you tips on this topic.

FMS dilators as heat sinks

For use as a heat sink, dilators of approximately 30 mm or larger are required; the smaller the size, the less efficient the effect due to the smaller internal volume.

The high-quality material and the extremely smooth surface of an FMS dilator already have a pleasant cooling effect in its normal state. You can intensify the cooling even more by immersing it in cold water. For grade 3 hemorrhoids or to heal an acute inflammation, you can even prepare the FMS dilators as cooling elements: To do this, they are filled with kitchen paper or cotton wool and soaked in water. The cellulose reliably holds the water even in an upright position so that not a drop escapes. The dilator prepared in this way is placed in the refrigerator for a few hours until it has cooled down completely, but the water must not freeze. If you insert the dilator carefully, this cold application causes the hemorrhoids to swell and makes or supports repositioning considerably easier. When using it, make sure that the cooling is pleasant rather than painful. If the application is carried out carefully, hypothermia cannot occur.

Application

Repositioning is carried out with a dilator of at least 20 mm, or considerably more if you have experience with rectal insertion. The cooled dilator should be carefully inserted with Vemal lubricant and left in the rectum for about 10 minutes. Using a dilator set makes the application more efficient because the size can be precisely adjusted to the respective degree of discomfort and the individual physique.