Is it haemorrhoids?

[sherry68]

I have been having this mild rectal pressure which is more obvious when getting up after sitting down for quite a long period and also after bm. Also some minor discomfort in that area. Never had any bleeding with bm though. I could only feel some skin tag down there and upon closer inspection I could see one round lump a bit purplish in color but does not hurt. Is this typical of haemorrhoid or something more serious? Having HA makes my mind spins all those nasty stories and feeling quite miserable at the moment. I will definitely see my GP tomorrow but the thought of having him see that particular part of my anatomy makes me cringe so bad! Definitely not a good day for me...:weep:

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, it's very likely to be haemorrhoids. Just so you know, and it doesn't catch your HA off guard, you can see mucus in the toilet or on the paper after bowel movements and some bleeding is possible.

Have you been straining a lot recently? That tends to bring them up.

Try to eat plenty of fibre and healthy food as this will help. I've had them around 20 years now as they started when I was lifting weights, which is a common one due to the straining in that area. They have come & gone over the years but I only had more problems in the first few years and even my anxiety really hasn't impacted them.

Don't worry about your doctor looking at that area. He/she is likely to perform a quick examination to check for internal ones too but its not unpleasant and is very quick. Whilst you may feel embarrassed, you have no need to be as doctor's look at these things day in day out, it's just a normal day to them.

These things are very common and there are things they can give you to help reduce them that are stronger than the OTC's, if needed. Please don't feel embarrassed, so many people have thesedays in a world of stress and poor diets.

[sherry68]

Many thanks Terry for your kind reply. As always it does give me some peace of mind. I have not been straining lately but more of some loose bm. Maybe it could also aggravate things down south. I did see my regular GI a couple of days ago for a follow-up on my GERD and I did mention to him about my possible haemorrhoids. He was so much in a hurry then and just gave me a tub of lignocaine (sp?) and advised me to undergo that stapling surgery without even looking at the area of concern. I have had the experience of seeing my husband go through the op years ago and it certainly was not pleasant.

I will go see a doc who can give a proper assessment and glad to know that it can be healed without any surgery involved.

Thanks again Terry.

[MyNameIsTerry]

No problem. Don't let that put you off either, I've never been referred for an anal stretch as that was always when they were really affecting your life according to my GP. They have their flare ups from time to time but they barely bother me much when I consider the amount of years involved.

If you have problems with digestion, it makes sense you could have problems of this nature. The healthy flora in our bodies isn't just in our gut, it's all the way from the mouth to the anus (and then back into the vagina for women) so with things like GERD I guess those flora could be having a hard time and it may impact onto the flora in the bowel?

It sounds like your GI doctor just wants to throw meds & procedures at you. Really healthy diet is the best start and with you having GERD, thats going to be a need anyway so you might kill two birds with one stone there.

I tried some creams and the suppositories (I hated those, they make such a mess!) but found by far the best was this steroid foam stuff that is prescription only overhere. That always seemed to calm it down.

You will probably find there are plenty of natural options for treating them thesedays, I've never really looked but these types of issues seem to have lots out there to try.

I had always heard they never go without removal of some kind, but this was years ago. They do deflate with treatment and good diet though and they are easily something you can live with.

You just need to remember with you having HA you will see bowel changes and worry but try to remember that these can alter the shape of stools, bleed, be sore or itchy, you get mucus in stools, and you can even feel like you have some liquid seeping in your underwear. If you get things like that going forward, remember about the piles and how they can do all this too so you don't jump straight for the big things and scare yourself.

Take care.

[Pepperpot]

I have them. Mine flare up after drinking alcohol. They pour with blood and it's awful to see. I went for a sigmoidoscopy a couple of months ago just to check it wasn't anything more sinister. I have no pain with them, just the bleeding. Haemmorhoid cream should shrink them if you have one. Eat well, make sure your bowel movements don't get too hard.

[Jbaine]

Had the same thing a few months ago. Purple lump but mine itched and hurt :/ cream and tucks pads helped a lot. The cream and pads gave me relief and helped to shrink the hemorrhoid down.

[sherry68]

Thank you all for the responses. Truly appreciate it. Finally went to see my GP. It was hemmies. Got Anusol and a long advice...:). It doesnt hurt much though now but it just gives me that occassional twinge and mild pressure. Hope all will be back to normal soon.