Non-Surgical Treatment Methods for Piles

Piles which is also medically known as hemorrhoid is a collection of swollen tissues as well as swollen blood vessels in the anus area or the lower rectum. This problem affects more than half the population at some or the other point in life.  Some of the common causes of piles include constipation, pregnancy, childbirth, heavy lifting, obesity and sitting for long periods of time.  There are two different types of piles and they are external piles and internal piles.

The type of treatment is dependent upon the exact type or kind of hemorrhoid. While surgery is the best option for those who have reached a later stage in the problem, there are also many non-surgical methods to cure this disease.  The following are some of the most effective non-surgical treatments for piles:

non-surgical treatment methods for piles

  • The goal of non-surgical procedures that are used to treat piles is to reduce the supply of blood to the hemorrhoid location so that it goes away or shrinks away. This kind of a procedure is called fixative procedure and the scar tissue that is left in its place helps to give support to the anal tissue and thereby helps in the prevention of new piles.
  • One of the most common fixative procedures is called banding. In this process, the hemorrhoids are tied off using a rubber band in order to cut off the blood supply to the location. To do this process, the doctor will insert a viewing instrument called an anascope into the anus and with its help, the hemorrhoid is grasped and the rubber band is tied.  The hemorrhoid then tends to shrink away and dies off in about a week.
  • Another non-surgical treatment method which too is a kind of a fixative procedure is called infrared photocoagulation or coagulation theory. In this method, small and medium sized hemorrhoids are treated by using a device to create an intense beam of infrared light.  This heat creates a scar tissue which cuts off the supply of the blood and hence the hemorrhoid dies off.  At this place, a scar is formed on the walls of the anal canal.  In this treatment, only one hemorrhoid can be treated at a given time and to treat the other, a gap of 10-15 days is needed.
  • Besides these procedures there are many non-operative treatment methods which are used to treat about 95% of the patients who experience piles. Some of the principles of these kinds of treatment are given as follows:
  • A high fiber diet or taking a fiber supplement is one of the most natural ways to treat piles at home without the need of an operation of any kind.
  • Another way to prevent piles or treat it is to avoid sitting on the toilet beyond the time that is needed for the bowel movement.
  • Another way is to using baby wipes rather than using toilet paper especially if there is pain, itching or irritation in the rectum area.