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Pharmacy Links

HAEMORRHOIDS – INTRODUCTION

07th April 2009

Haemorrhoids, commonly known as piles, are often associated with chronic constipation. A dense network of blood vessels runs through the intestinal lining. When the stool in the rectum becomes hard and accumulates there these blood vessels become stretched. The resulting obstruction causes the walls of the vessels in the anal canal to become dilated, turning them into varicose veins in and around the rectal opening – haemorrhoids. The pressure needed to force out hard stools makes the veins in the thin membrane rupture; blood leaks out, and we have what are called bleeding haemorrhoids. At the time of evacuation, light-coloured blood will usually be noticed in the stool. If this condition is not remedied, the tissues will become inflamed and hard, resulting in the well-known piles. Hard stools can push the piles outwards so that they hang out of the anus; these can sometimes grow as large as a plum. This description alone will give an indication of the great discomfort this problem can cause. Anyone suffering from piles will therefore be most grateful for relief and a cure.