Hemmorhoids

Surgery Group LA
Understanding Rectal Bleeding: Symptoms, Causes, Colors, and More

Rectal bleeding is often a troubling sign of a host of different conditions. These can range from mild, such as hemorrhoids, the moderate, like an ulcer, or severe problems, such as colorectal cancer.

This can cause a lot of confusion and distress, which is why the Surgery Group of LA has made this handy sheet to help explain what the blood in your stool may mean.

What kind of rectal bleeding do I have?

Rectal bleeding can happen at various stages of the digestive process. Where it happens dictates the color, the amount, and where inside the stool the blood will start to form. 

While there are always exceptions, if your bleeding is:

  • Bright Red Blood – usually means bleeding that’s lower in the rectum near the anus
  • Dark Red or Maroon Blood – can signal bleeding in the small bowel or high in the colon
  • Blackish or tar-like stool (Melena) – likely means bleeding in the stomach, such as bleeding caused by an ulcer

Sometimes bleeding can’t be detected by the human eye and needs to be tested under a microscope. 

Rectal Bleeding Symptoms

Depending on the type of rectal bleeding you are enduring, you may experience very different symptoms. 

However rectal bleeding usually can come with: 

  • Feeling rectal pain and pressure
  • Mental confusion
  • Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

If you’re experiencing a more serious rectal condition you may also suffer from the:

  • Fast heart rate
  • Inability to urinate
  • Slipping into unconsciousness
  • Experiencing a sudden drop in blood pressure

This may be a sign that you are going through Shock, and you should get medical treatment immediately.

What causes rectal bleeding?

As mentioned earlier the type of conditions that cause rectal bleeding range from severe to mild.

Common mild conditions include:

  • Hemorrhoids – the most common cause of rectal bleeding, this condition occurs when veins inside the anus grow inflamed and causes bleeding into your stool. 
  • Anal fissures – not to be confused with Hemmorhoids, are sudden cuts that form after passing an especially hard stool

More serious, but still treatable conditions include:

  • Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis – this happens when small pouches called Diverticuli to develop in weakened sections of your intestine, if they get infected they can cause pussy yellowish blood that causes all sorts of abdominal symptoms and fever
  • Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome – IBS or IBD as it is also called, is a swelling of the small or large intestine, which can cause intestinal blockages, diarrhea, and cramping
  • Ulcers – these form when the fluids in your intestines are constantly out of homeostasis which damages the lining of your intestines

Or unfortunately, it may be a sign of:

  • Polyps – or growths in the lower digestive system, which can develop into cancer

What to do if I have rectal bleeding?

Depending on the severity of your symptoms you may want to set up an appointment with your doctor or go to urgent care.

It’s important that regardless of the cause your doctor is given a chance to perform some tests in order to verify your condition and make sure your treatment is appropriate.

And again, If you’re experiencing a more serious rectal condition you may also suffer from:

  • Fast heart rate
  • Inability to urinate
  • Slipping into unconsciousness
  • Experiencing a sudden drop in blood pressure

This may be a sign that you are going through Shock, and you should get medical treatment immediately.

If you or a loved one have questions or concerns about rectal bleeding speak to your doctor today.

February 10, 2023

Surgery Group LA
What is Hemorrhoid Banding?

We all know what Hemorrhoids are. Swollen veins that form around the anus can bleed, get infected, and really start to itch. Depending on the severity of the Hemorrhoid, most people can see their symptoms subside with a little more fiber, a better diet, and a Sitz bath with some Epsom salts. Those with a bit more inflammation can try a hydrocortisone cream like preparation H in order to relieve the burning sensation and irritation that is so common with hemorrhoids. 

If your Hemorrhoids won’t go away, and start to prolapse and protrude outside of the anus, it may be time to speak to your doctor about a more serious treatment option. Allow me to introduce to you Hemorrhoid Banding (rubber band ligation), the most common treatment for internal hemorrhoids after hydrocortisone. 

How does Hemorrhoid Banding work?

A hemorrhoid banding operation can be performed without specialized surgical equipment, often right at the doctor’s office. The process begins with a surgeon placing a rubber band around any internal hemorrhoids inside the rectum. This is done with a special rubber banding tool that is inserted inside a speculum (a special type of funnel) and placed around the base of the hemorrhoid.

Hemorrhoid rubber band litigation cuts off blood to hemorrhoid in question causing the hemorrhoid tissue to die and fall off. This can take anywhere from a few days to a week and while it may cause some pain, it should not be enough to put you out of commission.

Risks and Benefits of Hemorrhoid banding

The most obvious benefit of hemorrhoid banding is that no incisions are being made, so the process is relatively painless and often does not require anesthesia. Symptoms are usually minor and consist of pain and bleeding that can be mitigated with otc pain medication. Be sure to avoid pain medications such as ibuprofen or aspirin which may increase the chance of bleeding.

The most common risk is infection and while uncommon can lead to serious complications. It is important that any sign of infection or inflammation be reported to your doctor or surgeon immediately after discovery. Hemorrhoids may also come back if the treatment is unsuccessful. 

When to go with alternative treatment plans?

First off, rubber band litigation is only for internal hemorrhoids, and is best used to treat grade 3 hemorrhoids that bleed frequently. Outside of this if you or a loved one have:

  • A compromised or weakened immune system
  • Are taking blood thinners
  • Have Crohn’s disease
  • Have an existing infection in the region

Conclusion

Hemorrhoid rubber banding is a commonly effective procedure that is not as painful or invasive as it’s more surgical cousins. It can be done at your doctor’s office and if done correctly can leave you hemorrhoid free in a week. 

Hemorrhoids are a bear to deal with, and if hemorrhoid banding is not an option, there are still many treatment plans that are right for you. If you or a loved one would like to stop the irritation and get your hemorrhoid treated, speak to a medical professional today.

August 17, 2022

Surgery Group LA
What grade is your hemorrhoid?

Hemorrhoids or piles are basically swollen veins in the anus or rectum that can bleed or get infected. If you are suffering from Hemorrhoids it might be important to know how severe your Hemorrhoid is, and what GRADE it is.

The medical professionals at Surgery Group of LA have crafted this sheet in order to help assess your potential Hemorrhoid before walking into your doctor’s appointment.

Grade 1

Essentially what makes a Hemorrhoid Grade 1 is when the swollen vein has not protruded out of the anus. For most Grade 1 Hemorrhoids your doctor will recommend diet and lifestyle changes such as increasing your fiber intake and improving mobility around the hips and anus. Grade 1 Hemorrhoids can be treated with over-the-counter medication. Some effective medications include Preparation H, Protoform, or Tucks, which are all hydrocortisone creams that relieve stress, irritation, and inflammation in the affected areas. 

Grade 2 

Hemorrhoids protrude through the anus during defecation but return inside the anus after the stool movement has been completed. For Grade 2 hemorrhoids, doctors will still often prescribe creams and lifestyle changes to start. If these prove ineffective, your doctor will move towards painless treatment plans that are performed at the doctor’s office.

Painless hemorrhoid treatment plans include rubber band litigation, infrared coagulation, or injection sclerotherapy.  While these treatments can be quite effective at lessening symptoms, they do not cure the hemorrhoids themselves. They last anywhere from 6 months to a year and need to be repeated. However, they do not require anesthesia and you can return to work as soon as the treatment is finished. 

Grade 3 

Hemorrhoids protrude through the anus or rectum during stool movements or any straining of the anus and need to return to their proper position by hand. Because of the chance of it developing into a Grade 4 hemorrhoid, or becoming infected or damaged further, this stage is usually when your doctor will recommend surgery. 

Grade 4

What makes a hemorrhoid grade 4 is when the hemorrhoid has prolapsed to such a degree that will not go back inside the anus even with manual intervention. At this point, surgery is the only option in order to possibly treat this level of hemorrhoid.

The most common surgical hemorrhoid treatments are surgical hemorrhoid excision or hemorrhoidectomy, where the hemorrhoid is surgically removed or surgical hemorrhoid stapling procedure or stapled hemorroidopexy where the hemorrhoid is cut down into a more manageable size and stapled back into the proper resting place. 

Conclusion

While hemorrhoidectomies have the best curative results, they can be extremely painful and can put the patient out for 2 weeks. Hemorrhoid stapling procedures were developed to be less invasive and easier to recover from. While hemorrhoid stapling procedures are far less painful, they also come with higher chances of infection and of your hemorrhoids reoccurring. There have also been cases where the staples associated with the procedure can damage the small bowels or the vagina if placed poorly.

The truth is at any grade, hemorrhoids can be a common but disruptive part of life. To find out how you or a loved one can develop a treatment plan for hemorrhoids, speak to a medical professional today.

August 17, 2022

Surgery Group LA
How to prevent Hemorrhoids during the summer!

Hemorrhoids are unfortunately a very common anal or rectal pathology that has an all too familiar set of symptoms:

  • Itchiness or irritation in the anal or rectal region
  • Swelling around the anus
  • General pain and irritation
  • Rectal or anal bleeding

Not exactly a lovely set of problems to deal with during the dog days of summer. This is doubly unfortunate, as cases of hemorrhoids soar during the summer months of the year. In a recent survey of residents of Spain, 25% of the population suffers from hemorrhoid-related discomfort each year!

To combat this, the Surgery Group of Los Angeles would like to offer our recommendations to prevent this annoying pathology and have a hemorrhoid-free summer to remember for all the right reasons.

How are most hemorrhoids caused?

Hemorrhoids are caused when the veins of the rectum and anus dilate or become too large or expanded causing the veins to itch, hurt, and often bleed. When this happens we call this condition hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids can be caused by a variety of issues, such as the location of the veins in your anus or rectum, but the majority of hemorrhoids are caused by constipation. When the anus and rectum constantly have to exert more and more effort while defecating, this causes the veins around the anus and rectum to enlarge in order to deal with this increased workload. Which in turn causes more pain and irritation.

Why are Hemorrhoids so common during the summer?

Heat in general causes the blood vessels around the anus to widen in order to vasodilate in order to heal and cool down the sensitive areas of the anus and rectum that often overheated during the summer months. But this vasodilation or widening of the blood vessels can in turn cause itchiness and swelling.

Also at the end of the day, with summer comes new habits and changes in the diet every year. This often comes in form of increased consumption of ice cream, soda, alcohol, spicy, super salty food paired with vacations and “cheat” days that no matter what you do leads to lots of overeating in the summer times.

How do we prevent this?

So it’s simple, Summer brings changes in the diet and weather that increases the risk of suffering from hemorrhoids. So the Surgery Group of Los Angeles humbly offers these 4 tips to make your summer hemorrhoid free:

  • Avoid sitting as much as you can – with increased temperatures, the groin, and anal area are already most likely overheated, and sitting increases the chance of pressure building in that region leading to an inflamed groin and anus. Throw a walk in during the evening hours and give your chair and your apartment a chance to cool down while you get some much-needed exercise
  • Drink at least a liter and a half of water a day – And two liters or more if you are active or drinking adult beverages during the day. Your body is sweating so much more during the summer and if there is inadequate water to facilitate bowel movements, hemorrhoids and constipation are sure to follow
  • Eat foods high in fiber to avoid constipation – If your going to eat the ice cream or drink the margarita anyway throw in some fiber to at least keep your bowels healthy. Throw in a side salad on your visit to the local gastropub. If you can’t get enough fiber normally consider psyllium husk or chia seeds as a quick supplement to your daily fiber
  • Contact a hemorrhoid specialist if bleeding occurs – While most rectal bleeding is hemorrhoid related it also might be a sign of a more serious condition. If this symptom arrives it’s important to understand what exactly your body is going through.

With the right plan and proper diet and exercise, your summerly ritual of constipation and pain can be a thing of the past. If you or a loved one have further questions about hemmorhoid-related issues, speak to a medical specialist today!

August 9, 2022

Surgery Group LA
What to do if your hemorrhoids smell

Hemorrhoids are caused when blood vessels around the anus swell up, causing them to inflame or bleed, which in turn can cause:

  • Itchiness, irritation, and pain around the anus
  • Anal bleeding
  • Trouble with bowel movements.

Hemorrhoids do not usually cause a foul odor, but they could be a sign that has them.


A foul odor could also be a sign that you are suffering from:

  • Anal and Fecal leakage – Especially large or inflamed hemorrhoids often secrete mucus into your discharges causing a foul smell. This secretion can even spill out of your anus while passing gas incidentally. If your hemorrhoids stop your anus from closing completely, your anus might also be leaking fecal matter causing the smell.
  • An Infection –  Infected hemorrhoids can develop pus-filled swellings. This occurs often when the hemorrhoid bulge outside of your anus causing it to lose its blood supply and become susceptible to infection. In rare cases these hemorrhoids can become infected with gangrene causing:
    • High fever
    • Rapid heart rate
    • Crackling sound when touching the infection

If your hemorrhoids become prolapsed or start to smell, contact a medical professional as soon as you can.

  • Pain that makes proper cleanup difficult – If your hemorrhoids make it difficult to clean around your anus, the smell may be caused by trace amounts of fecal matter being left after cleaning

How to tell the difference based on smell

While there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to hemorrhoid odors, a good rule of thumb is that odors caused by mucus have a fishy smell, while odors caused by infections have a rotten or foul food smell. And the smell of an unclean anus is just the smell of poop.

Hemorrhoids are common and irritating, but they usually clear up eventually or with at-home remedies such as warm baths after rectal movements and creams such as witch’s hazel, or aloe. However, if you have bleeding or black-colored bowel movement, now might be a good time to speak to a medical professional.

June 7, 2022



About Surgery Group LA

Surgery Group LA is a team of professional and board-licensed surgeons, who specialize of their respective fields. The institution’s project to offer sufferers with advanced and complete surgical care.

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