Piles go untreated as people shy in sharing this anorectal problem with the doctors. Sometimes, they are unable to figure out the symptoms which lead to complications of piles. Complications can happen if hemorrhoids go untreated even after ignoring the symptoms such as chronic constipation or diarrhea, blood in the stool, and so on.
Most common symptoms of piles are itching, pain, swelling, or soreness in the anal region. If these symptoms are ignored or left untreated, complications may occur.
Here are complications that you may eventually face if piles are not treated:
- Abscess: Accumulation of pus in the inflamed and swollen areas of the piles is known as an abscess. The pus oozes out of the piles and causes fever, itching, pain and vomiting.
- Thrombosis: There comes a situation where blood clots are formed inside piles. They are extremely painful. It can be either internal or external hemorrhoids. These blood clots can form in the piles. They tend to make defecating difficult.
- Pain during defecation: Pain while defecating is one of the symptoms of piles. If you do not treat piles, this pain may aggravate and lead to other complications such as blood in stool, rectal prolapse, chronic constipation, and so on.
- Anemia: There occurs a situation where there is excess blood loss due to bleeding hemorrhoids. The body gets deprived of healthy blood cells and your energy starts to drain. You get exhausted. Hence, it results in anemia.
- Restrict blood flow to nearby tissues: Hemorrhoids or piles may restrict the blood flow to the nearby tissues which further restricts the flow of the oxygen to the surrounding cells. This may result in the death of tissues around the piles. This condition is known as gangrene and can be a life-threatening problem.
- Prolapsed hemorrhoids: Basically, piles are the swollen veins in the anal region and the rectum. When the rectal area extends out or moves from its normal position, in the anal region, it is known as rectal prolapse. This usually happens in old age people with piles as their muscles in the rectal area tend to weaken.
- Bacterial infection: Hemorrhoids or piles can affect your daily life causing infections in the anal or rectal area. Piles become infected when there is bleeding from the anal region. It exposes your anal veins to the outside environment. Also, while passing stools these piles get in contact with the harmful bacteria present in the waste. This may allow them to enter the blood in that area resulting in bacterial infection. Even prolapsed and thrombosed piles can lead to infection in the anal region causing further complications such as rectal prolapse.
All these complications can occur for any type of hemorrhoids from grade 1 to grade 4. Therefore, consult a proctologist and get the best treatment for piles before they get complicated.
Sometimes, complications can occur if the treatment is not right. There may be a delay in recovery after conventional surgery. With the advancement in technology, there are top-notch piles treatments available in India. So, do not hide away your piles and get the best treatment to avoid complications, even post-surgery.
What can you do to prevent piles symptoms from getting worse?
There are some home remedies which can follow to prevent piles from getting worse:
- Drink lots of liquid: Drinking plenty of water can keep your stool soft and prevent constipation which is the primary cause of piles.
- Increase fiber intake: Eat lots of fiber to avoid constipation. Fiber food will make your stool bulky and softer. There will be no pain while pooping and no straining on the toilet seat.
- Do not strain while passing stool: There is a lot of pressure on the veins in the rectum and anal region if you strain while defecating. Hence, avoid straining.
- Regular exercise: Exercising prevents constipation and keeps your bowel movement smoother. Stay active and maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid long sittings: Even sitting for too long, even on the toilet seat is one of the causes of piles. It puts excessive pressure on the veins in the anal regions. Therefore, movement and breaks are important.
Above all, piles may recur if they are not treated properly. Home remedy is the most commonly used treatment for piles in India due to the embarrassment. But, there are chances of recurrence in that case. Surgery, especially the most advanced laser technique, is one of the most preferred treatments to get rid of piles in a painless manner. As it is a minimally invasive short procedure with quick recovery, both doctors and piles patients choose to undergo laser treatment. So, choose the best piles laser specialist to overcome the pain and complications that you go through in this condition.