Haemorrhoids & Piles

Haemorrhoids, which are also known as piles, are small, itchy lumps that can form in and around your back passage (anus).

They’re usually harmless but can cause discomfort or pain when you go to the toilet and can be generally itchy and irritating throughout the day.

The cause of haemorrhoids isn’t currently known, but it’s thought that a build-up of pressure in your anus makes the blood vessels there swell, causing these little lumps to form.

This is why haemorrhoids are often linked to constipation, straining when you poo, or even heavy lifting, as they can all cause pressure in your back passage.

Haemorrhoids will usually clear up by themselves after a few days, but you could benefit from treatment if yours are particularly large, sore or last for more than a week.

You can treat or prevent piles by drinking lots of fluid and eating plenty of fibre, wiping your bottom with damp toilet paper, taking paracetamol to ease the pain and cutting down on alcohol and caffeine.

Scheriproct is a haemorrhoid treatment, but it can sometimes be prescribed to help relieve the symptoms of anal fissures.

Anal fissures are small tears in the inner lining of your anus, often caused by constipation or passing a very large, hard, or lumpy poo.

Anal fissures are usually treated by managing your constipation first, but if you get particularly severe or frequent fissures, your GP may prescribe a topical anaesthetic to help ease your pain.

As Scheriproct works as an anaesthetic, it can be one of the treatments considered for you but that does not mean that you should use this treatment for an anal fissure if it was originally prescribed for haemorrhoids or another purpose.

Always follow your prescriber’s instructions carefully during the treatment and if you’re concerned about an anal fissure, speak to a medical professional and ask for their advice.

Hydrocortisone cream can sometimes be used for piles, but you must always read the label to check whether your specific cream is suitable for internal use, as some hydrocortisone creams should only be used on the outside of your body.

Brands like Anusol and Germoloids offer hydrocortisone treatments that are specifically designed to treat haemorrhoids.

Always check with your pharmacist to make sure you choose the right product to treat your haemorrhoids.

Anusol cream contains three active ingredients which work together to treat piles.

The first is Zinc oxide, this works as an antiseptic which helps to reduce bacterial growth in the affected area and helps to reduce swelling.

Next, we have Balsam Peru, another mild antiseptic which helps to protect your sore areas.

Finally, there’s Bismuth oxide, an astringent and antiseptic which protects raw and irritated areas around your anus.

Haemorrhoid creams from Anusol and Germoloids can be used to treat both external and internal piles.

If you’re unsure whether cream is the right treatment for your piles, wherever they may be, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

You can often treat piles at home with remedies like creams, which are recommended by your pharmacist.

However, there are a few occasions when you should see a doctor for your piles, such as:

• Your piles do not improve after 7 days of treatment at home
• Your piles keep coming back
• You also have a high temperature or feel generally unwell, you should see a doctor immediately if this happens to you
• You have pus leaking from your piles, you should see a doctor immediately if this happens to you
• You’re bleeding non-stop. Go to A&E or call 999 if this happens to you
• There’s a lot of blood when you poo, or you notice large blood clots. Go to A&E or call 999 if this happens to you
• If your piles are causing you severe pain go to A&E or ring 999

Piles, or haemorrhoids, are swellings found around or inside your anus, at least 40% of people have piles in their lifetime.

They contain enlarged blood vessels and are usually painless, however, they can cause bleeding when you have a bowel movement.

If you have piles, you may also suffer from itching, swelling, or irritation around your anus.

There are a few common symptoms that you can look out for if you think you may have piles, including:

• An itchy anus
• A sore anus
• Bright red blood when you poo
• Lumps around or inside your anus
• Feeling like you still need to poo after you’ve been to the toilet
• Slimy mucus on your toilet paper after you wipe

Many things have been linked to causing the increased blood pressure in the anus that results in piles.

This includes too much straining from experiencing constipation, caused by a lack of fibre.

Other factors include being overweight or pregnant, long-term diarrhoea, regularly lifting heavy objects and sitting down for long periods of time.