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Hemorrhoids

Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County -  - Gastroenterologist

Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County

Gastroenterologists located in Irvine, CA & Other Orange County Locations

Hemorrhoids are a common complaint that can be embarrassing and sometimes very painful. If you have hemorrhoids, the board-certified gastroenterologists at Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County in Irvine, Huntington Beach, Tustin, Foothill Ranch, and Mission Viejo, California, can help. They've undergone extensive training in the treatment of hemorrhoids and specialize in using the CRH O'Regan System® to perform a highly effective, minimally invasive hemorrhoid banding procedure that has a 99.1% success rate. This simple, in-office treatment is painless and takes less than a minute. Call the office nearest you today to find out more or book an appointment online.

Hemorrhoids

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins that develop in your lower rectum or anus. They form when there's an increase in pressure inside the veins of your rectum. 

The most common causes of hemorrhoids are:

  • Constipation and straining to pass stools
  • Pregnancy
  • Childbirth
  • Obesity
  • Heavy lifting
  • Sitting for long periods
  • Diarrhea

By the age of 50, about half of the population is likely to have experienced this often-painful condition.

What symptoms do hemorrhoids cause?

There are two types of hemorrhoids: internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids occur inside your lower rectum, where you can't see them and often can't feel them. Typically painless, the only sign of internal hemorrhoids might be small quantities of blood on your toilet paper or a feeling of fullness following a bowel movement.

Occasionally, internal hemorrhoids can push through your anus. These prolapsed or protruding hemorrhoids are sometimes temporary, but can become permanent. Hemorrhoids that remain outside your anus can cause pain, itching, bleeding, and the development of skin tags.

External hemorrhoids are less common, causing bulges or lumps around your anus. Due to the presence of sensitive nerves in this area, external hemorrhoids can be painful, especially when you're sitting down. They may also bleed and itch.

If blood collects in an external hemorrhoid, it can develop a blood clot. This is called a thrombosed hemorrhoid, and it can cause severe pain. 

People often incorrectly self-diagnose external hemorrhoids. It's easy to mistake internal hemorrhoids – or the skin tags they produce – for external hemorrhoids.

Your provider at Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County can determine whether you have internal or external hemorrhoids.

How are hemorrhoids treated?

Home remedies like creams, suppositories, and warm baths may offer temporary relief from the symptoms of hemorrhoids. However, most hemorrhoids don't go away by themselves. Instead, they get progressively worse over time, growing in size and number.

Hemorrhoids can become a chronic problem, but there are fast and effective ways to treat flare-ups and increasing pain. You can seek professional medical treatment now at Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County and end your discomfort for good.

The expert team treats hemorrhoids using banding or rubber-band ligation. Your provider uses the patented, FDA-approved CRH O'Regan System®, the gold standard treatment that's arguably the most efficient and comfortable solution to removing internal hemorrhoids.

What does hemorrhoid banding involve?

Hemorrhoid banding involves your provider wrapping a small rubber band around the hemorrhoids, where there aren’t many pain-sensitive nerve endings. Traditional banding techniques use a metal-toothed clamp to grasp the tissue, but the CRH O'Regan System uses a far more gentle suction device, which reduces the risk of pain and bleeding.

Hemorrhoid banding is an office-based procedure that could benefit 95% of patients. There's no special preparation needed, virtually no pain or recovery time, and the entire procedure takes less than a minute. It has a high success rate, and there's minimal risk of complications.

For relief from hemorrhoids, call Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County today or book an appointment online.