Piles are inflated varicose blood vessels which occur in and around the anus. The can range on color from dark blue, to dark red and also skin color. Piles range in size from tiny (5mm in diameter) through to larger than a golf ball in extreme cases. Piles (which are also known as hemorrhoids) are an illness that affects around 4% of the American population at any one time and around 40% of people will suffer from piles at some stage in their lives. Piles are most common in adults aged between 45 - 65 years old but can also occur in children, teenagers, and young adults.
Piles can occur inside the anal canal, or outside around the anus. If you have piles it's particularly that you have noticed bright red blood covering your feces, or on toilet paper. This is the most common symptom however you may also notice itching in and around the anal canal, pain during bowel movement, pain while sitting and mucus seeping out of the anus.
Medical experts are still not sure exactly what causes piles but they have identified a number of factors that are relevant in sufferers of piles. These include being overweight, doing little exercise, sitting or standing for long periods of time, drinking very few fluids, eating very little fiber, pregnancy, lifting heavy weights or objects, and training during bowel movement.
The best way to avoid hemorrhoids is making sure you do include plenty of fiber and water in your diet, stay active (walk for at least 20 minutes per day), and avoid training when lifting heavy objects and passing stools.
Treatment of piles is most effective and quickest when the condition is picked up early on. If the condition goes untreated it usually only worsens, very rarely will piles heal by themselves which is why it's always best to take immediate action when you realize that you have piles - even if the illness is not causing you a lot of problems in the early stages.
Piles treatment methods include surgery, creams and natural cures.
Creams are effective for reducing swelling and inflammation though they rarely provide a lasting cure to hemorrhoids. The may work well when combined with a natural cure, or as a form of pain relief but they should not be used expecting long term results.
Natural cures fight the root problems that cause hemorrhoids and can be very effective. Natural cures and herbal remedies are becoming more and more accepted these days, many doctors are recommending herbal remedies as a piles treatment - at least before surgery is considered. Natural piles remedies can work very quickly to not only cure piles but also relieve pain and irritation.
Surgery is an effective means of removing piles however it usually comes at a high price tag (upwards of US $ 1200) and a long recovery time (at least for hemorrhoidectomy's). Some forms of surgery (such as hemorrhoidectomy's) can be extremely painful and require a long recovery period of up to 4 weeks or more.
For more information about piles, as well as the best ways to cure piles, prevent them occurring, and indepth information about a range of other issues associated with piles visit the links listed in the resource section below.
