Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, are swellings containing enlarged blood vessels that are found inside or around the bottom (the rectum and anus).

In many cases, haemorrhoids don't cause symptoms, and some people don't even realise they have them. However, when symptoms do occur, they may include:

bleeding after passing a stool (the blood is usually bright red)
itchy bottom
a lump hanging down outside of the anus, which may need to be pushed back in after passing a stool
a mucus discharge after passing a stool
soreness, redness and swelling around your anus
Haemorrhoids aren't usually painful unless their blood supply slows down or is interrupted.

When to seek medical advice
See your GP if you have persistent or severe symptoms of haemorrhoids. You should always get any rectal bleeding checked out, so your doctor can rule out more potentially serious causes.

The symptoms of haemorrhoids often clear up on their own or with simple treatments that can be bought from a pharmacy without a prescription (see below). However, speak to your GP if your symptoms don't get better or if you experience pain or bleeding.

Your GP can often diagnose haemorrhoids using a simple internal examination of your back passage, although they may need to refer you to a colorectal specialist for diagnosis and treatment.

Some people with haemorrhoids are reluctant to see their GP. However, there’s no need to be embarrassed, because GPs are very used to diagnosing and treating haemorrhoids.

Read more about diagnosing haemorrhoids.

What causes haemorrhoids?
The exact cause of haemorrhoids is unclear, but they're associated with increased pressure in the blood vessels in and around your anus. This pressure can cause the blood vessels in your back passage to become swollen and inflamed.

Many cases are thought to be caused by too much straining on the toilet, due to prolonged constipation – this is often due to a lack of fibre in a person's diet. Chronic (long-term) diarrhoea can also make you more vulnerable to getting haemorrhoids.

Other factors that might increase your risk of developing haemorrhoids include:

being overweight or obese
age – as you get older, your body's supporting tissues get weaker, increasing your risk of haemorrhoids
being pregnant – which can place increased pressure on your pelvic blood vessels, causing them to enlarge (read more about piles in pregnancy)
having a family history of haemorrhoids
regularly lifting heavy objects
a persistent cough or repeated vomiting
sitting down for long periods of time
Preventing and treating haemorrhoids
Haemorrhoid symptoms often settle down after a few days, without needing treatment. Haemorrhoids that occur during pregnancy often get better after giving birth.

However, making lifestyle changes to reduce the strain on the blood vessels in and around your anus is often recommended. These can include:

gradually increasing the amount of fibre in your diet – good sources of fibre include fruit, vegetables, wholegrain rice, wholewheat pasta and bread, pulses and beans, seeds, nuts and oats
drinking plenty of fluid – particularly water, but avoiding or cutting down on caffeine and alcohol
not delaying going to the toilet – ignoring the urge to empty your bowels can make your stools harder and drier, which can lead to straining when you do go to the toilet
avoiding medication that causes constipation – such as painkillers that contain codeine
losing weight (if you're overweight)
exercising regularly – can help prevent constipation, reduce your blood pressure and help you lose weight
These measures can also reduce the risk of haemorrhoids returning, or even developing in the first place.

Medication that you apply directly to your back passage (known as topical treatments) or tablets bought from a pharmacy or prescribed by your GP may ease your symptoms and make it easier for you to pass stools.

There are various treatment options for more severe haemorrhoids. One of these options is banding, which is a non-surgical procedure where a very tight elastic band is put around the base of the haemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply. The haemorrhoid should fall off after about a week.

Surgery carried out under general anaesthetic (where you're unconscious) is sometimes used to remove or shrink large or external haemorrhoids.

Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, are swellings containing enlarged blood vessels that are found inside or around the bottom (the rectum and anus).

In many cases, haemorrhoids don't cause symptoms, and some people don't even realise they have them. However, when symptoms do occur, they may include:

bleeding after passing a stool (the blood is usually bright red)
itchy bottom
a lump hanging down outside of the anus, which may need to be pushed back in after passing a stool
a mucus discharge after passing a stool
soreness, redness and swelling around your anus
Haemorrhoids aren't usually painful unless their blood supply slows down or is interrupted.

When to seek medical advice
See your GP if you have persistent or severe symptoms of haemorrhoids. You should always get any rectal bleeding checked out, so your doctor can rule out more potentially serious causes.

The symptoms of haemorrhoids often clear up on their own or with simple treatments that can be bought from a pharmacy without a prescription (see below). However, speak to your GP if your symptoms don't get better or if you experience pain or bleeding.

Your GP can often diagnose haemorrhoids using a simple internal examination of your back passage, although they may need to refer you to a colorectal specialist for diagnosis and treatment.

Some people with haemorrhoids are reluctant to see their GP. However, there’s no need to be embarrassed, because GPs are very used to diagnosing and treating haemorrhoids.

Read more about diagnosing haemorrhoids.

What causes haemorrhoids?
The exact cause of haemorrhoids is unclear, but they're associated with increased pressure in the blood vessels in and around your anus. This pressure can cause the blood vessels in your back passage to become swollen and inflamed.

Many cases are thought to be caused by too much straining on the toilet, due to prolonged constipation – this is often due to a lack of fibre in a person's diet. Chronic (long-term) diarrhoea can also make you more vulnerable to getting haemorrhoids.

Other factors that might increase your risk of developing haemorrhoids include:

being overweight or obese
age – as you get older, your body's supporting tissues get weaker, increasing your risk of haemorrhoids
being pregnant – which can place increased pressure on your pelvic blood vessels, causing them to enlarge (read more about piles in pregnancy)
having a family history of haemorrhoids
regularly lifting heavy objects
a persistent cough or repeated vomiting
sitting down for long periods of time
Preventing and treating haemorrhoids
Haemorrhoid symptoms often settle down after a few days, without needing treatment. Haemorrhoids that occur during pregnancy often get better after giving birth.

However, making lifestyle changes to reduce the strain on the blood vessels in and around your anus is often recommended. These can include:

gradually increasing the amount of fibre in your diet – good sources of fibre include fruit, vegetables, wholegrain rice, wholewheat pasta and bread, pulses and beans, seeds, nuts and oats
drinking plenty of fluid – particularly water, but avoiding or cutting down on caffeine and alcohol
not delaying going to the toilet – ignoring the urge to empty your bowels can make your stools harder and drier, which can lead to straining when you do go to the toilet
avoiding medication that causes constipation – such as painkillers that contain codeine
losing weight (if you're overweight)
exercising regularly – can help prevent constipation, reduce your blood pressure and help you lose weight
These measures can also reduce the risk of haemorrhoids returning, or even developing in the first place.

Medication that you apply directly to your back passage (known as topical treatments) or tablets bought from a pharmacy or prescribed by your GP may ease your symptoms and make it easier for you to pass stools.

There are various treatment options for more severe haemorrhoids. One of these options is banding, which is a non-surgical procedure where a very tight elastic band is put around the base of the haemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply. The haemorrhoid should fall off after about a week.

Surgery carried out under general anaesthetic (where you're unconscious) is sometimes used to remove or shrink large or external haemorrhoids.

Piles are inflamed and swollen collections of tissue that develop in the anal area. With precaution you can avoid this disease.
What should you do to avoid Piles.
1) Take plenty of fluids, leafy green vegetables, fibres in your diet. Whole wheat, jawar and bajra contains good amount of fibre and are easy to digest.
2) Walk after meals.
3) Exercise regularly. Active sweating is must.
4) Chew your food properly. Mix the saliva well in chewing food. Then only swallow it. If needed have a sip of water to make the food more liquid.


Below is the list of activities to be avoided to avoid Piles.
1) Don't eat more than you needed. Always keep 1/4 of stomach empty.
2) Hurry, worry and curry is absolutely not advisable for Patient of anorectal disorders.
3) Don't sit in toilet for long periods and don't strain for stools.
4) Avoid spicy, hot curries. Avoid regular use of laxatives. Avoid too much coffee and alcohol.
5) Don't ignore urge for bowel movements. Accept nature's calls.
6) When you lift heavy weights, don't hold breath, exhale normally.

Sclerosant injection is being used for treatment of small vascular haemorrhoids and indeed used to control all cases of first degree internal haemorrhoids whatever may be the presenting symptoms. The most commonly used sclerosant is 5% phenol in almond or arachis oil with 140 mg of menthol to make 30 ml solution (Albright solution). This solution is injected into the submucosa around the pedicle of the haemorrhoid with two objects in view, firstly to produce a chemical thrombosis in the internal haemorrhoidal plexus and secondly to produce a fibrous reaction in the submucous layer which Will fix the loose redundant mucosal membrane to the inner muscle layer and draw up the pile so that it no longer prolapses or is grasped by the sphincters. Good sclerosis can often be obtained by a single injection of 5 ml into each primary haemorrhoid. If the injection is given slowly around the base of the pile above the anorectal ring then very little discomfort is experienced. If subsequent injections are required then selerosed mucosa will not usually take such large volume and 2 or 3 ml are injected 1cm below the initial injection site. The patient is examined for 4 to 6 weeks after the initial injection and in case of first degree haemorrhoids further treatment may not be necessary. In case of large second degree haemorrhoids 2 or 3 injections may be required at intervals of 6 weeks in order to obtain maximum fibrosis.
Below is the list of advantages of Injection Therapy:
(1) This method is quick.
(2) Relatively painless.
(3) Comparatively free from caution.
(4) In case of first degree haemorrhoid results indicates high percentage of cure. If injection therapy is done for treatment of first and small second degree haemorrhoids, the cure rate is in the order of 95% and recurrence may take place in less than 15% of cases within 3 years.

Below is the list of disadvantages of Injection:
(1) It is contraindicated in prolapsed piles, in arterial piles and in presence of infection.
(2) Faulty technique may lead to sloughing, which is dangerous.

मूळव्याध (piles)

मूळव्याध हा मानवी शरीराच्या मूळाशी जी व्याधी होते तो आजार आहे. या रोगास संस्कृतमध्ये अर्श असे नाव आहे. यामध्ये दोन प्रकारचे रोग आहेत –
1. विनारक्तस्त्राव (मोडाची मूळव्याध)
2. रक्तास्त्रावसहित (रक्तमूळव्याध)

या रोगात गुदद्वाराच्या सभोवताल आतमध्ये जे रक्तवाहिन्या असतात त्या बाहेर येतात. त्याने तेथे सतत ठणकल्यागत वेदना होते. क्वचित रक्तस्त्राव पण होतो. काटा टोचत आहे अशी भावना होते. अधिक रक्तस्त्राव झाल्यास व्यक्तीमध्ये रक्ताची कमतरता (अनिमिया) निर्माण होते. गुदद्वाराची आकुंचन क्षमता क्रमशः नष्ट होत जाते. पुष्कळ काळ लोटल्यावर मग संग्रहणी हा रोग पण होउ शकतो. या अवघड जागेच्या दुखण्याचा संबंध संपूर्ण पचनसंस्थेशी आहे.
भारतात आजघडीस (सन २०१७) साधारणतः ४ कोटी लोकांना हा आजार आहे आणि दरवर्षी या आजाराचे १० लाख रुग्ण नव्याने तयार होत असतात. काही काळपूर्वी मूळव्याध हा साधारण चाळीशीनंतर उद्भवणारा आजार होता. पण, आता १८ ते २५ या वयोगटातील स्त्री- पुरुषांनाही मूळव्याध होऊ लागला आहे. मूळव्याधीच्या एकूण रुग्णांपैकी १० ते १२ टक्के रुग्ण हे १८ ते २५ वयोगटातील आहेत. दरवर्षी २० नोव्हेंबर हा दिवस जगभर जागतिक मूळव्याध दिन म्हणून साजरा होत असतो.

हा रोग कोणालाही सहजपणे होतो म्हणुन व्यायाम करा त्यामुळे पचन सुधारते व व्यायाम करा.

लक्षण :
- सूज येणे
- अग्निमांद्य
- अन्न न पचणे
- बलहानी
- पोटात गुडगुड आवाज येणे
- पोटाचा रोग झाला आहे असे वाटणे
- गुडघेदुखी इत्यादी.

कारणे
संडासला कायम जोर करण्यामुळे आणि कुंथण्यामुळे मूळव्याध होऊ शकते. व्यायामाचा अभाव, आहारात तंतूमय पदार्थांची कमतरता, कडक मलप्रवृत्ती, मलावरोध, सतत अति उष्ण(गुणाने) पदार्थ खाणे, वातकारक व रुक्ष पदार्थ खाणे, अति तिखट सेवन, सतत बैठे काम, व्यायाम, अनियमित दिनचर्या, रक्तदोष, वेळच्या वेळ शौचास न जाणे, अति जागरण तसेच व्यायामाचा अभाव, मधुमेह, वृद्धत्वामुळे येणारे पचनाचे दौर्बल्य, गर्भारपण, आमांश गुदद्वारावर जोर देणे अशा अनेक बाबी इत्यादी.

उपचार
हिरव्या पालेभाज्या, कोशिंबिरी, फळे असे चोथायुक्त पदार्थ आहारात भरपूर प्रमाणात घेणे आवश्यक असते. दही, ताक याचा वापर करणे, रोज भरपुर पाणी पिणे, नाश्ता व जेवण वेळच्या वेळी घेणे हे आवश्यक असते. हा रोग अनेक दिवस लपविल्या जातो त्यामुळे तो वाढल्यावर लोकं उपचारासाठी धावतात. ऍलोपॅथी मध्ये शस्त्रक्रिया हा उपचार आहे .या रोगात पथ्य फारच जरुरी आहे :

1. सुरणाचा कंद आणुन त्याची वरची साल काढून टाकावी. आतील गुलाबी भागाच्या बटाट्यासारख्या काचर्‍या करून त्या गाईच्या तुपात परताव्या व खाव्यात. यात मीठ टाकु नये. नंतर अधुन मधुन ही भाजी खात जावी.

2. मीठ खाउ नये. सैंधव मीठ थोडे खावे.

3. रात्री एका वाटीत १ चमचा तुप गरम करुन, पातळ करून त्यात साखर घालावी.त्यात अर्धा वाटी पाणी घालुन ते प्यावे.सकाळी त्रास कमी होतो.

4. ताजे लोणी खावे. ताजे ताक प्यावे(आंबट नव्हे.)

5. रक्त मूळव्याधीवर निरंजनचे फळ आणुन ते पाउण पेला पाण्यात रात्री भिजू घालावे. सकाळी ते फळ त्याच पाण्यात कुस्करुन ते पाणी प्यावे. असे दोन्ही वेळेस करावे.(सकाळी व रात्री)

6. इसबगोल चा भूसा आणुन त्यात पाणी घालुन रात्री भिजत ठेवावे व सकाळी ते गाळुन प्यावे.

7. उपचार पद्धतीत शस्त्रक्रिया हा शेवटचा उपाय असतो.

मूळव्याधीचा त्रास दूर करणारे घरगुती मलम :
मूळव्याधीचा त्रास हा अत्यंत भयंकर आहे. हा त्रास वेदनादायी असला तरीही या आजाराबद्दल फारसे खुलेपणाने बोलले जात नाही. परिणामी अनेकांमध्ये या त्रासाची तीव्रता वाढल्यानंतर वैद्यकीय मदत घेतली जाते. फास्टफूट, अरबट चरबट पदार्थ, मसालेदार पदार्थांवर ताव मारण्याची सवय यामुळे केवळ जीभेचे चोचले पुरवले जातात. मात्र खाण्याच्या अशा सवयींमुळे पचनाचे आजर बळावतात. मूळव्याध जडण्यामागेदेखील अशीच कारणं असतात.

मूळव्याधीचा त्रास आटोक्यात ठेवण्यासाठी घरगुती उपाय -
सुरूवातीच्या टप्प्यामध्ये मूळव्याधीच्या समस्येकडे लक्ष दिल्यास त्याचे स्वरूप गंभीर होण्याचा धोका कमी असतो. याकरिता काही घरगुती उपायांनी त्यावर मात करता येऊ शकते.

- कडुलिंब -
कडुलिंबाच्या लिंबोळ्या आणा. त्यावरील साल काढून आतील बीज काढा. हे बीज कुटून चिचुक्याऐवढ्या 21 गोळ्या करा. या गोळ्या नियामित दूधासोबत घ्याव्यात.
या उपायादरम्यान आहाराचं पथ्यपाणी सांभाळणं गरजेचे आहे. मांसाहार, पचायला जड असणारे पदार्थ आहारात टाळा. यामुळे मूळव्याधीचा त्रास आटोक्यात राहण्यास मदत होते.

- घरगुती मलम -
रूईच्या पानांमधील चीक काढा. यामध्ये हळद मिसळून पेस्ट बनवा. या पेस्टचा केवळ एक ठिपका त्रास होत असलेल्या जागी लावा. नियमित सात दिवस हा उपाय करावा. यामुळे मूळव्याधीचा त्रास आटोक्यात राहण्यास मदत होईल.

महत्त्वाची टीप - हे केवळ घरगुती उपाय आहेत. त्याचा वापर करण्यापूर्वी तज्ञांचा सल्ला अवश्य घ्यावा. व्यक्तीपरत्वे उपायांचे परिणाम वेगवेगळे असू शकतात.