The hemorrhoidal crisis is harmless but often very painful. If it lasts or is repeated often, it is best to consult either your general practitioner or a gastroenterologist or a proctologist.
Painful but not serious, the hemorrhoidal crisis should not however be taken seriously. This “disease of passing time”, as doctor Philippe Godeberge, gastroenterologist calls it, appears at the earliest in young adults and represents a real hindrance in daily life.
This is a vascular type problem that affects either internal hemorrhoids, under the anal mucosa, or external hemorrhoids that appear under the skin at the orifice of the anus. If the former do not cause pain, they can cause bleeding. This symptom should lead to consultation: such signs can also hide anal or rectal cancer which also cause bleeding, or an anal fissure, or even an abscess. A simple bleeding due to a hemorrhoidal crisis affecting the internal hemorrhoids can also be the cause of anemia. If these signs persist after a few months, an examination by a gastroenterologist should be considered. This involves a physical examination by palpation to check that there is no tumor and/or a painless examination using an anoscope inserted into the anal canal.
The pain justifies the consultation
For external hemorrhoids which are responsible for pain that is sometimes difficult to bear, the diagnosis does not pose a problem, since the crisis results in the thrombosis of a blood vessel which forms a ball outside the anus. , so it is easily visible. This type of case requires a consultation which must be done without fear, since this thrombosis is in no way comparable to, for example, phlebitis, insofar as the blood clot which has formed cannot migrate.
These consultations — sometimes postponed by patients for reasons of “modesty” — are therefore always profitable. The general practitioner is often the best interlocutor for the patient, even if his training does not include proctology courses, at least for the first stages. For patients who wish to consult a specialist, it is necessary to contact a gastroenterologist or a proctologist. “What we see in reality is that many patients turn to a specialist simply because they are embarrassed to talk about their problem and they prefer to go to a practitioner whom they don’t know … and vice versa”, emphasizes Doctor Philippe Godeberge.
Limit the risk of crisis by monitoring its transit
The best way to avoid a consultation to which it is sometimes difficult to resolve, is to do what is necessary to limit the risk of hemorrhoidal crisis. Faced with this “small” health problem, the best prevention is to ensure that you have a good transit in order to fight against prolonged constipation or diarrhea. What is done from simple rules: practice regular physical activity, drink enough water, eat foods rich in fiber, such as green vegetables or fruits, and go to the toilet at fixed times.
A ban: the consumption of alcohol and spicy foods, known to promote hemorrhoids, as well as the practice of certain sports such as cycling or horse riding. In addition, the stools being irritating, it can be recommended to systematically carry out a soft toilet of the anal area.
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