Hemorrhoid tag – treatment?
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 at
5:13 pm
I asked my gyno about a hemorrhoid tag that i’ve had for a year, and she told me that it won’t go away on its own and they only way to get rid of it is surgery. Is this true? It’s not painful, but I do feel self-conscious about it.
Filed under: Hemorrhoids Treatments
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There are several different treatment options available for hemorrhoid tags or swellings, and not all of them are surgical.
First, you can try some things yourself – probiotic foods (like yogurt), stool softener (NOT laxative), switch to moist wipes (unscented baby wipes) instead of toilet paper, increase fiber, increase how much water you drink, sitz baths with epsom salts. Avoid using aspirin for a painkiller. If these simple measures don’t help, the next step is to consult a doctor about other options. Don’t use steroid creams or pads/wipes without speaking to your doctor – things like cortisone can weaken the skin and make the hemorrhoid worse.
Infrared coagulation, often mistakenly called "laser" treatment, is a non-surgical procedure. Basically, a doctor inserts a small probe next to the base of the hemorrhoid tissue that is inflamed and infrared light is used to form a clot. The clot cuts bloodflow to the swelling, and it shrinks back down. Advantages are that it is relatively comfortable (performed in-office, no anaesthesia as it is above the pain nerves – you would just feel some pressure) and has very little recovery time or activity limitations. Disadvantages are that it usually requires somewhere between 5 to 10 treatments 3 to 5 weeks apart, and you may or may not see improvement with the first 1 or 2 treatments. It is also more effective in some cases when paired with drug therapy or probiotic use to normalize the gut. It does not work well for people who are on blood thinners.
Rubberband (or Baron) Ligation is slightly more uncomfortable than the infrared coagulation, and about as effective. Advantages are that it generally requires only 1 or 2 treatment sessions, and is more widely available. It works basically by putting a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid tissue and waiting for it to fall off. Anaesthesia is sometimes used, but not always.
Hemorrhoidectomy is the surgery your doctor mentioned. It has about a 2 week recovery time, and does require anaesthesia.
Your doctor is right, it must be removed only by some sort of surgery but why feel self conscious? Has any man or your husband or boy friend said anything? Even if they did, its normal and as long as it causes you no problems, why bother?