Hemorrhoids during pregnancy

Hemorrhoids are common during pregnancy but they usually improve after the baby is born.

Treatment: Try soaking in a warm bath to relieve the symptoms, or apply an ice pack several times a day, this will reduce swelling and painful discomfort of the hemorrhoids.

• Also follow the usual guidelines for hemorrhoid relief.
• Avoid sitting for prolonged periods, at home lie on your side instead.
• Avoid sitting at your work station for long period, get up and walk around for a few minutes.
• Increase fibre into your diet to avoid constipation, drink plenty of water and get some exercise.
• Using pre-moistened wipes or medicated wipes instead of toilet paper to keep the area clean.

Always consult your doctor.

Hemorrhoids Medical Information

The following information was gained from  www.pubmed.com 

PMID: 6648773 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment of internal hemorrhoids with rubber band ligation (RBL) and infrared photocoagulation (IRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From march 1996 to december 1999, we prospectively studied 358 patients with a total of 817 hemorrhoid groups and a follow-up period of 36 months. Distribution according to gender and age was: 210 men with a mean age of 46 years and 148 women with a mean age 45.8 years. The mean number of hemorrhoids treated per patients was 2.3. All of them had complete a follow-up protocol at 15, 30, 60 and 180 days and at 12, 24 and 36 months. Rubber band ligation was performed with McGown ligator and suction pump, placing the band at the base of the hemorrhoid. For the infrared coagulation we used a Lumatec coagulation system, applying at least four shoots around each hemorrhoid, with an exposition time ranging between 1 and 1.5 seconds. Treatment was considered effective when patients became asymptomatic (relief of pain, bleeding or anal itching) and the obliteration of hemorrhoids after the treatment was confirmed by anal inspection and anoscopy. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety five of 358 patients were treated with RBL (82.4%), this treatment being effective in 98% of the patients after 180 days and very good after 36 months. There were 6/295 relapses at 36 months (2%). All minor and major complications were observed within the first 15 days of treatment: rectal tenesmus in 96/295 patients (32.5%), mild anal pain in 115/295 (38.9%), self-limited and mild bleeding after the detachment of the bands in 30/295 (10%), and febricula in one patient. Sixty three of 358 patients were treated with IRC (17.6%). In this group, relapses were observed in 6/63 patients (9.5%) at 36 months, all of them with grade III hemorrhoids that required additional treatment with RBL. All the complications (inherent to the technique) were observed within the first days: mild anal pain in 40/63 patients (63.4%) and mild bleeding in 1/63 (1.6%). The treatment with RBL or IRC depended on the number of hemorrhoids and the hemorrhoidal grade. No significant differences were found regarding the effectiveness between RBL and IRC for the treatment of grade I-II hemorrhoids, while RBL was more effective for grade III and IV hemorrhoids (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RBL and IRC should be considered as a good treatment for all grades of hemorrhoids, due to its effectiveness, its cost-benefit and its small short and long-term morbidity.

PMID: 11488120 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
One hundred and twenty patients with confirmed second degree haemorrhoids were randomly allocated to four treatment groups; injection, rubber band ligation, maximal anal dilatation, and haemorrhoidectomy. Each groups consisted of 30 patients. All patients were regularly followed up for at least one year. Assessment at one year showed that haemorrhoidectomy "cured" the haemorrhoids in 29 out of 30 patients. Rubber band ligation relieved 25 out of 30 and maximal anal dilatation 24 out of 30. Injection was the least effective treatment, and relieved 18 of the 30 patients, with a cure rate of 60% only. Haemorrhoidectomy caused pain in all cases, anal stenosis in two, postoperative haemorrhage in two, and the patients required an average hospital stay of 11.5 days and an average of a further 15.5 days off work. Rubber band ligation was painless in 26 patients out of 30, and maximal anal dilatation was painless in 25 our of 30. There were no postoperative complications in the latter two treatment groups. Haemorrhoidectomy is good in "curing" the disease, but the higher possibility of postoperative pain and complications and longer hospital stay would not justify its use in the treatment of second degree haemorrhoids. Both rubber band ligation and maximal anal dilatation are effective and relatively free from complications. Rubber band ligation has the additional advantage of not requiring hospital stay or anaesthesia and is therefore considered to be the most appropriate method of treatment for second degree haemorrhoids.

PMID: 7032489 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
One hundred and thirty seven previously untreated out-patients with first and second degree haemorrhoids were allocated at random to treatment by infrared coagulation (n=66) or rubber band ligation (n=71). Complete follow up was obtained in 122 patients (60 who had undergone infrared coagulation (group 1), and 62 rubber band ligation (group 2)) at periods from three months to one year after completion of treatment. Infrared coagulation produced a satisfactory outcome in 51 patients (85%): 34 were rendered asymptomatic and 17 improved. Rubber band ligation produced a satisfactory outcome in 57 patients (92%): 33 were rendered asymptomatic and 24 improved. Both methods were equally effective in first and second degree haemorrhoids. The incidence of side effects, particularly discomfort, during and after treatment was significantly higher in those treated by rubber band ligation (p less than 0.001). This appeared to be an appreciable deterrent to future patient compliance. The number of patients losing more than 24 hours from work was higher after rubber band ligation than after infrared coagulation. The number of treatments necessary to cure symptoms did not differ significantly between the two methods. Infrared coagulation was significantly faster than rubber band ligation (p less than 0.001). Infrared coagulation is a simple, fast, and effective outpatient method for the treatment of first and second degree haemorrhoids with fewer troublesome side effects and higher patient acceptability than rubber band ligation.

PMID: 6404471 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Surgical Service, Long Beach Veterans Administration Medical Center, Irvine, California.

Fifty consecutive outpatients with bleeding internal hemorrhoids were prospectively treated with a single application of rubber band ligation or infrared coagulation. Complete follow-up observation was obtained in 48 patients (23 underwent rubber band ligation and 25 underwent infrared coagulation). At one month after treatment, 22 patients who underwent rubber band ligation and 16 who underwent infrared coagulation, were symptomatically improved (p less than 0.05). At six months, 15 patients who had undergone rubber band ligation and ten who had infrared coagulation treatment, remained improved (p less than 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the discomfort experienced by either group during or after the procedure as determined by a self-assessment scale. Two patients who underwent rubber band ligation experienced complications--a thrombosed external hemorrhoid developed in one patient and another had delayed rectal bleeding. Although associated with occasional complications after treatment, rubber band ligation is more effective than in infrared coagulation for single session treatment of bleeding internal hemorrhoids.

PMID: 3500523 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ont.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether any method of hemorrhoid therapy has been shown to be superior in randomized trials. METHOD: A meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials assessing two or more treatment modalities for symptomatic hemorrhoids. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Response to therapy, the need for further therapy, complications and pain. RESULTS: Eighteen trials were available for analysis. Hemorrhoidectomy was found to be significantly more effective than manual dilatation of the anus (p = 0.0017) and associated with less need for further therapy (p = 0.034), no significant difference in complications (p = 0.60) but more pain (p < 0.001). Patients who underwent hemorrhoidectomy had a better response to treatment than did patients who were treated with rubber-band ligation (p = 0.001), although complications were greater (p = 0.02), as was pain (p < 0.0001). Rubber-band ligation was better than sclerotherapy in response to treatment for all hemorrhoids (p = 0.005) and for hemorrhoids stratified by grade (grades 1 and 2, p = 0.007, grade 3, p = 0.042), with no difference in the complication rate (p = 0.35). Patients treated with sclerotherapy (p = 0.031) or infrared coagulation (p = 0.0014) were more likely to require further therapy than those treated with rubber-band ligation, although pain was greater after rubber-band ligation (p = 0.03 for sclerotherapy, p < 0.0001 for infrared coagulation). CONCLUSIONS: Rubber-band ligation is recommended as the initial mode of therapy for grades 1 to 3 hemorrhoids. Although hemorrhoidectomy showed better response, it is associated with more complications and pain than rubber-band ligation. Thus, it should be reserved for patients whose hemorrhoids fail to respond to rubber-band ligation.