Hemorrhoids frequently go away on their own and cause only mild discomfort, but if hemorrhoids are a recurring problem, cause significant pain, or don’t go away, the best option is to seek treatment. At his practice in Boca Raton, Florida, board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Prosper Abitbol can help you get quick relief from painful, persistent hemorrhoids and prevent them from coming back in the future by removing internal hemorrhoids with non-surgical banding. To schedule an appointment, call or use the online booking tool.

Hemorrihoids Q & A

What causes hemorrhoids?

When there’s excessive pressure on your rectum and anus, you’re likely to develop hemorrhoids, or swollen veins. If you eat a low-fiber diet, you may find bowel movements more difficult, and the resulting straining often causes hemorrhoids. If your job requires you to sit or stand for extended periods of time, or to regularly lift heavy objects, the resulting pressure puts you at risk for hemorrhoids, as does being pregnant.

Hemorrhoids are very common. In fact, most people experience hemorrhoids at some point in their lives, and adults between ages 45 to 65 are especially prone to them, but the condition is far from limited to that group. Though the causes of hemorrhoids are usually habit-based, such as diet, some people are genetically inclined to develop hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids can be internal, affecting the inside of the rectum, or external, affecting the area surrounding your anus. There are far more nerves right outside your anus than inside it, so external hemorrhoids are more painful, and you may further irritate them through straining. However, internal hemorrhoids can bleed and sometimes prolapse, or shift downward and stick out, which is usually painful.

Not all hemorrhoids cause pain, bleeding, or itching, so you may be able to locate them by feel but not experience any pain.

Often, you can treat hemorrhoids at home, and if you’re not in severe pain, you don’t have to worry that it’s actually a more serious medical concern. Most hemorrhoids cause minor discomfort and disappear within a couple of weeks. In these cases, you can manage the symptoms and sometimes speed up the healing process with remedies like over-the-counter creams containing witch hazel, which reduces pain, itching, and bleeding, or by taking warm water baths.

If you get hemorrhoids regularly, Dr. Abitbol asks about your lifestyle and dietary habits. You may need to eat more fiber in foods like vegetables, fruits, and legumes, and drink more water. These changes make your stools easier to pass, so you won’t strain during bowel movements, and you can prevent hemorrhoids from developing.

When hemorrhoids don’t improve, cause significant bleeding, or the pain is too much to manage, Dr. Abitbol can remove internal hemorrhoids through non-surgical procedures. These procedures include banding, which involves placing a rubber band around the hemorrhoid, cutting off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid and causing it to shrink, shrivel, or fall off.

To get treatment for persistent hemorrhoids, call or click to schedule an appointment with Dr. Prosper Abitbol.

  OFFICE HOURS

Monday – Thursday 9:00 – 5:00
Friday 9:00 – 4:00
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

House Calls Available Upon Request

  561-347-7400

  OFFICE LOCATIONS

Review us on Google