Who Treats Hemorrhoids? Discover What Doctors Treat Hemorrhoids

If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of hemorrhoids, you may be wondering what your next steps are in dealing with this disorder.  Whom do you turn to when you have hemorrhoids? 

Fortunately, this is an issue you can begin to address with your general practitioner.

Your family doctor can diagnose you with hemorrhoids and help you establish a treatment plan.  By explaining your symptoms, your primary care physician can usually determine if the cause is hemorrhoids. 

Occasionally, a digital or visual examination is needed for the proper diagnosis.

For mild cases of hemorrhoids, your family doctor might be able to perform rubber band ligations, which is an in-office procedure that general practitioners can be trained to do.

For more difficult, persisting, or stubborn cases of hemorrhoids, family doctors can send their patients to a specialist.  These doctors are called proctologists or gastroenterologists and have specialized knowledge in the field of digestive, rectal, and intestinal disorders.

These types of doctors are able to perform hemorrhoid surgeries for, particularly severe hemorrhoid cases.

Where Can I Go for Hemorrhoid Treatment?

An essential initial step is to see your doctor for hemorrhoid treatment.  You and your doctor can create a hemorrhoid treatment plan that is appropriate for you and your body.

Making an appointment with your doctor is especially critical if you are experiencing any rectal bleeding. 

Bright red blood following a bowel movement is a common symptom of hemorrhoids, but it could be a sign of something more serious.  Let your doctor determine if you need additional tests because after all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Many treatment options can be done in your own home.  Your local drugstore carries all sorts of ointments, creams, wipes, cushions, supplements, and suppositories that are all designed for hemorrhoid relief. 

These over the counter medications are effective in treating hemorrhoids, and for your convenience, can be found at nearly every type of store in your area.

If your family doctor feels it necessary, he or she will recommend or send you to a specialist.  Hemorrhoids are easily treatable, but in some cases, our genetics can make this anorectal condition reluctant to respond with basic treatments, and can often produce reoccurring, life-hindering flare-ups. 

Cases such as these are better to be dealt with the capable hands of a gastroenterologist or proctologist.  At the first sign of hemorrhoids, however, you don’t have to worry about going to see one of these specialists right away.

When Should I See a Doctor for Hemorrhoids?

Very rarely do hemorrhoids cause such severe complications to the point of a fatality, however, it is common to misdiagnose hemorrhoids when something more serious is present, causing similar symptoms to occur.

Rectal bleeding is a typical example of when this happens.  Certain anorectal cancers can produce rectal bleeding, but more commonly this symptom is attributed to hemorrhoids. 

You don’t want to take a chance if you are experiencing bright red blood, covering your stools, or on the toilet paper when you go to wipe.  It is at this time you will want to make an appointment with your doctor, with whom you can discuss any further examinations that might be necessary.

You should also make it a point to visit your doctor if your hemorrhoids do not go away in a few days, or if the symptoms worsen, becoming unmanageable. 

If your hemorrhoids are not responding to remedies and other treatment methods, then it is time to visit your doctor.  Symptoms that have become severe or hemorrhoid flare-ups that have become frequent and reoccurring also warrant a trip to your doctor’s office.

What Questions Should I Ask About Hemorrhoids?

There are productive questions you can ask your doctor in concerning your hemorrhoids.  Ask your family doctor:

• What can I be doing to prevent hemorrhoids from developing?
• What types of foods should I eat to prevent hemorrhoids?
• Am I doing something that is causing hemorrhoids to occur?
• How can I treat my hemorrhoids at home?

Your doctor can help you gain a better understanding of your hemorrhoids, and armed with medical advice, and you can work to prevent flare-ups from occurring.

What Types of Treatments Are There?

There are plenty of ways you can treat hemorrhoids, and because everyone is different, some methods may be more useful for your hemorrhoids than others.

Over the counter treatments include:

• Tucks Wipes
• Creams and ointments like Preparation H
• Hemorrhoid suppositories
• Hemorrhoid supplements
• Fiber supplements
• Oral pain relievers like Tylenol or Advil

Prevention is the greatest form of treating your hemorrhoids, and it begins with striving to eat more fiber in your diet.  Drinking plenty of water and getting enough exercise is also helpful in preventing hemorrhoids.

For more severe hemorrhoids, treatments can span from minimal, non-operative procedures like rubber band ligation, or to hemorrhoid surgery, where hemorrhoids are entirely removed.

Conclusion

Making an appointment to see your doctor even for small hemorrhoids or minimal symptoms is never a bad plan.  Your primary doctor is your greatest resource in dealing, treating, and preventing hemorrhoids.

If needed, your doctor can send you to a specialist, like a gastroenterologist or a proctologist. There are plenty of ways your doctors can help resolve your hemorrhoids.

While you can treat your hemorrhoids at home without medical advice, you could be missing out on essential methods you could be implementing to prevent hemorrhoids from developing.