How long until hemorrhoids shrink?

If you’re reading this, chances are, your bum is not feeling its best. Congratulations! You have joined the unfortunate club of countless individuals who suffer from hemorrhoids. Before we dive into the question “How long until hemorrhoids shrink?”, let’s take a moment to understand what these pesky little growths are.

What Are Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids (also known as piles) are swollen veins in the lower rectum and anus. These creatures can be either internal or external, and they may cause pain, itching, bleeding or general discomfort. They often occur in those who experience chronic constipation, pregnancy or prolonged sitting on hard surfaces.

The Anatomy of Hemorrhoids

To get a more visual understanding of hemorrhoid pain it may help to know that there are two types:

  1. External: Occuring under the skin around the anus.
  2. Internal: Occurring inside your rectum where it cannot be seen.

Common Symptoms

There’s no need to beat around the bush; if you’ve got hemorrhoids, you’ll definitely know about it! Some common symptoms include:

  • Itching
  • Pain during bowel movements
  • Swelling around anal opening
  • Bleeding when having a bowel movement

So now that we have an idea of what needs shrinking down there let’s discuss how long you’d expect to wait before things get back to normal!

How Long Does It Take For Hemorrhoid To Shrink?

The first thing worth mentioning here is that everybody is different; therefore all bodies will react differently and some healing times will fluctuate slightly accordingly – unfortunately meaning that everyone’s recovery period varies for both mild and severe cases… so don’t hold us 100% accountable for being accurate! But here goes anyway…

Factors Affecting Recovery Time

Before answering our main question, let’s take a quick look at some factors that can affect how long it takes for hemorrhoids to shrink:

  • The severity of the hemorrhoid
  • Age
  • Medical history – if you’ve had them before or not!
  • Frequency of bowel movements
  • Diet and exercise regime

Mild Hemorrhoids

Chin up! If your case is mild, treatment may come pretty easily with no need for invasive surgery. You’re looking at between one week to ten days depending on factors like those we mentioned above. In this timeframe you will probably experience:

  1. Reduced swelling and irritability around the anus after three to four days from starting as self-treatment.
  2. Deflated sack-looking protrusions (sorry NOT sorry) which would be completely vanished within 7–10 days.

Things get more difficult once an infection sets in…

Severe Hemorrhoids

A severe case can last anywhere between a few weeks to several months — ugh, I know right? At first, under medical supervision you might use ointments or creams combined with proper hygiene protocols around your bumhole…Kidding aside though, when things feel serious its best just leave it up to the professionals.

The DOH recommends seeking professional advice if symptoms persist longer than seven days – now stay put because there are some more facts coming!

How To Treat Hemorrhoids?

Luckily there are many treatments available; ranging from non-invasive home remedies all the way through surgical options – yes somewhere down that path lies regular applications of Anusol cream alongside soaking in warm baths! So never fear!

Self-Care Tips For Relief At Home

I’m sure by now everyone wants ‘natural’ solutions so these six tips should suit just about everybody’s dedication levels towards health management:

  1. Stay hydrated because poo loves water!
  2. Maintain fiber intake along with fruits and veggies everyday (easy!)
  3. Avoid holding in poos (even easier?)
  4. Practice warm baths (and this is where the relaxation comes in – ahhhhh)
  5. Use witch hazel pads/cotton balls
  6. Try over-the-counter ointments

Note: Although these tips can lower discomfort levels, they won’t cure hemorrhoids overnight as chronic cases require medical intervention!

Invasive Surgery

Surgery usually only becomes necessary – and more complicated – if prolonged engorgement has caused putrid discharge or piles reoccurring at frequent intervals.

  • Rubber band therapy/ligation: Essentially tiny rubber bands are tied around the base of an internal hemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply which will cause it to wilt away!
  • Stapling/Hemorrhoidopexy: This procedure is exceptionally efficient and involves pulling the prolapsed area (ie where it shouldn’t be) inside using surgical staples.
  • Hemorrhoidectomy/Surgical Removal: If all else fails then full removal under anaesthesia may be required!

Conclusion

Painful as they may be, do not feel embarrassed speaking about your condition because remember that statistics show that up to 50% adults suffer from them at some point throughout life; albeit short or long term… so chin-up!

To answer our initial question then … on average mild signs disappear within one week whilst more severe types last between couple of months! Don’t stress though — just eat well, exercise, stay clean down there(!), and contact a healthcare professional if you think things are getting particularly sore … oh — plus drink loads of water too dammit!

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