The first step that you need to take if you think you might have a hemorrhoid is to your doctor’s office for a definitive diagnosis. While hemorrhoids are not necessarily serious, there are other illnesses that can mimic the symptoms that are, so it is important for your doctor to check you out and find out the cause of your discomfort and bleeding.

What are Internal Hemorrhoids?

Internal hemorrhoids refer to the blood vessels inside the anal wall that can swell and become irritated. While these types of hemorrhoids are usually painless, they can cause quite a bit of bleeding, and if they begin to protrude through the rectal wall, they can become more irritating. How to treat an internal hemorrhoid will probably depend on its size, but there are a few basic treatment options available that you and your doctor can explore. Fortunately, how to treat internal hemorrhoids rarely involves surgery, since there are a number of less invasive techniques that can be equally effective on these types of hemorrhoids.

Rubber Band Ligation

When it comes to the best ways of how to treat internal hemorrhoids, rubber band ligation is usually at the top of the list. This procedure involves your doctor using a device to shoot a tiny rubber band around the base of your hemorrhoid. This band will cut off the circulation to this vessel, allowing it to shrink and even fall off on its own. A sore will be left in its place that will usually heal by itself within a week or two. Most of the time, this procedure will result in the permanent removal of the hemorrhoid without the need for surgery. If the hemorrhoid does return, another rubber band ligation can be done. This procedure is preferable to surgery because it can be done in a doctor’s office without the need for anesthetic. Recovery is much shorter and less painful as well.

Other means of how to treat internal hemorrhoids include scarring the area so it can no longer bleed by zapping it with heat or a laser. Sometimes a chemical substance is injected that will also force the hemorrhoid to shrink. This process is called sclerotherapy, and can also be done in a doctor’s office, usually with even less discomfort than rubber band ligation. The good news is that when it comes to how to treat an internal hemorrhoid, your doctor will have plenty of options for you.