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Haemorrhoids
Haemorrhoids are considered to be internal or external.
Internal haemorrhoids are collections of blood vessels, which form into "3 cushions" in varying positions around the anal canal.
External haemorhoids are really small skin tags which protude from the anal verge.
Symptoms
The commonest symptom of haemorrhoids is bright
bleeding during and after a bowel motion. Internal haemorrhoids may
also prolapse (protrude) and cause some degree of discomfort and
irritation. External haemorrhoids may make cleaning the anal area
difficult and also act as a source of irritation. Occasionally a blood
vessel may burst under the skin and cause a painful and swelling which
is referred to as a thrombosed external haemorrhoid or perianal
haematoma. This latter condition is common in athletes or individuals
who may strain excessively at stool. It is a self-limiting condition,
but may often be improved by a minor procedure, which can be undertaken
in the office.
Thrombosed prolapsed haemorrhoids refer to the
complications of internal haemorrhoids which may tend to protrude from
the anus after a bowel motion and not return to the lower part of the
bowel. This painful and distressing condition sometimes requires
semi-urgent operation.
Treatment
The treatment of haemorrhoids depends on their
severity. Symptoms from haemorrhoids may improve by an increased amount
of fibre in the diet. Ointments and suppositories may also be helpful.
Large haemorrhoids may require some injection treatment or the use of
rubber bands and very large haemorrhoids may require haemorrhoidectomy.
Freezing, infra-red and laser therapy to haemorrhoids are just
differing methods of using energy to remove a haemorrhoid. They have no
particular advantage over "normal" haemorrhoidectomy.
Related Links
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Authorised: Adrian Polglase
Reviewed: Monday, February 27, 2006
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gas
July 18, 2007 |
| We’ve all experienced intestinal gas, some more than others. While belching, bloating, and flatulence are considered normal, the urge to pass gas can cause social embarrassment, discomfort and pain. Although you can’t stop gas from forming, you may be able to alleviate the symptoms through diet, lifestyle changes and medications. If you experience persistent gas pains, you should talk to your doctor.
For more information on intestinal gas, visit the ACG Web site at www.acg.gi.org
Source: American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
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Bowel cancer finding brings screening closer
July 18, 2007 |
| RESEARCHERS have identified for the first time a gene that triggers bowel cancer, a move that could bring closer a genetic screening test for the disease.
The gene, carried by about half the population, appears to increase the risk of developing bowel cancer by 20per cent.
Bowel cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, accounting for about 13,000 new cases a year.
So far, faulty genes have only been implicated in about 5 per cent of all cancers, and 5 per cent of bowel cancers.
In the case of bowel cancers, the genetic defects so far associated with the disease are all thought to be associated with faulty cellular repair mechanisms, meaning that the body loses the ability to kill off cells that start to divide abnormally.
Bowel cancer is also the second most common cause of cancer death in Australia, accounting for 4372 deaths in 2003, or 11.5 per cent of the total fatalities. It is notoriously hard to pick up for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of picking up warning signs - such as blood in the faeces - and patients' reluctance to see their doctors.
This year the federal Government began rolling out a screening program, costing $43 million over three years, whereby older Australians send in a faecal sample for testing.
If blood that could indicate a cancer is detected in the sample, the patient may be called in for further examinations.
The latest findings, published in international journal Nature Genetics, suggest a faulty gene found on chromosome 8 may trigger bowel cancer, and account for 10per cent of all cases of the disease. |
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| Let's Beat Bowel Cancer |
| An initiative of Cabrini Health, Let's Beat Bowel Cancer is a not-for-profit, community awareness program dedicated to saving lives through improved bowel cancer research, education and prevention.
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