Proctology Institute

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4 Locations: Beverly Hills, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Newport Beach
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Where Does Anal Pain Come From?

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Anal pain sounds a little bit like a joke until you have it yourself. From then on, it sounds like a special kind of torture.

Many of the patients we see at the Proctology Institute describe anal pain as among the most intense pain of their lives, regularly topping the “pain index” chart we post in hospitals nationwide.

But not all anal pain is the same, either in type or origin. Knowing which kind you have, and why, can mean the difference between resolving the issue quickly and spending several weeks under its thumb.

The Mayo Clinic has published a good guide to the types of anal pain, identifying a laundry list of potential causes including infection, hemorrhoids, disease, and trauma. The Clinic has also advised seeing a doctor under most of the common circumstances surrounding anal pain:

A hemorrhoid that develops quickly or is particularly painful may have formed a blood clot inside (thrombosed). Removing the clot within the first 48 hours often gives the most relief, so request a timely appointment with your doctor. The blood clot of a thrombosed hemorrhoid, although painful, can’t break loose and travel, so it won’t cause any of the complications — such as stroke — associated with blood clots that form in other parts of the body.

See your doctor for rectal bleeding, particularly if you’re older than 40, to rule out rare, but serious, conditions, such as colon cancer.

For a Los Angeles proctologist who treats anal pain with expert care and discretion, call the Proctology Institute of Los Angeles and Orange County for an appointment immediately.

Anal Cancer: Get Screened Early

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When the New York Times write a longform piece about the scourge of anal cancer, including its causes and precursors, people sit up and take notice. But some such pieces warrant further discussion, especially when the warnings they contain remain largely unheeded several years later.

Here is the Times on the frequency of this dangerous disease:

While men who have sex with men are at elevated risk for developing anal cancer, the disease strikes more women than men: cases are diagnosed in some 2,000 men and 3,260 women each year in the United States. The disease is on the rise, with new diagnoses increasing by 2 percent a year in both men and women, according to national cancer statistics. Each year, 720 people die of anal cancer.

Screening is the best way to reduce your chances of dying from anal cancer and improve your prognosis across the board. Like any aggressive forms of cancer, anal cancer responds far better early in the process than in its later stages; the only way to catch it is to visit your proctologist for preventive measures such as colonoscopy or anal pap smear and high resolutiono anoscopy when appropriate.

The Los Angeles and Orange County Proctology Institute offers the best treatment for anal cancer in California. Please reach out today for more information about screening and diagnosis in your area.

The Link Between Anal Dysplasia and HPV

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Cervical HPV is a well-known condition, not least because vaccinating for this common precursor to cancer has become an unexpected source of controversy.

But while experts have long warned of the strong causal link between HPV and cervical cancer, few have deeply explored the link between this viral invasion and other forms of cancer, including anal cancer.

That has changed with the publication of a new study which found another strong correlation, this time between high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and cancer of the anus:

[I]n addition to being at higher risk of developing cervical cancer, women with high-grade cervical dysplasia may have an elevated risk of anal cancer,” lead author Jacqueline Lammé, MD, from the Department of Obstetrics Gynecology, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California, and colleagues write in an article published in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The best way to prevent HPV is through vaccination, of course. But if anal cancer has already been diagnosed, you still have a number of excellent options at your fingertips. A number of treatment modalities may be appropriate depending on the presentation of the disease; the best way to create an effective plan of action to is to speak with an experienced proctologist.

Contact the Proctology Institute for the best treatment for anal cancer in Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach.

Further Reading on Hemorrhoids After Pregnancy

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Hemorrhoids may be caused by any number of factors, from frequent sitting to straining during bowel movements, to genetic predisposition. But one of the most common causes is surely pregnancy and childbirth, which can put an extraordinary strain on the blood vessels in and around the anus.

Anticipating this problem does little to prevent it, as childbirth sites and forums frequently stress. This is one byproduct of the birthing process that may well be inevitable for many women:

Your bowel movements are probably going to hurt after you have a baby. Because you just gave birth, your veins are irritated and you probably have anal fissures, which cause both pain during bowel movements and hemorrhoids.

Typically symptoms like these will resolve on their own as the body heals and women become more active in the weeks and months after childbirth. But some hemorrhoids may persist or recur with discouraging frequency. Even if the internal hemorrhoids resolve, the external hemorrhoids may still persist as well as the accompanying anal skin tags which are not cosmetically pleasing to most women.

When the issue becomes chronic, you have a few good options available. If sitz baths and over the counter medications don’t work, it may be time to look into more aggressive approaches such as rubber band ligation or infrared coagulation – two procedures an expert proctologist can perform for you. Alternative hemorrhoid procedures that are painless include sclerotherapy injections.

Want to learn more about how to treat hemorrhoids in Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach? Contact the Proctology Institute today.

Should I Treat Painless Hemorrhoids?

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Hemorrhoids can be a subtle symptoms, especially when they aren’t accompanied by any pain or discomfort. Many people don’t even realize that they have hemorrhoids unless they experience intense itching, discomfort or see bright red blood in their stool.

So here’s a brief overview of hemorrhoids. There are two kinds of hemorrhoids, internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the anal canal above the area of sensation, called the dentate line. This is very important because it allows for the painless treatment of internal hemorrhoids. These veins will swell up and engorge with blood for many reasons: constipation, straining, pushing, etc. Internal hemorrhoids typically present with painless bright red rectal bleeding, either on the commode or on the toilet paper after a bowel movement. External hemorrhoids develop on the outside of the anal opening and come in two forms, painless and painful.

Painful external hemorrhoids are typically thrombosed external hemorrhoids. A thrombosis is a blood clot and the vessels underneath the skin around the anal opening (peri-anal area) will rupture and burst. A blood clot develops under the skin which becomes extremely painful. Thrombosed external hemorroids are typically painful for 72 hours and the pain begins to subside by itself, however, the blood clot and “lump” is still present and this may take up to one month to be absorbed by your body. If the pain is too great or doesn’t subside after 72 hours, typically when the thrombosed external hemorrhoid is very large, then the blood clot needs to be surgically removed. This can usually be done in the office setting under local anesthesia.

Painless external hemorrhoids typically develop from engorgement of blood vessels under the skin around the anal opening or perianal area. These engorged blood vessels will not thrombose or clot and are typically accompanied by anal skin tags. These external hemorrhoids may be difficult to manage because they may get in the way of good personal hygeine or just may be aesthetically unpleasing.

The important thing is to not panic if you see blood during your bowel movement and see your proctologist. Remember, the blood itself isn’t necessarily cause for concern: when hemorrhoids bleed, they typically heal up again quickly, and the loss of blood itself isn’t dangerous.

However, bright red blood may be an indicator of more serious health concerns such as anal cancer, colon cancer or diverticulosis, which is why it’s always wise to visit an expert proctologist for a full diagnostic workup and colonoscopy if necessary to rule out other more serious issues.

If hemorrhoids are indeed the cause, then the best first strategy is simply to avoid prolonged sitting and avoid straining during bowel movements by keeping an ideal stool consistency. If the problem persists or worsens, then you’ll want to learn more about some of the best surgical treatments for chronic hemorrhoids. Stay tuned on our blog for the latest and greatest painless hemorrhoid treatments that are available.

Contact the Los Angeles and Orange County Proctology Institute for an appointment today at our Beverly Hills, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach locations.