Hemorrhoid Treatment With Antibiotics

Hemorrhoids are painful, itching and sometimes bleeding anal veins 1. They can occur inside and outside the anus and often resolve on their own, without treatment. However, some cases of hemorrhoids will swell painfully and will require treatment to remove the hemorrhoid or to fight infection 1. For hemorrhoids that do not self-resolve, treatment with antibiotics may help fight infection and reduce inflammation, allowing the tissue time to heal.

Causes

Hemorrhoids can be cause:

• by aging
  
• obesity
  
• pregnancy
  
• straining during bowel movements
  
• anal intercourse
  
• sitting on the toilet for long periods of time
  
• chronic diarrhea or constipation

According to the Mayo Clinic, a tendency to develop hemorrhoids can be inherited 2.

Prevalence

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According to the website Hemorrhoid.net, hemorrhoids affect up to 89 percent of all Americans at some time in their lives 1. They tend to get worse with age and are most commonly found in people over 40.

Symptoms

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hemorrhoids include pain, itching, swelling and bleeding in the area of the anus, as well as leakage of feces 2.cause:

• According to the Mayo Clinic
  
• symptoms of hemorrhoids include pain
  
• itching
  
• swelling
  
• bleeding in the area of the anus
  
• as well as leakage of feces 2

Internal hemorrhoids often cause bloody stool but no other symptoms 2.

Treatment

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Treatment of hemorrhoids with over-the-counter creams that shrink blood vessels and reduce swelling is often enough for the hemorrhoid to heal within a few days 1. Sometimes, antibiotic creams may be effective treatments. In some cases, this will not be enough to promote healing. According to internist Dr. Gabe Mirkin, persistent hemorrhoids are usually infected with bacteria and can be treated with a course of antibiotics 1. Even with surgery to remove the hemorrhoid, it will often return. Treatment with antibiotics will eradicate the infection and allow the tissue to heal without surgery.

Antibiotic Resistance

Many doctors will only prescribe antibiotics as a last resort, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 3. While topical antibiotic creams may be effective for treating hemorrhoids and do not increase the chances of antibiotic resistance, oral antibiotics should be used sparingly because they carry significant risk. Taking antibiotics when they are not expressly needed increases your susceptibility to more dangerous, treatment-resistant bacterial strains. This can pose a significant threat to people with recurring hemorrhoid infections who require multiple courses of antibiotics. For these people, surgery is recommended over antibiotics, according to the CDC.