Such a problem as hemorrhoids occurs not only in adults. Children, although to a lesser extent, are also susceptible to the development of the disease. Hemorrhoids in a child should be treated without delay. But before embarking on therapy, it is necessary to understand the causes of the development of the disease and the features of its course.
Constipation as a cause of hemorrhoids
Difficulty with bowel movements, a person can experience at any age. Among children, constipation most often affects infants. In the first year of life, babies face the problem of bowel movements due to an imbalance of bacterial microflora.
An older child may have hemorrhoids due to malnutrition. Snack food, fast food, lack of hot liquid food, carbonated drinks, lack of fiber - all this leads to disruption of the digestive system and the emergence of an "adult" disease.
The danger of constipation is that when passing through too dense feces there is a risk of damage to the rectal mucosa, and this, in turn, can lead to serious complications. Do not forget that with difficult bowel movements, the child tries to "squeeze" feces from himself, which creates excessive pressure in the small pelvis and hemorrhoidal nodes form.
Potty training with health implications
Often, parents rush to quickly teach their baby to sit, walk, talk and, of course, cope with their own needs. Planting a child on a pot, not taking into account his biological rhythm, but only because his mother (or father) wants it is a big mistake. By the way, in kindergarten, too, everything goes according to the schedule: they ate, drank, on the pot and went to sleep. Despite the fact that at a particular moment the child does not need to visit the toilet, he is still forced to sit waiting for a “miracle”. With long sitting on the pot, the blood vessels of the rectum begin to overflow with blood, it practically does not circulate and stagnates. This situation is ideal for the formation of hemorrhoids in children. The photo confirms: this disease does not make a discount on age.
Disease in children of the first year of life
If we talk about hemorrhoids in a baby, this factor can play a decisive role in the occurrence of pathology. Due to severe crying, pressure on the abdominal organs rises, and in the small pelvis, the stagnation described above begins to occur.
Congenital vein changes can be the cause of hemorrhoids. If such a violation occurs, it is simply impossible to not notice it from the first days of the baby’s life. When crying or straining during a bowel movement, the child's veins bulge out. Such an anomaly can be treated, but only a qualified specialist should do this.
Hemorrhoids in a schoolchild
For children over the age of seven, a sedentary lifestyle can become the cause of the disease. Prolonged sitting at the school desk, followed by stillness in front of a computer monitor, does not in any way improve blood circulation, but only increases the likelihood of developing the disease.
It also happens that high school students secretly try alcohol from their parents. A fragile children's body can respond to alcohol with a violation of the microcirculation of blood, which often leads to the appearance of symptoms of this unpleasant pathology.
What does hemorrhoids look like in children
Now let's try to describe the manifestations of the disease. It is not possible to publish a photo of hemorrhoids in children due to aesthetic reasons. At the initial stages of the development of the disease, the symptoms are the same for patients of all ages:
- pain in the process of bowel movement (especially severe at the time of passage of feces through the site of inflammation);
- itching and burning;
- the presence of blood in the stool.
Often, if the discomfort is not pronounced enough, the child does not report them to the parents, and they, as a rule, are not aware of the disease. However, the presence of blood in feces or on toilet paper is the main first symptom of hemorrhoids in children, which can not be ignored.
Please note: a child’s disease can develop in two ways. In the first case, the internal node is inflamed, in the second - the external node. The second form in the predominant number of cases leaves no doubt about the diagnosis, which cannot be said about internal hemorrhoids. It is difficult to say whether children have symptoms with latent inflammation, since each case is individual. Most often, internal hemorrhoids occur latently, without disturbing the child with severe painful manifestations. The ailment is diagnosed mainly by accident.
The danger of this form of hemorrhoids lies in the fact that in the absence of the necessary treatment, it rapidly develops and becomes complicated. The main symptom that determines the presence of external hemorrhoids in a child is the presence of a lump or swelling in the anus. At the initial stage of the disease, the hemorrhoid does not bother, but later inflammation begins, accompanied by pain and bleeding.
Main stages
Children's hemorrhoids go through three stages of development:
- Initially, there is a slight increase in nodes. The patient feels minimal discomfort during bowel movements.
- At the second stage, the hemorrhoidal nodes increase in size, now they can be felt, the region of the anus has become swollen, densified.
- The third stage of the development of the disease is characterized by prolapse of hemorrhoids, mainly against the background of bowel movement, which is accompanied by severe severe pain.
Without treatment for hemorrhoids, a child may develop thrombosis of hemorrhoids, which is accompanied by severe pain, fever, weakness and malaise. And again we return to the fact that it is impossible to diagnose a child independently, since blood in the stool and seals around the anus can indicate the presence of completely different, no less serious diseases. All that parents can do is consult a doctor and follow all his instructions. Engage in therapy at home, especially when it comes to the health of the baby - an unjustified risk.
Symptoms
When asking yourself the question of whether there can be hemorrhoids in children up to one year old, it is important to understand that the baby is not yet able to share with her parents all the unpleasant sensations that he experiences. It is possible that moodiness, anxiety and constant crying are the child's reaction to pain and burning, associated with an increase and inflammation of hemorrhoids. In a predominant number of cases, the symptoms of the disease are blurred, and therefore there are no external manifestations of the disease.
Older children (from about 3-4 years old), having acquired elementary speech communication skills, are already able to tell an adult about their anxiety and well-being. With complaints of hemorrhoids, the child notes:
- soreness when trying to empty the intestines;
- persistent itching;
- foreign body sensation in the anus.
Symptoms of hemorrhoids worsen at the time of release of hemorrhoidal nodules and their reverse retraction. Sometimes in the process of such a bowel movement, anal microcracks form, as evidenced by blood in the stool or on toilet paper. At 2 years, a child with hemorrhoids may experience complications in the form of thrombosis of hemorrhoids. It is worth noting that they are extremely rare, but they bring an unbearable pain to a small patient.
The appearance of such signs should prompt parents to urgently visit the office of a pediatrician and proctologist. This must be done not only in order to relieve the child of uncomfortable symptoms, but also for differential diagnosis of hemorrhoids from other dangerous pathologies - prolapse of the rectum or malignant neoplasm.
Diagnostic procedures
Examination of a patient in early or adolescence begins with a survey and examination. The specialist will suggest a set of diagnostic procedures if there is a suspicion of hemorrhoids in a child. What do they do in this case and what kind of tests go through?
- Detailed blood test. With constant, albeit insignificant, blood loss that occurs during the process of fecal matter release, hemoglobin values may be lower than normal.
- The study of feces. Fecal analysis is designed to detect blood during bowel movements.
- Palpation of the anus. This is a mandatory procedure that allows you to detect hemorrhoids in children. It happens that outwardly the disease does not manifest in any way (with the formation of internal nodes), but when probing, an experienced proctologist will notice inflammation. The procedure is carried out in the presence of parents.
- Sigmoidoscopy. A detailed study of the rectal mucosa is carried out using a special apparatus equipped with a microscopic camera. The procedure is painless, but unpleasant.
Before conducting instrumental diagnostics, it is necessary to clean the rectum of the patient. Preparatory procedures are performed several hours before the study and immediately before it.
How to administer therapy in babies
Before treating hemorrhoids in children, parents should understand that there can be no talk of any self-medication. Therapy of the disease is carried out only under the supervision of an experienced doctor. Speaking of treatment methods, they are divided into conservative and surgical.
In the first case, we are talking about the use of local drugs (ointments and rectal suppositories). It is worth noting that special children's medicines for hemorrhoids are not produced. To cure a child, use the same drugs as for adults. However, not all of them, among those available in the pharmacy sale, are approved for use for children. Before choosing a drug, it is necessary to consider the optimal dosage, based on the age and weight of the small patient. For the treatment of hemorrhoids, doctors most often prescribe rectal suppositories for children:
- "Relief";
- Ginkor Procto;
- "Hepatrombin B";
- suppositories with sea buckthorn oil.
In addition to drugs, the doctor can prescribe a therapeutic massage, which, if performed correctly, can give a good result. However, this technique has a number of contraindications, which include:
- frequent bleeding;
- tuberculosis of the intestine, abdominal cavity;
- benign or malignant tumors in the abdominal cavity;
- recurrent chronic gastrointestinal pathologies;
- acute inflammatory process of internal organs.
Instead of suppositories from hemorrhoids for children, preparations are also produced in the form of ointments. However, they must also be used in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor.
Treatment of hemorrhoids in adolescence
There are no fundamental differences between therapeutic measures for children of early and school age. As a rule, the same or similar drugs are recommended, but in a different dosage. In addition to ointments and suppositories from hemorrhoids for children, adolescents are advised to resort to the use of traditional medicine, mainly in the form of baths and microclysters:
- Seated bath of herbs. To relieve inflammation, take a handful (or 3 tbsp. L.) Of calendula, chamomile and string. The herbal mixture is brewed with a liter of boiling water and allowed to infuse well. The resulting product is poured into a bath of warm water and sit in it for 10-15 minutes. The course of therapy is 10 days.
- Microclyster with sea buckthorn oil. To use this product, you need to take 60 g of sea buckthorn oil and heat in a water bath to body temperature. The tool is injected into the anus with a rubber bulb. It is important that the child holds the oil inside for as long as possible while being in the supine position for 15 minutes. Microclysters with sea buckthorn oil will help normalize stool and accelerate the healing of cracks and wounds in the intestine.
In severe cases, it is impossible to avoid surgery. The need for surgical treatment of hemorrhoids in children is extremely rare, but the intervention cannot be completely ruled out in any of the cases. The operation, during which the surgeon excises the nodes and flushes the vessels, is performed under general anesthesia.
Alternative Treatment Options
As already mentioned, with a disease such as hemorrhoids, you must definitely consult a doctor. In some cases, doctors are in no hurry to switch to medicines and recommend that parents resort to the use of folk remedies. Alternative medicine has many recipes in its arsenal, thanks to which it is possible to treat hemorrhoids in children at home. At the same time, do not forget that you can only be treated with these drugs after consulting a doctor:
- Lotions with a solution of potassium permanganate. A simple tool that helps not only in the treatment of an existing problem, but also in order to prevent it. You can use only a weak solution of manganese (pale pink). Otherwise, the child may burn tissue, which will only aggravate the course of the disease.
- Lotions of herbal infusions. As the main component, chamomile, celandine, St. John's wort and calendula are suitable. To prepare the infusion, you need two or three tablespoons of dry plant material and 250 ml of boiling water. After the remedy is infused, a cotton pad or gauze is moistened in it, and applied for half an hour to the site of inflammation.
- Candles from potatoes. This is a proven folk remedy for the treatment of hemorrhoids in children and adults. A suppository is cut out of the cleaned raw root crop for introduction into the rectum, so it is important to make a candle without sharp corners. The tool is installed in the anus before bedtime. In the morning, the potato “suppository” will leave the body along with feces.
- Candles made of honey. For such a remedy, only “old” honey, collected at least two years ago and succeeded in sugaring, is suitable. A natural bee product has wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties. A homemade honey candle is placed at night, and in the morning it will come out with feces. In the morning, the rest of the candle will come out with feces.
Disease prevention
In order to prevent the development of the disease, the child's parents must remember a few simple rules:
- Drawing up an "anti-constipation" diet. In addition to regular and fractional nutrition, it is important to observe the principle of its balance. The menu of a child of any age should have fresh vegetables and fruits.
- Adequate fluid intake.
- A complete rejection of fatty and fried foods.
- Supplementation of the diet with fermented milk products, the purpose of which is to restore the balance of healthy and conditionally pathogenic microflora in the intestine, and, as a result, normalize stool.
- Taking antibiotics must be combined with a course of prebiotics or probiotics.
Parents should talk with older children about the “right” bowel movement, which does not imply a lot of straining. A child under five years old needs to be provided with a convenient pot, and for an older child, a bench under his legs for proper sitting on the toilet may be the best solution. Another task of parents is to teach their child the rules of personal hygiene. In addition, the child must learn how to use toilet paper without pressure.
Another important nuance in the prevention of hemorrhoids in children is the need for constant weight control. Excess body weight is one of the risk factors for the development of this disease and interferes with the full motor activity of the patient. An alternative to computer games and watching television programs can be considered a visit to the sports section, where the child will be able to regularly receive affordable physical activity for his age and healthy health.
At the first suspicion of hemorrhoids in a child, you should immediately contact a pediatrician. The specialist will advise, prescribe diagnostics and competent treatment. In any case, it is better to show excessive anxiety than to let the disease go on its own.