The main causes of hemorrhoids in children and adolescents. Symptomatology of the disease. Description of the main methods of treatment and prevention of disease.
We are all used to the fact that hemorrhoids are a disease of people in old age, and also not looking after their health. This is a serious misconception, because hemorrhoids in children – is as complex and unpleasant a disease as the older generation, but with its own peculiarities. Since children, especially in infancy, cannot explain their feelings, any basic parent should know the main symptoms of babies.
Why does an “adult” disease appear at an early age?
The pediatric form of hemorrhoids is somewhat different from the adult. There are a number of reasons that cause the disease:
- Constipation due to malnutrition. This cause is typical for both infants and adolescents. In infants, constipation begins due to impaired intestinal microflora, and adolescents themselves lead to this, eating chips, sandwiches and sweet soda.
- Sitting on the pot for a long time. Hemorrhoids in a child of 2-3 years is most likely due to this. The baby can push hard, thereby increasing blood flow to the lower abdomen and increasing the likelihood of hemorrhoids. A psychological factor can also work when the baby refuses to defecate outside the home. For example, in the kindergarten, they are put on the pot on time, and not necessarily to address the need, as a result, the baby is longing to sit on a pot, which causes blood clots in the hemorrhoids.
- Systematic and prolonged crying can cause the manifestation of the disease from the earliest years. In a child, hemorrhoids can occur against a background of increased intra-abdominal pressure and abundant blood flow in the pelvic cavity organs, which leads to stagnation in the veins of the anus. Before the beginning of therapy it is necessary to find out the reason for the occurrence of permanent child crying, and it must be eliminated without fail, otherwise the treatment will be inconclusive.
- Enlarged veins of the anus. The reason, though rare, is possible at an early age. The veins protrude outward due to prolonged crying or strong tension.
- “Adult” reasons. More typical for teenagers. For example, prolonged sitting at a training or computer desk leads to stagnant processes in the small pelvis. Already the adult reason is the use of alcohol together with weak motor activity.
Symptomatology of the disease
Hemorrhoids in a 2-year-old child can pass without any external signs, but already from adolescence, there is a classical picture characteristic of the disease:
- The appearance of hemorrhoids after feces and a long sitting on the pot;
- The veins of the anus increase in volume.
The remaining symptoms of hemorrhoids may not manifest at all at this age, therefore, at the slightest suspicion of the presence of such a disease, the baby alone should not do anything. Exclusively, the doctor can correctly diagnose and tell how to treat hemorrhoids in a child, because it is often confused with the loss of rectum or cysts.
Shish formations near the anus both in the baby and in the child of 2 years in a quiet position may not be noticeable, but if they strain or cry, as soon as mother can feel them in the anal region. Another disease manifests itself pain syndrome, severe itching and unpleasant sensations.
Blood impurities in the feces suggest that the disease is accompanied by cracks in the anus, if the infection gets into them, the temperature may rise. But thrombosis of the node – the complication is very rare for an early age, its presence can be understood by severe crying or complaints of an older age for very severe pain.
How does hemorrhoids develop in children?
Visual examination of the baby will immediately help to determine the degree of neglect to the specialist. The longer he is sick, the more swollen and inflamed the veins, there are inflammatory processes on the mucosa due to permanent damage to the feces.
With age without timely provision of medical care, hemorrhoidal nodes in children may fall out and begin to bleed, which subsequently leads to anemia, you need to urgently contact a specialist.
Doctors-proctologists distinguish 3 degrees of the disease:
- Small knot formations, minor itching and mild pain.
- The cones begin to stand out, while gripping the soft tissues of the anus.
- Outward protrusion of hemorrhoids with pronounced edema and severe soreness.
Do not bring the disease to the third stage, because it is fraught with serious health problems, can lead to thrombosis and even to the death of hemorrhoid cones.
Treatment of hemorrhoids in children implies normalization of nutrition, and in this case it will not be superfluous to consult a pediatrician.
How to treat hemorrhoids in a child?
First you need to remove the cause of the disease, most often at this age is constipation. A few effective methods will help the child to eradicate:
- Laxative soft action, for example, Dufalac;
- Light massage movements on the stomach with a weak onslaught in the direction of the clockwise movement, near the navel;
- Glycerin suppository or microclysters with Microlax.
Complete enema babies do not need to apply, it is strictly prohibited, to avoid damage to the walls of the intestine.
For the treatment of hemorrhoids, traditional medicine offers a conservative and surgical way. In the first case, hemorrhoids in a 2-5 year old child are treated with ointments and antihemorrhoidal candles. Forms of release for kids in modern pharmaceuticals, unfortunately, no, so doctors are prescribed medication for adults in appropriate doses. When calculating the dosage, the weight and age of the patient are taken into account.
To improve blood circulation in the pelvic cavity organs and to eliminate stagnant processes in the veins, hemorrhoids treatment in children can be supplemented with a massage. But such therapy has a number of contraindications:
- inflammation of the internal organs in acute form;
- Gastrointestinal illness in acute course;
- oncology in the abdomen;
- frequent bleeding.
The surgical method for babies is carried out only as a last resort. The main indication for its use is hereditary disease with complications. Operative intervention is done under local anesthesia.
Home medicine
After consulting a doctor, hemorrhoids in children of 2 years and older can be treated with folk remedies, it is dangerous to experiment with children of a younger age, since the baby will not tell about their feelings.
The doctor can advise the use of such folk recipes:
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- To smear the area of the anus with a baby cream containing vitamins A, E, cocoa butter and panthenol. It removes swelling, reduces bleeding cones and removes itching;
- Decoctions of bodense, chamomile, marigolds, oak bark for sedentary baths. A couple of tablespoons of herbal mixture should be poured with boiling water, cover and insist 1 hour, then filtered and used for baths and micro enemas. The bath temperature is not more than 37 ° С. Up to 2 procedures per week for 5-10 minutes. Course 5 days;
- Sea buckthorn oil and rose hips in the form of microclysters. First you need to find out if the baby is allergic to them. The volume of 1 enema can reach 100 ml. The oil is heated to 38-40 ° C. The enema should have a soft tip, which is smeared with petroleum jelly. After receiving the enema, take a horizontal position for 10 minutes. The result is soft bowel movement, healing of microcracks in the anus;
- Vishnevsky ointment. It should be used with external manifestations of the disease to relieve irritation, stimulation of blood circulation in the injured zone. The ointment activates the regeneration of tissues in the lubricated area;
- A bath of chamomile for a couple. A few tablespoons of dry chamomile pour into the pelvis half liter of boiling water, cover and insist 5 minutes. A small patient is placed on the pelvis and wrapped in a blanket. For this, a metal pot can be used. Bath time – no more than six minutes.
Folk methods are relevant and safe for patients at any age.
Preventive measures
For the treatment to be most effective, and its result was fixed for many years, it is necessary to change the way of life from the very beginning, which led to the appearance of the disease.
The main task of the father and mother is to normalize the stool of their baby so that constipations do not form later, because hemorrhoids in a child of 2 or more years are mainly due to this. On the children’s table you should always put products based on vegetable fiber and dietary fiber – whole-wheat flour, fruits and vegetables.
It is necessary to teach babies from an early age to a fractional diet, frequent meals of small portions. For a while, you need to abandon salty, fatty, spicy and smoked food, and in the future, reduce its availability in the diet to a minimum. Necessarily on the table should be sour-milk products that lead the intestinal microflora back to normal. Still kids need to provide a sufficient amount of drinking water, with less compotes, tea and fruit drinks. Drinking a glass of water in the morning on an empty stomach can make a chair soft and systematic.
It is necessary to encourage active rest, and sitting at the computer to minimize, more organize outdoor games and joint walks, it will be useful to write your daughter or son to the sports section. From an early age, they need to be taught the rules of personal hygiene, because washing the anus after each stool with water at room temperature improves the venous blood flow in the organs of your baby’s pelvis.
