Just the mention of hemroids, is enough to make someone crack a joke. And while it’s true that a problem with hemroids might not be the worst thing that could happen to a person, it can cause itching, anal bleeding and in some more extreme cases a great deal of pain and discomfort.

If you do have itching, discomfort when using the bathroom, blood on the toilet paper or in the fecal material or any pain in the anal area, you may potentially have a hemorrhoids condition, but a medical exam is necessary to rule out any potentially more dangerous conditions. A doctor needs to do a complete visual inspection of the outer rectal area and also an interior exam which may include a more detailed exam like a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy. Using a colonoscope a doctor can view your entire colon but sometimes only a partial view is required and then a sigmoidoscopy is conducted with an endoscope.

A colonoscopy is a very safe medical procedure that is a good tool to ensure proper long term health. If your family has a history of colon disease you need to get examined at age forty, everyone else can wait another ten years. After the exam, your doctor will recommend follow up exams every fews years just to ensure that your colon remains healthy. While the colonoscopy is a little embarrassing, the process involved in cleaning out your bowels the day before is quite vile. The anal cavity is cleaned out with the help of a prescription laxative. One thing to keep in mind, your whole colon is being cleaned and you will not stray far from the bathroom. After spending a pleasant day cleansing the bowel, the colonoscopy itself is easy.

If it seems overly cautious to go to the doctor’s just for hemorrhoids, please know that there can be other conditions that look like hemorrhoids but are much more dangerous. These can include colon cancer, polyps, rectal cancer, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis which are inflammatory bowel diseases. A tear around the anal cavity is called an anal fissure and infections around this area are referred to as anal abscesses. Both can be a source of problems needing treatment. Because the symptoms for these conditions are very similar to hemroids, it is necessary to rule them out.

Since hemroid problems are much more common than the other medical conditions, it is more likely than not that your diagnosis will be hemorrhoids, but a doctor’s visit is necessary before you start any hemroid treatment. Make that doctor’s appointment so you can sleep better at night and make sure you stay healthy.