Piles or not

[Nina1983]

Can docs miss internal piles when they do.a rectal examination. Keep getting on and off bright red blood ( small amount) on and off on smaller harder stools. Nit painful to.pass though. Blood test revealed no internal bleeding so.wondering if piles but higher up

[FRreedman]

A GP shouldn't miss piles when they do a rectal examination, as that is one of the things they are looking for, although, I suppose, it is possible. If the blood is bright red, it is not as serious as black or dark blood. Maybe you should see a different GP next time.

[Nina1983 in reply to FRreedman]

Thankyou. I just didnt know if they could be highter up. And maybe needed a camera to see

[FRreedman in reply to Nina1983]

It is possible, but if you see a specialist, Gastrointestinal or Gastroenterologist, they should pick it up (not literally) immediately.

[Unpredictabowel]

My GP missed my internal piles and they did rectal examinations a few times. I went to see a Bowel Specialist who performed a Rigid Sigmoidoscopy and they detected the internal piles straight away. When my GP performed the rectal examinations I could feel that they were touching the piles but they couldn't feel them themselves. When I mentioned this to the Specialist, they said that the majority of the time GPs can't feel internal piles as they are very soft and feel normal so it's only scopes that are the best way to identify them. Hope this helps.

[Nina1983 in reply to Unpredictabowel]

Thankyou.. I swear its piles .as bleeding is on and off. A small amount and very red. I've started ironing for a business and am.on my feet standing alot of the day. So guessing the strain on Lowe pack could cause them to swell. I'm hoping so anyway

[Unpredictabowel in reply to Nina1983]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry too much. The fact that it's red signifies that it's from lower down which in most cases is due to things like piles or fissures etc. Doctors always say it's more of a concern if the blood is a lot darker (close to black) and tar-like as that signifies it's came from higher up in the bowel.

If you're passing hard stools at times, that's probably the cause. My internal piles can come and go but they usually improve massively and clear up when I stick to a high fibre diet. Try increasing the fibre in your diet (but gradually as doing it fast can cause symptoms) and try a fibre supplement like Fybogel if you are struggling with adding fibre to your diet. Using suppositories like Anusol or Germaloid may also help you. These are all things that the specialist suggested to me.

I had a bit of a flare up over Christmas and New Year but after getting back on track with the suggestions above, I haven't bled in nearly 6 weeks now.

Hope this helps and things improve!

[Nina1983 in reply to Unpredictabowel]

Thankyou.. I eat a bowl of fruit n fibre each morning and now have changed my bread from white to brown. Maybe its not enough

[Unpredictabowel in reply to Nina1983]

If that's the only fibre you're having each day then it probably isn't enough. You want to be having some in every meal and snack.

This is a good link to have a look at: blog.myfitnesspal.com/33-gr...

Tells you a bit about the different types of fibres (soluble and insoluble) and lists some common high fibre foods.

If you have IBS though, it's likely some foods will cause your symptoms so in that case it's best to look at high fibre foods that are low FODMAP.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to message me. I'm more than happy to help.

[Nina1983 in reply to Unpredictabowel]

Hi .. I need your advice again. Blood still continuing only on harder stools though. Can u by anusol at the chemist .over counter ..thanks

[Unpredictabowel in reply to Nina1983]

No worries. It should be available at all chemists. I've definitely seen it in Boots so you could order online from there. If you're very sore, it might be worth going for the ones with added Hydrocortisone (Steroid) as that can be more effective but you shouldn't use them long term as the Hydrocortisone can thin the skin with continuous use. The standard suppositories can be used for as long as you need to though. Hope this helps.