kolonokopelli.com - additional information

http://www.kolonokopelli.com

If you've ended up on this text page, please CLICK HERE to return to our main website.

Home - 01 - Hemorrhoids - 02 - Rectal - 03 - Rectal Bleeding, Abscess, Fissure - 04 - Cancer (in combination with colon, bowel, rectal, polyp, colorectal), Diverticulitis, Rectal Leakage
- 05 - Anal Mass, Rectal Mass, Pilonidal Cyst, Tailbone Pain or Drainage, Colorectal - 06 - Urodynamics, Constipation, Diarrhea, Fecal or Stool Incontinence - 07 - Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Laparoscopy - 08 - Trans-rectal Ultra Sound, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Polypectomy, Strictures of anus or rectum, Colonic Neoplasms - 09 - Hemorrhoids - 10 - Hemorrhoids (cont), Colonoscopy - 11 - Rectal Bleeding, Rectal Prolapse - 12 - Rectal Bleeding (cont), Anal Abscess, Crohn's Disease - 13 - Anal Fissures, Colorectal Cancer - 14 - Colorectal Cancer (cont), Diverticulitis, Anal Mass, Pilonidal Cyst, Coccydynia, Coccygodynia - 15 - Colorectal / Colorectal Cancer / Colon Cancer, Urodynamics, Constipation, Diarrhea, Fecal or Stool Incontinence, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease - 16 - Laparoscopy, Trans-Rectal Ultrasound, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Polypectomy, Colonic Neoplasms

3. Rectal Bleeding

   The rectum is the last part of the large bowel ending before the anus. Bleeding from the rectum may be mild or life-threatening. If you notice bleeding, you must be careful to find out if something is wrong. Also call your doctor if you notice bright red blood in your stool.

    Rectal bleeding may appear as a black and tarry stools, a maroon stool, a bright red blood stool, blood on the toilet tissue, or blood staining the toilet bowl water red. Rectal bleeding might be caused by rips in the lining of the rectum, infection, hemorrhoids, polyps, or tumors.

    Rectal bleeding usually develops quickly. Rectal bleeding is frequently associated with abdominal problems. If you notice rectal bleeding, you should visit your doctor for a complete evaluation.

    Treatment for rectal bleeding, depending on the source of the bleeding, will range from relief of symptoms to antibiotics, blood transfusion, or surgery. The source of the rectal bleeding must be located in order for the appropriate treatment to be started and in order for the rectal bleeding to stop.

Bright red blood may appear on the stool. You may feel dizzy, light-headed or faint from loss of blood.

Surgery or other treatment may be needed to stop the bleeding. Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat an infection. You may need a blood transfusion if there is extensive bleeding.

Treatment is needed in order to stop the bleeding. Your doctor might perform a colonoscopy on you. This procedure will locate the source of the bleeding. A colonoscopy will give the doctor a view of the inside of the colon. A soft tube with a camera lens on the end and light is inserted through the rectum and pushed into the colon.

Drink 8 glasses of liquids each day, excluding alcohol. Call your doctor right away if you notice a high temperature, stomach pain, nausea or vomiting.

A Sigmoidoscopy test will provide the doctor with a view of the lower end of the colon and the rectum. For a sigmoidoscopy test, a short, flexible tube with a light and camera lens is used.

4. Abscess

   Antibiotics are usually prescribed in addition to surgical drainage. An anal abscess is a pocket of pus caused by infection from bacteria. An anal abscess may develop if bacteria seeps into the underlying tissues in the anal canal.

Tenderness, swelling, and pain are part of an abscess. The tenderness, swelling and pain clears after the draining of the abscess. Fever, chills, and general weakness or fatigue are also signs of an abscess.

If your doctor locates an abscess, further tests are needed to be sure Crohn's disease is not present. The further tests include blood tests, x-rays and a colonoscopy usually. Crohn's disease (chronic inflammatory bowel disease), can increase the risk of abscess in and around the anal canal.

An anal abscess must be surgically opened to drain and relieve pressure of the abscess. The draining of the abscess is usually done in the doctor's office under local anesthesia. Patients with cancer or AIDS (conditions which reduce the body's immunity) are more likely to develop anal abscesses.

Antibiotics are not a substitute for draining an abscess because they do not reach the pus within the abscess. If the abscess is near the anus, pain and often redness and swelling will accompany the abscess.

5. Fissure

A chronic anal fissure may be due to poor bowel habits, overly tight or spastic anal sphincter muscles, scarring or an underlying medical problem. An anal fissure is a small tear in the skin lining the anus. An anal fissure may cause pain and bleeding.

Symptoms of an anal fissure include extreme pain during bowel movements and red blood present in the stool. Fissures do not lead to colon cancer.

A fissure may be caused by a hard, dry bowel movement which causes a tear in the anal lining. Diarrhea and inflammation of the anorectal may also case a fissure.

An recent onset of an anal fissure is usually due to altered bowel habits.

A high fiber diet and fiber supplements, stool softeners and fluids will help manage a fissure. Warm baths for 10-20 minutes several times each day are encouraged. A warm bath will help relax the anal muscles.

If you have a chronic anal fissure, a test may be performed to determine if anal sphincter pressures are high. Over 90% of patients who go through surgery for a fissure have no further trouble.

Scarrng or muscle spasm of the internal anal sphincter muscle may slow down the healing of a fissure.

An operation to cut a portion of the internal anal sphincter muscle is used. This operation will help the fissure to heal by decreasing pain and spasm. Cutting this muscle can usually be performed without an overnight hospital stay and rarely interferes with the ability to control bowel movements. If after treatment a fissure is not responding, a re-examination will be necessary to find out why the fissure is not healing.

A fissure may take a few weeks to completely heal. You will stop feeling the pain in a few days after surgery.