See off painful piles
The Ultroid treatment has many advantages, the principal ones being that it’s a quick and simple walk-in, walk-out procedure
PILES, as haemorrhoids are more commonly known, can be very uncomfortable. They are found in or around the lower rectum on structures called “cushions”, folds in the lining which help to keep the area closed. Piles occur when the blood vessels within these cushions become enlarged or swollen.
Surveys reveal that among a list of ailments including bad breath, thrush, psoriasis, acne and loss of libido, piles are considered the most embarrassing condition – apart from sexually transmitted infections – and are more embarrassing than incontinence.
But it’s not all bad news as there is a fast and effective treatment for piles, recently introduced to the UK.
The Ultroid treatment has many advantages, the principal ones being it is a walk-in, walk-out procedure – you do not need an anaesthetic or enema and there is no recovery time, so you can return to normal activities straight away.
A gentle electric current is applied to the base of the haemorrhoid for up to 10 minutes. The piles simply shrink during treatment and if not completely removed they continue to shrink for up to seven days.
The procedure is relatively painless for most patients, it’s safe, approved by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), non-invasive, there’s no cutting or needles and the treatment takes 30 minutes or less.
It is not exactly clear what causes piles. Pressure on the bottom may play a role, as can straining at the toilet, weight-lifting and pregnancy.
An Austrian study of 1,000 patients showed being overweight also looked to be a factor. Piles often arise during pregnancy but in most cases disappear between eight and 24 weeks after birth.
Age was not highlighted as a significant risk factor but most of the people studied were over 50. If you look at the NHS data on haemorrhoid treatments in 2012-13, 77 per cent of the people treated were over 40, so age maybe a factor. The study found both men and women were equally likely to have piles but if you look at NHS statistics for those who received treatment for piles, men outnumber women by 55 per cent to 45 per cent.
It also found 39 per cent of the people studied had piles but only 17 per cent actually knew they had.
If you apply the same percentages to the UK (17 per cent of the adult population), about eight million people in the UK have piles and the symptoms.
THE study revealed that 22 per cent of people with piles used conservative treatments such as ointments or creams. These can help the symptoms but do not remove the piles.
Surprisingly few sufferers seek treatment. In 2013-14 there were 40,000 hospital treatments for piles in England.
If you compare this with the number of people who have symptomatic piles, then fewer than one per cent are treated.
The most commonly used treatment is banding to cut off the blood flow to the area. Ultroid is the gentlest effective treatment for the condition.
More than 120,000 Ultroid treatments have been carried out worldwide. In the UK the procedure is offered at clinics in London, Canterbury, Taunton, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Cambridge, Glasgow and Abergele, with more clinics planned.