Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are swollen and inflamed blood vessels in the rectum and anus. They can make you feel bad, hurt, and bleed. Regular exercise, eating a high-fiber diet, and frequent bowel movements can all help prevent hemorrhoids. But sometimes the usual ways to help yourself don’t work fast enough. IRC helps with this.
What is IRC?
Infrared coagulation (IRC) is a minimally invasive technique that can be used to treat internal hemorrhoids when other treatments and changes to your lifestyle haven’t helped. IRC is usually used to treat grade I and grade II internal hemorrhoids, which aren’t as bad and don’t usually stick out of the anus. Here are a few times when IRC treatment for hemorrhoids might be a good idea:
- If you have internal hemorrhoids and changes to your food and lifestyle, over-the-counter medicines, and external treatments haven’t helped, your doctor may suggest IRC.
- If you have internal hemorrhoids that come back often and cause pain, bleeding, or other symptoms, IRC may be able to help you deal with them and stop them from coming back.
- IRC is a treatment that can be done outside of a hospital and does not require general anesthesia or a stay. It causes little pain and doesn’t take long to heal, so it’s a good choice for people who want a less invasive way to get better.
- If you have internal hemorrhoids that bleed often, IRC can be used to stop the bleeding by clotting the blood vessels inside the hemorrhoid.
Is IRC the best way to eliminate hemorrhoids?
It’s important to talk to a doctor, like a gastroenterologist or colon surgeon, if you have signs of hemorrhoids or are worried about your hemorrhoidal situation. They can give you a full exam, talk to you about your treatment choices, and decide if IRC or another method is best for you. Don’t let hemorrhoids give you cause to fear a common toilet; let IRC vanquish those piles.
