Bush Beats Plus Vol-8, No-2, 2022

Hemorrhoids, defined as the symptomatic enlargement and distal displacement of the normal anal cushions, constitute a large part of a colorectal surgeon’s workload. Affecting millions of people around the world, hemorrhoids represent a major medical and socioeconomic problem. Various factors are associated with hemorrhoidal development, such as constipation and prolonged straining. Available data suggest that the prevalence of hemorrhoidal disease could vary depending on the population studied. While the prevalence is estimated to be 4.4% in the general population, it reaches up to 36.4% in general practice. Besides, it has been estimated that about 75% of the population, particularly pregnant women and elderly adults, will have hemorrhoids at some point during their lifetime. Hemorrhoids can occur at any age and can affect both men and women.

General medical practice is commonly the first point of contact for most patients with a variety of clinical afflictions. While many of these patients are often managed and successfully relieved of their symptoms at this stage, several others warrant referral to appropriate clinical subspecialties for further work-up and management. Hence, the proportion of patients presenting to primary care is appreciably higher than any other clinical subspeciality. Nevertheless, a significant concern that may often arise here is the transient “masking” of some underlying diagnosis in view of the symptomatic management. While this problem could virtually encompass all clinical systems, the impact could be more in areas with less distinct criteria and exposure at the level of general medical practice.