Dealing with hemorrhoids
in Health ·
Hi there.
It’s been about a month now since I first noticed this lump near my anus. At first, it just swelled up—it was skin-colored—so I took some antibiotics because my doctor assumed it was just an ingrown hair. After finishing the course, the swelling went down, but it didn't disappear completely. Then, maybe two days after my last dose, the lump flared up again (again, skin-colored), so I headed back to the doctor. He prescribed more antibiotics, and the result was pretty much the same: the lump shrank again, though it hasn't started swelling back up since that last round of meds.
The lump is currently about 2cm in size and has no distinct color; it's just the same color as my skin.
Once I finished all the antibiotics, I went to see a surgeon at the hospital for a consultation. He told me it's just a perianal issue and nothing more serious. He also mentioned that if it starts swelling up again, I should come back to the hospital because they'll have to incise it.
I'm supposed to go back for another checkup tomorrow, as the lump has actually grown slightly over the last four days and feels a bit tender to the touch.
I'm not exactly afraid of surgery, but what really worries me is the possibility of fistulas forming. So, here is my question: do these fistulas develop before the lump appears, or does the lump show up first and then lead to the fistulas?
And what exactly determines whether those fistulas form?
From what I understand, the lump itself isn't the main issue—that gets operated on—and I've heard the recovery process isn't a particularly long one, either.
If anyone happens to know the answers to these questions, I would really appreciate the help.
It’s been about a month now since I first noticed this lump near my anus. At first, it just swelled up—it was skin-colored—so I took some antibiotics because my doctor assumed it was just an ingrown hair. After finishing the course, the swelling went down, but it didn't disappear completely. Then, maybe two days after my last dose, the lump flared up again (again, skin-colored), so I headed back to the doctor. He prescribed more antibiotics, and the result was pretty much the same: the lump shrank again, though it hasn't started swelling back up since that last round of meds.
The lump is currently about 2cm in size and has no distinct color; it's just the same color as my skin.
Once I finished all the antibiotics, I went to see a surgeon at the hospital for a consultation. He told me it's just a perianal issue and nothing more serious. He also mentioned that if it starts swelling up again, I should come back to the hospital because they'll have to incise it.
I'm supposed to go back for another checkup tomorrow, as the lump has actually grown slightly over the last four days and feels a bit tender to the touch.
I'm not exactly afraid of surgery, but what really worries me is the possibility of fistulas forming. So, here is my question: do these fistulas develop before the lump appears, or does the lump show up first and then lead to the fistulas?
And what exactly determines whether those fistulas form?
From what I understand, the lump itself isn't the main issue—that gets operated on—and I've heard the recovery process isn't a particularly long one, either.
If anyone happens to know the answers to these questions, I would really appreciate the help.