IS STRESS A RISK FACTOR FOR HEMORRHOIDS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS?

Background: The incidence of hemorrhoids requiring medical attention among the elderly has been increasing. This study aimed to determine stress as a risk factor for hemorrhoids among elderly patients.

Methods: A cross sectional study needs to be carried out to understand emotional stress as the risk factor for hemorrhoids. The study population is older people with conditions of hemorrhoids. The participants for this cross sectional study are older patients of age 45 to 65, with higher incidences of hemorrhoids. A total of 40 patients with hemorrhoids have been included in the study. The risk factors and the clinical symptoms related to the incidence of hemorrhoids were documented and analyzed.

Results: The study included 306 participants from elderly population. Participants reported suffering from hemorrhoid since once a year (n= 105, 34.3%) and once every more than one year (n= 105, 34.3%). There were 82 participants reported that there is a tissue coming out of the rectum at the time of bowel movement (26.8%). Among these participants, 43 of them mentioned that it goes back spontaneously while 39 of them had to push it back. The most frequent symptom among study participants was bleeding (n= 95, 31%). More than half of study participants were stressful before having hemorrhoids (n= 194, 63.4%). Furthermore, 172 participants think that they are facing digestive issues more often since they are stressed (56.2%). More than one third of study participants had signs of constipation prior to stressful feeling (n= 109, 35.6%).

Conclusion: The current study showed that participants were complaining from hemorrhoids since a year. Some of them reported tissue coming out from rectum. The most frequent symptom was bleeding and the most frequent symptom during stress was abdominal cramps. More than half of participants were stressed prior to the diagnosis of hemorrhoids. Larger cohort studies are encouraged to confirm the current observation.