ANALYSIS OF THE CLINICAL PICTURE AND RISK FACTORS OF HEMORRHOIDAL DISEASE

Summary. Introduction. Hemorrhoids are one of the most common diseases of the rectoanal area, in particular, in the USA alone, about 2.2 million cases of this disease are recorded annually, significantly affecting the quality of life of patients and is considered the leading cause of non-fatal bleeding from the distal gastrointestinal tract. In addition, hemorrhoids cause significant discomfort and impaired work capacity. According to literature, the number of people suffering from hemorrhoids in the world reaches 50-85%, and the disease affects people of any gender at any age. The aim of the study. The aim of the work is to analyze risk factors, prerequisites for the occurrence and clinical picture of hemorrhoidal disease. Materials and methods. This is a cohort study by its design. To obtain a data set, a blind questionnaire method was used. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of previous studies with modifications and adjustments that took into account the local aspect. To create the questionnaire, the appropriate Google Forms tool was used. Calculations were performed mainly using the built-in Google Forms data analysis tools, if necessary, partially in Google and MS Excel spreadsheets. Results. Among the patients, women dominated (78.22%), 64.36% were married, the vast majority were highly educated – 83.17%, 56.64% had an income above the average, in 32.67% hemorrhoids were diagnosed previously. Among the symptoms of hemorrhoids, pain during defecation (74.26%), discomfort (61.39%), bleeding from the anal canal (36.63%), swelling (51.49%) and itching (42.57%) dominated. A certain tendency to an increase in the number of exacerbations in the warm period of the year was noted. The mostly represented were patients with stage 2 (43.56%) and 0-1 stage of the disease (41.58%). A pronounced clinical picture (stages 3-4) was observed only in 14.86% of patients. Conclusions. Hemorrhoids are one of the most common pathologies among surgical patients and are significantly more common in women than in men. Maintaining an adequate diet rich in fiber and ensuring a healthy lifestyle can help prevent and alleviate symptoms. It is advisable to conduct systematic screening for hemorrhoids in people at risk, and information campaigns about hemorrhoids and related risk factors may also be an important factor.