T HIS TOPIC IS TABOO!

Anal thrombosis is a type of thrombosis located in, or on the border of the anus. It is not only excruciatingly painful, but can be unbearablyitchy. It has various causes: constipation, lifting heavy weights, pregnancy, sitting for long periods of time, and last but not least, sitting on the toilet for too long and pressing. Anal thromboses don’t always need to be surgically removed …

Male pharmacy customer: Ahem, I have a rather “delicate” problem. Could we, eh …?
PTA: Go to the back office? Yes, of course, follow me.

Well, I’m a bit shocked actually. You see I’ve just seen my GP and he said something about anal thrombosis and operation. He gave me a referral form for a proctologist, to see exactly what the problem is. I was so surprised that I forgot to ask him for something for the pain.
There are quite a few options and in the case of an anal thrombosis, surgery is not always necessary.

That’s good to know! What is an anal thrombosis exactly? I thought that only things like varicose veins caused thrombosis, in smokers, for example.
An anal thrombosis is the result of a blood clot developing in one of the small haemorrhoids at the end of the anus. This may be caused either by constipation or even diarrhoea. The external haemorrhoid becomes hard, swollen, and extremely painful.

So, what do you recommend?
Usually the swelling, and with it the pain, will slowly go away after a few days. The blood is then reabsorbed in the haemorrhoid.

Is there anything to speed this process up?
Certainly! This cream here contains lidocaine which numbs the affected area on application. This will help with the pain and itchiness. Are you allergic to any medication?

No, I’m not.
Good. You should make sure to avoid extreme heat or cold after applying the cream. Before use, you should wash and gently dry the affected area. Then apply a thin film of the cream. You can repeat this two to three times daily if necessary.

Is there anything else that I can do?
Yes, of course. It is a good idea to take a sitz-bath. The water should be lukewarm, that is, not too cold and not too hot. It’s a good idea to take a sitz-bath in the evening after cleansing the affected area and before applying the lidocaine.

That is a relief!
You might also take a look at your nutrition.

Really!
Yes, by making sure that the stool stays soft, you can avoid getting further thromboses. Fibre in your diet is important. Apples and other fruits, for example, contain a lot of fibre. It’s also a good idea to eat wholemeal products, such as whole-meal bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

You have been very kind and patient with me. Thank you so much for you helpful advice.

Vocabulary
topic Thema
embarrassment Verlegenheit, Peinlichkeit
ashamed beschämt
piles Hämorriden
colloquialism umgangssprachlicher Ausdruck
anal thrombosis Analthrombose
excruciatingly entsetzlich, fürchterlich
unbearably unerträglich
itchy juckend
surgically removed chirurgisch entfernt
delicate heikel
referral form ärztliche Überweisung
surgery Operation
varicose veins Krampfadern
blood clot Blutgerinnsel
reabsorbed resorbiert
numbs betäubt
lukewarm lauwarm
relief Entlastung
nutrition Ernährung
fibre Ballaststoff
wholemeal Vollkorn

Den Artikel finden Sie auch in Die PTA IN DER APOTHEKE 10/13 auf Seite 66.

Catherine Croghan, Lecturer in English and native speaker