IRC Treatment Results: When Will I Have Complete Hemorrhoid Relief?

Most people get relief from hemorrhoid symptoms after implementing diet and lifestyle changes. But when eating more fiber and spending less time on the toilet fail to improve hemorrhoid pain, you may need other interventions.

Infrared coagulation (IRC) is a quick, nonsurgical treatment for internal hemorrhoids. Our anorectal disorder specialist, Dr. Betsy Clemens, performs IRC at the office at Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center in Town and Country, Missouri.

Though recovery from IRC is faster than surgery, results can take about a week. 

Read on to learn more about IRC and when you can expect relief from your hemorrhoid symptoms.

IRC for hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins on the anus or lower rectum. Though relatively harmless, hemorrhoids may cause rectal bleeding, itching, or anal discomfort. Internal hemorrhoids found in the lower rectum can prolapse, falling through the anus during a bowel movement.

IRC is a non-surgical, in-office treatment for grade I and II internal hemorrhoids, which are bleeding or prolapsed internal hemorrhoids that fail to improve with diet and lifestyle changes. 

The nonsurgical treatment uses infrared light to heat and thicken the blood vessel feeding the hemorrhoid. The hemorrhoid shrinks, clots, and eventually falls off. 

The IRC treatment

IRC at our office is quick and painless and requires no special preparation. And, there’s no need for anesthesia, so you can drive yourself home afterward.

During IRC, Dr. Clemens inserts an anoscope, a medical device that opens the anus and improves visibility and access to the hemorrhoid. She then uses the IRC probe and applies bursts of infrared light to the enlarged blood vessel. 

You may feel a warming sensation during treatment but minimal pain. 

The heating part of IRC takes less than a minute, and you can resume most of your usual activities after the procedure. 

When to expect relief

IRC treatment results aren’t immediate. You may not experience relief from your hemorrhoid symptoms until about a week after the procedure. 

Immediately following IRC, you may have pain and a sense of fullness in the lower rectum. These symptoms usually go away within a few days. You may also have some rectal bleeding that can last up to two weeks.

The treated hemorrhoid sloughs off during a bowel movement about 7 to 10 days after IRC. Most people return to work within a few days despite the pain and bleeding.

Walking, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating a high-fiber diet are encouraged following IRC. But, it would help if you avoided heavy lifting and straining during a bowel movement while recovering.

Though IRC treatment can relieve your hemorrhoid symptoms, they can come back. Diet and lifestyle changes can prevent hemorrhoid recurrence, such as:

• Eating more high-fiber foods
• Taking a fiber supplement
• Drinking more of water
• Getting regular exercise
• Not sitting on the toilet for more than 15 minutes

Our clinic specializes in treating and preventing hemorrhoids. We can help you make lifestyle changes that may prevent your hemorrhoids from coming back.

Results from IRC treatment aren’t immediate, but you can expect less pain and a faster recovery than if you had hemorrhoid surgery (hemorrhoidectomy). 

Do you have anal pain? Are you seeing blood in stool? 

Don’t wait; call our office at 314-669-2758 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Clemens. We can find the source of your symptoms and plan fast relief.