Haemorrhoids (Piles)

DISCREET RELIEF, NO EMBARRASSMENT

Haemorrhoids are one of those things almost nobody talks about and almost everybody gets. Explore soothing, numbing and short-term steroid treatments, checked by our pharmacist and delivered in plain packaging, with prescription options available for stubborn cases.

Start assessment Supply of pharmacy medicines is subject to approval by our pharmacist. Plain packaging, always.
  • Choose your products
  • Checked by our pharmacist
  • Plain-packaged delivery
  • GPhC-registered pharmacy
  • Confidential plain packaging

The condition

Understanding haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids, or piles, are swollen blood vessels in and around the bottom. They cause itching, soreness, discomfort when sitting or passing stools, sometimes a lump you can feel, and often bright red blood on the paper. Most adults get them at some point, so whatever you are feeling, you are in extremely ordinary company.

Straining on the toilet is the biggest cause, usually from constipation, alongside pregnancy, prolonged sitting, heavy lifting and a low-fibre diet. Most flare-ups settle within days to a couple of weeks with the right care, and treating the constipation behind them is what stops them coming back.

Know the signs

Symptoms and when to seek help

Typical signs of haemorrhoids include the following.

  • Itching, soreness or discomfort around the bottom
  • Bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the bowl
  • A lump or swelling you can feel, which may go back in or stay out
  • A feeling of not having fully emptied your bowel

When to see a doctor

Bleeding from the bottom is usually piles, but it should never just be assumed. See your GP if any of the following apply.

  • Bleeding for the first time, or bleeding that keeps happening
  • Darker blood, or blood mixed in with the stool rather than on the paper
  • A change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss, or tiredness
  • A lump that stays out, keeps growing, or becomes very painful
  • Symptoms that have not improved after 7 days of treatment

Seek urgent care for heavy bleeding, or severe pain with fever, which can mean an abscess. These checks exist to rule out serious causes, and for the great majority of people they will. A quick, slightly awkward GP appointment beats months of wondering. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 111.

Our clinic model

How it works at Medicosmetic

Choose your products

Browse the range in complete privacy, no counter conversation required. For pharmacy medicines you answer a couple of quick questions at checkout.

Checked by our pharmacist

Our pharmacist at Erdington Community Pharmacy reviews your answers and approves supply only if the product is right for you. Stubborn or recurring cases can be referred into a prescriber consultation.

Plain-packaged delivery

Your order arrives in completely plain packaging with nothing to indicate the contents, tracked to your door. Questions? Call us discreetly on 0121 382 7477.

Steroid-containing treatments are for short courses of up to 7 days only. If symptoms have not settled by then, see your GP rather than continuing, and treat any constipation alongside, because straining is what keeps piles coming back. You are not charged for anything that is not supplied.

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Evidence-based options

Treatment approaches

Treatment works on two fronts. For the symptoms, soothing creams and ointments calm itching and protect the skin, numbing creams take the sting out of the sore days, and short-term steroid combinations reduce swelling for flare-ups, used for no more than 7 days. Suppository versions reach internal piles that creams cannot. For the cause, more fibre and fluids, not straining, and not lingering on the toilet do the quiet, unglamorous work of stopping the next flare-up. Warm baths and gentle moist wipes instead of dry paper help day to day.

Most flare-ups settle within a week or two. Piles that keep returning, prolapse and stay out, or resist treatment deserve a GP visit, because simple outpatient procedures fix persistent piles very effectively, and prescription-strength treatments are available through a consultation reviewed by a UK-registered prescriber.

Compare your options

Choosing your treatment

The main differences between haemorrhoid treatments are what they target, soothing, numbing or reducing swelling, and whether they need a prescription. Creams suit external piles, suppositories reach internal ones. Our pharmacist checks every pharmacy order, and prescription-strength combinations are available through an online consultation reviewed by a UK-registered prescriber.

Soothing creams & ointments (zinc oxide, witch hazel)

From £X including delivery

  • How it's takenApplied after each bowel movement and at bedtime
  • Starts workingSoothes on application
  • LastsUse while symptoms last

Calms itching and protects sore skin. Suppository versions reach internal piles that creams cannot.

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Numbing relief (lidocaine creams)

From £X including delivery

  • How it's takenApplied to the affected area as directed
  • Starts workingNumbs within minutes
  • LastsShort-term use during painful flare-ups

Takes the sting out of the sore days. Subject to pharmacist approval.

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Short-term steroid treatments (hydrocortisone combinations)

From £X including delivery

  • How it's takenApplied as directed, for adults only
  • Starts workingReduces swelling over a few days
  • LastsUse for up to 7 days

For flare-ups with real swelling. Strictly short courses, and if symptoms persist beyond 7 days, see your GP. Pharmacist approval required.

Shop this type

Supply of pharmacy medicines is subject to approval by our pharmacist, and steroid-containing treatments are for adults and short courses of up to 7 days. If symptoms persist, see your GP. Prescription options require a consultation reviewed by a UK-registered prescriber. Information above is factual and does not replace clinical advice.

Trusted care

Why Medicosmetic

GPhC-registered pharmacy

Medicosmetic is a trading name of Erdington Community Pharmacy (Premises No. 1107990). Verify on the GPhC register.

Named Superintendent Pharmacist

Mohammad Luqman Ghani (GPhC 2220694) oversees our pharmacy services.

UK-registered prescribers

Every form is reviewed by a clinician registered to prescribe in the UK.

Genuine UK-sourced medicines

Dispensed by our own pharmacy, never third-party marketplaces.

Discreet by design

Plain packaging, tracked delivery, and confidential handling of your information.

Straightforward next steps

If treatment is not suitable, we explain why and signpost you to the right care, usually your GP.

Common questions

Haemorrhoid FAQs

What causes haemorrhoids?
Pressure on the blood vessels around the bottom, most often from straining on the toilet due to constipation. Pregnancy, prolonged sitting, heavy lifting, a low-fibre diet and simply getting older all contribute. Most adults get them at some point, so they are nothing unusual and nothing to be embarrassed about. Treating the constipation is what stops them returning.
How long do haemorrhoids last?
Most flare-ups settle within a few days to a couple of weeks, especially with treatment and by avoiding straining. Piles that keep returning, prolapse and stay out, or have not improved after a week of treatment deserve a GP visit, because simple and very effective outpatient procedures exist for persistent cases.
What is the best cream for piles?
It depends on your main symptom. For itching and soreness, a soothing ointment with zinc oxide or witch hazel calms and protects. For real pain, a lidocaine cream numbs the area within minutes. For swollen flare-ups, a short-term hydrocortisone combination reduces swelling, used for no more than 7 days. Internal piles need the suppository versions. Our pharmacist checks every order.
I have bleeding, is it serious?
Bright red blood on the paper is very often piles, but bleeding should never simply be assumed, especially the first time. See your GP if bleeding is new, keeps happening, is darker or mixed in with the stool, or comes with a change in bowel habit, weight loss or tiredness. For most people the check is reassuring, and it is a quick appointment that buys real peace of mind.
Are haemorrhoids common in pregnancy?
Very, particularly in the third trimester and after birth, as pressure and hormones both play a part. Fibre, fluids and not straining help, and some treatments are appropriate in pregnancy while others are not, so tell us you are pregnant when ordering and our pharmacist will confirm what is suitable before supply. They usually improve after the baby arrives.
How do I stop haemorrhoids coming back?
Deal with the straining. Eat more fibre from fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, drink plenty of fluids, keep active, go when your body asks rather than holding on, and do not sit on the toilet scrolling your phone. Keeping stools soft and visits brief is genuinely the whole game, and it matters more than any cream.
When should I see a GP about piles?
If bleeding is new or persistent, if a lump stays out or keeps growing, if pain is severe or comes with fever, or if a week of proper treatment has not helped. Persistent piles respond very well to simple outpatient procedures, so seeing the GP is not the start of anything dramatic, it is usually the end of the problem.

Sorted quietly, delivered plainly

No counter conversation, no branded parcel, no fuss. Choose your treatment, let our pharmacist check your order, and get back to sitting comfortably.

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