President of the Vietnam Association for Proctology and Director of Tuệ Tĩnh Hospital, Lê Mạnh Cường, speaks at the 13th National Anorectal Scientific Conference on October 11. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

THANH HÓA — Experts are warning that anorectal diseases such as haemorrhoids and constipation are increasingly affecting younger people in Việt Nam.

At the 13th National Anorectal Scientific Conference on October 11, President of the Việt Nam, Association for Proctology and Director of Tuệ Tĩnh Hospital, Lê Mạnh Cường, said anorectal diseases are common in Việt Nam, affecting about 20-30 per cent of the population. Notably, the disease pattern is shifting, with patients getting younger.

“In the past, haemorrhoids were common in people over 40 years old, but now there are many cases of people aged 15-20, even children under 10 years old have the disease,” said Cường.

Experts noted that anal and rectal diseases occur in both men and women, with pregnancy being a leading factor for women.

They added that anorectal diseases are on the rise, while specialised human resources remain limited and uneven across healthcare levels, and some local medical facilities are also inadequate.

The main causes are lifestyle habits such as sitting too long in the toilet to read, play video games, and eat spicy food. These seemingly harmless behaviours are triggering what is considered a 'sensitive' disease even in young children.

“Haemorrhoids are not too complicated, but if treated incorrectly, they can have serious consequences. To date, medicine has not yet determined the exact cause of the disease, but has pointed out many risk factors, of which stress is considered the leading factor leading to anorectal diseases, especially haemorrhoids and anal fissures,” said Dr Cường.

Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Management (Ministry of Health) Trịnh Thị Diệu Thường speaks at the event. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Management (under the Ministry of Health) Trịnh Thị Diệu Thường said that in recent years, Vietnamese traditional medicine has been strongly promoted thanks to the harmonious combination of traditional medicine and modern medicine.

“This connection not only improves the quality of medical examination and treatment but also creates conditions for expanding training, research and clinical application,” said Thường.

Many hospitals currently combine modern medicine and traditional medicine to treat haemorrhoids and anorectal diseases, helping to reduce pain and limit recurrence with quite good results. After surgery, patients can use oriental medicine to support recovery and avoid complications.

Therefore, this combination helps people have more choices of treatment methods, increasing the effectiveness of treatment. In addition, doctors and medical staff have more opportunities for knowledge exchange and can enhance professional capacity through scientific research activities, while promoting international cooperation and technology transfer.

The conference is a prestigious forum for local and international experts to update knowledge, share clinical experiences and introduce the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of anorectal diseases.

Currently, many hospitals and medical facilities nationwide have successfully combined Western and traditional medicine in the treatment of anorectal diseases. Through this conference, experts also hope to build a new protocol in the diagnosis and treatment of anorectal diseases to meet the increasing needs of patients. — VNS