Question: In what way can piles be treated? I suffer terribly from this embarrassing condition.
Initial treatment involves creams or suppositories that soothe and shrink the piles. There are many types of creams available, some from chemists and others on prescription.
If these are not successful, the next step may be a simple incision of a thrombosed pile, injecting a glue like liquid into the pile or clamping a rubber band around the pile under local anaesthetic.
If these measures lead to recurrences, a formal operation to remove the segment of the anus involved may be required. These operations are uncomfortable, but not as painful as gossip and the imagination would have us believe. The most important treatment is prevention—do not get constipated!

Question: I would be grateful if you could explain the causes and symptoms of internal piles. Can they become cancerous, and do drinks of beer exacerbate the problem?
Piles (or haemorrhoids—which is another name for the same condition) can occur on the outside or inside of the muscle ring that forms the anus. In both situations they are caused by a dilated vein. The blood inside this vein may clot to cause a thrombosed pile. The pressure of the dilated vein or the clotted blood it contains on adjacent nerves causes pain. Twisting of the pile can also cause severe pain. The other main symptom apart from pain is bleeding, which occurs if the pile bursts.
Piles are caused in the first place by excessive stress on the anus. This stress can be in the form of constipation, prolonged diarrhoea, or heavy lifting. Weight-lifters are notorious sufferers of piles. There is no evidence that they become cancerous, and I cannot see why alcohol in any form would cause them to develop. There is certainly a tendency for piles to develop within a family due to a congenital weakness in the area.
Treatment involves creams or suppositories which contain medication to soothe the pile, anesthetics and anti-inflammatory substances. Further treatment involves injecting, banding or excising the pile.