Natural Health Care Blog

Although most people do not talk about it, hemorrhoids is actually more common than you think. Hemorrhoids or piles are varicosities or swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum and anus.

Common Causes of Hemorrhoids:

- weak rectal vein walls and valves
- straining during bowel movements
- too much pressure on the rectal veins due to poor muscle tone or poor posture. Similarly, sitting for prolonged periods of time can cause hemorrhoids.
- hypertension, particularly in the portal vein, can also cause hemorrhoids because of the connections between the portal vein and the vena cava which occur in the rectal wall.
-obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
-Both constipation and chronic diarrhea, which increase straining during bowel movements, may lead to hemorrhoids. Postponing bowel movements, and fiber-deprived diet both lead to constipation and thus may cause hemorrhoids.
-Pregnancy causes hypertension and increases strain during bowel movements, and thus hemorrhoids are often associated with pregnancy.
-Excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine can both cause hemorrhoids. Both can cause diarrhea. Alcohol can also cause alcoholic liver disease leading to portal hypertension. Caffeine on the other hand can cause general hypertension.

Types of Hemorrhoids:

* External hemorrhoids are those that occur outside of the anal verge. They are sometimes painful, and can be accompanied by swelling and irritation. Itching, although often thought to be a symptom from external hemorrhoids, is more commonly due to skin irritation.

* External hemorrhoids are prone to thrombosis: if the vein ruptures and a blood clot develops, the hemorrhoid becomes a thrombosed hemorrhoid.

* Internal hemorrhoids are those that occur inside the rectum. As this area lacks pain receptors, internal hemorrhoids are usually not painful and most people are not aware that they have them. Internal hemorrhoids, however, may bleed when irritated.

* Untreated internal hemorrhoids can lead to two severe forms of hemorrhoids: prolapsed and strangulated hemorrhoids. Prolapsed hemorrhoids are internal hemorrhoids that are so distended that they are pushed outside the anus. If the anal sphincter muscle goes into spasm and traps a prolapsed hemorrhoid outside the anal opening, the supply of blood is cut off, and the hemorrhoid becomes a strangulated hemorrhoid.

Symptoms of Hemorrhoids:

Common symptoms of hemorrhoids include itching, burning, and pain. The magnitude of discomfort depends on how serious the hemorrhoids are, but regardless of the severity, it is wise to deal with the problem immediately. In a worst-case scenario, hemorrhoids actually burst, which causes bleeding, severe pain, and possibly even a blood clot. When this occurs, the hemorrhoid has become a thrombosed hemorrhoid. In most cases, however, people know they have hemorrhoids before this happens.

Conventional Hemorrhoids Treatment:

Having hemorrhoids surgically removed often seems like an enticing remedy to people who have been suffering from this condition for many years. After applying over-the-counter treatments and never feeling anything but temporary relief, it is understandable for someone to want to get rid of hemorrhoids forever. However, with surgery comes consequences that people should definitely consider beforehand.

Patients who undergo hemorrhoidectomies always experience severe pain in the following weeks. While surgery is intended to be a long-term solution, the pain is definitely something to consider, especially since hemorrhoids can return after surgery. Besides, the main reason people seek hemorrhoids remedies is to ease the pain, and surgery can be a painful solution!

Another common side effect is the inability to urinate after surgery. This is so common that hospitals will not even release patients until they have successfully urinated. Less likely, although very possible, consequences of a hemorrhoidectomy include the loss of bladder or bowel control, incontinence, and infections. Laser surgery, often touted as a safe and painless procedure, can cause deep tissue damage.

For More Information on Various Treatments for Bleeding Hemorrhoids, please visit BleedingHemorrhoids.org