Hemorrhoids 101: What You Need to Know



Hemorrhoids are a common condition that affects many people, but they can be uncomfortable and embarrassing to talk about. Fortunately, understanding hemorrhoids and how to treat them can help you find relief. Here is a guide on what you need to know about hemorrhoids.

What Are Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower rectum or anus. They are caused by increased pressure in the area due to straining during bowel movements, pregnancy, obesity, sitting for long periods of time, or chronic constipation or diarrhea. Hemorrhoids can be internal (inside the rectum) or external (outside the anus). Internal hemorrhoids may cause painless bleeding while external hemorrhoids may cause itching and discomfort.

Symptoms of Hemorrhoids
The most common symptom of internal hemorrhoids is painless bleeding during bowel movements. External hemorrhoid symptoms include itching, burning sensation around the anus, swelling and discomfort when sitting down. In some cases, they may also cause a lump around the anus which can be painful when touched.

Treatment Options
The best way to treat hemorrhoid symptoms is prevention through making lifestyle changes such as eating more fiber-rich foods and drinking more water to reduce constipation and straining during bowel movements; getting regular exercise; avoiding sitting for long periods of time; and maintaining a healthy weight with proper nutrition. If lifestyle changes don’t help ease your symptoms then over-the-counter creams and ointments may provide temporary relief from itching and discomfort associated with external hemorrhoid flare ups as well as some prescription medications for internal ones. In severe cases where home remedies fail surgery may be recommended by your doctor such as rubber band ligation where elastic bands are used to cut off circulation causing them to shrink or surgical removal of larger or persistent ones if necessary.


In conclusion, understanding what causes hemorrhoid flare ups along with making lifestyle changes can help reduce their occurrence while treatments such as topical creams or ointments offer temporary relief from symptoms like itching and discomfort associated with external ones while more serious cases may require surgery depending on severity determined by your doctor .

Tags:

Hemorrhoids, rectum, anus, straining, bowel movements, internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids, itching, discomfort, lifestyle changes, fiber-rich foods, water consumption, exercise, healthy weight nutrition, over-the-counter creams/ointments, prescription medications, rubber band ligation, surgical removal.,

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