I have always been a analytical person, and when I recently had my first experience with a hemorrhoid I had to research and find out what I could do myself in taking care of the problem. Let's face it hemorrhoids are an embarrassing problem, and if there was a way I could take care of this problem from the privacy of my own home, I was going to find it.
The first thing that I researched was, What was a Hemorrhoid. I learned that a hemorrhoid is a swollen vein in and around the anal area, similar to varicose veins. Hemorrhoids are thought to be caused by to much pressure in the rectum which causes veins to become filled with blood and stretched.
The most common causes of hemorrhoids are:
Childbirth
Severe coughing
Sitting for long periods of time
Straining to hard when having bowel movements
Heavy Lifting
Hemorrhoids generally fall into two classifications, internal and external or (prolapsed hemorrhoids). Internal hemorrhoids generally have no pain associated with them and in many cases happen without the person who is affected not even knowing.
External hemorrhoids often called prolapsed hemorrhoids are the type of hemorrhoids that we most often hear about. They cause pain, itching, burning, and bleeding. Prolapsed hemorrhoids can get worse and become a thrombosed hemorrhoid and will need medical attention.
Once a person suffers from a hemorrhoid once, they are more susceptible of getting them more frequently with less straining because of a weakening in the surrounding tissues.
The most important thing that you can do is to take the steps to prevent hemorrhoids from happening in the first place.
Things that you can do to shrink hemorrhoids or prevent them from ever occurring are:
Drink the recommended amount of water per day (usually 8 glasses).
Get plenty of fiber in your diet
Don't sit on the toilet for long periods of time (get in and get out).
Control coughing, diarrhea, and constipation
Take breaks from long periods of sitting.
