Hemorrhoids

You know you’ve got a lump up your, er, anus, that’s why you’re sitting at an awkward angle, reading people’s expressions through the corner of your eye! Honestly, it’s an embarrassing predicament to be in, but what to do, hemorrhoids are difficult to hide! And they don’t even have a gender bias and afflict both men and women equally, especially in their fifties. But before that, let’s learn something about them.

Causes of hemorrhoids

The veins around the anus or lower rectum get swollen and inflamed, if too much pressure is put on them, forcing their walls to stretch and bulge, sometimes rupturing them. This condition is known as hemorrhoids. The lumps inside the anus are called internal hemorrhoids and those under the skin around the anus, external hemorrhoids.

There can be a variety of reasons for this ailment. You can have a genetic predisposition to hemorrhoids. You may have weak walls of the veins in the anal area. However, chronic constipation remains one of the most common causes for hemorrhoids. They occur when you strain to pass the stool. Other causes can be pregnancy, aging, obesity, overeating, lifting heavy weights, sitting or standing in one position for long periods, lack of exercise, acid-alkaline imbalance, fatigued liver, diarrhea, vitamin B6 deficiency and even anal intercourse.

In pregnancy, the pressure of the fetus on the abdomen may cause the hemorrhoid vessels to enlarge. Even severe pressure during childbirth can result in it. Hemorrhoids, whichever way they originate, hurt like mad, but the good news is they are not dangerous or life threatening.

Symptoms of hemorrhoids

If you find blood on the toilet paper or covering your stools, you’ve got hemorrhoids. An internal hemorrhoid may even protrude through the anus outside the body. Yuck! This irritating and painful condition is aptly called a protruding hemorrhoid. External hemorrhoids give rise to a painful swelling or a hard lump around the anus, the result of a blood clot. This is known as a thrombosed external hemorrhoid.