Most people will shy away from speaking about hemroids, however they are a lot more widespread in western society than one may think.  Thanks to a rich diet with little fibre or regular exercise, a lot of people will have to deal with hemorrhoids at some point in their lives.  This is more true for women whom go through pregnancy and child birth.  It is however not as taboo as most people think, with TV shows like “the Royle family” enjoying a joke over a main characters hemorrhoids, calling them “Jeremy Kyles” in reference to the Northern England name for hemorrhoids, calling them “piles”.  It is regarded as run of the mill as catching a cold or spraining your ankle.

So what are hemroids specifically?  They are veins around the anus that are restricted in their circulation of blood.  The veins will fill with blood and bulge, a little like a water balloon being filled by the kitchen tap.  This bulge of blood has no means (or a very restricted means) of dissipating, so the area becomes inflamed and swollen.  This often causes the initial discomfort of hemorrhoids and again factors in whilst voiding oneself and cleaning oneself up.

These external hemroids are the ones that cause bleeding usually whist cleaning one’s person in that area.  The swollen vein is liable to burst.  It is also external hemorrhoids that cause the itching and burning sensations when walking around, standing up, or sitting uncomfortably.  The bulges are often liable to becoming chapped and (if left unchecked) infected which goes towards causing the itching and burning sensations.

What are hemroids that are internal hemroids?  These are similar to external hemroids inside the body however these may have prolapsed, leaving them to protrude outside of the anus.  A prolapsed is another word for a more extended (stretchy and big) bulge.  As well as pregnancy and poor diet and exercise, internal hemorrhoids can also be caused innocently by diarrhea, constipation (and the straining due to it) and some people are simply biologically predisposed to is at they grow older.  This means that they must be more careful as they are more likely to have hemorrhoids.

What are hemroids  symptoms?  They are burning, itching and pain around the anus, which gets worse when passing stool.  You may also see spots of blood on your tissue as you clean yourself.  This is normally a sign of the veins bursting and releasing blood; this is known as bleeding hemorrhoids.  If this happens on a few occasions it is better to consult a doctor to rule out any more serious conditions and also for a consultation on treating your hemorrhoids.

To avoid reading any more “What are hemroids” articles, it is best to have a good diet full of fibre, take regular exercise and keep your weight to a moderate degree.  Do not sit on the toilet too long, or strain much if at all whilst passing stool.  If you have constipation or diarrhea then take an over the counter remedy instead of just “working it through”.  For minor symptoms simply do the above, eat more fibre and drink more fluids and maybe try a non-prescription remedy.  With the right action done quickly, the hemorrhoids will be gone within the week.  If they do not, then consult your doctor.

There are numerous procedures a doctor may try in order to treat your hemroids. These include rubber band ligation, injection sclerotherapy, and infrared coagulation.  All are a simple procedure that will normally rid you of your hemorrhoids, and assuming you resume your healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise, there is no reason for them to return.