Pregnancy and Hemorrhoids: Cause, Prevention and Treatment

Hemorrhoids bleed when the swollen blood vessels of your rectum or anus weaken from the constant pressure, resulting in a tearing of the skin and bleeding. The evidence will be seen as blood on toilet paper, on your stools and in your underwear. Other symptoms include an irritated rectal area, itching and pain.

Some serious hemorrhoid bleeding, accompanied by intense pain and inflammation may require a surgical procedure to correct the condition, while other milder cases of the hemorrhoids can be relieved by remedies performed at home and over-the-counter medications that are available in drugstores.

Some of the home remedies that are effective in relieving the discomfort of mild hemorrhoid conditions include soaking in warm baths, applying ice compress to the affected area, and avoiding sitting for extended periods of time. Eating a lot of fiber-rich food such as fruits and vegetables can also prevent constipation and passing hard stools which can increase the pressure on the rectum and aggravate hemorrhoid bleeding.

To make sure the hemorrhoids are not a sign of more serious digestive conditions, it is still best to consult a doctor for a thorough check-up to rule out this possibility. The doctor can also prescribe effective medications that can help relieve pain and discomfort, eliminate hemorrhoids, and prevent you from seeing blood on toilet paper again.

As a former sufferer of hemorrhoids, I know how much they hurt. They are - no doubt about it - a royal pain in the butt. They itch and burn and are just generally uncomfortable.

But are they dangerous?

Amazingly enough, even though hemorrhoids can really hurt, they are almost never dangerous and typically (but don't always) go away on there own. But, since bleeding hemorrhoids are marked by bright red blood in the toilet, on the stool, or on the toilet paper, they can be very stressful.

Even though hemorrhoids themselves are not usually dangerous other types of diseases such as rectal cancer, anal fissure, and anal abscess can have similar symptoms. So if you have never been diagnosed with hemorrhoids then be sure to see a doctor the first time around to make sure that what you are actually dealing with is hemorrhoids.

So, what do you do about hemorrhoidal bleeding?

In most cases, the bleeding will stop on its own after shortly after a bowl movement. If the bleeding does not stop, it is recommended to visit a doctor immediately.

The best thing to do then is to prevent the hemorrhoidal bleeding as much as possible in the first place. Hemorrhoids are generally caused by straining during bowel movement and hard stools. Therefore, to keep hemorrhoids from coming back what helps the most is adding fiber to the diet. Extra fiber will soften the stools and make bowel movements much easier in general. Personally, even though I eat a very healthy diet, I find that I also need fiber supplements to keep my system working properly.