›› Hemroids
Hemroids (or
Hemorrhoids) aren’t exactly anyone’s favorite
subject. Well, maybe a handful of proctologists out there
enjoy a light hearted discussion about the wonder that is hemroids, but
for everyone else its one of those things no one wants to discuss,
probably partly due their sometimes painful and uncomfortable symptoms,
but mostly to do with their decidedly awful location. Anyone
who’s ever had one knows what I mean.
First of all, what the heck is a hemroid anyway? If
we’re going to dive into the subject, we may as well do it
right. In a nutshell; hemroids are swollen and inflamed veins
in the rectum or anus. They fall under two categories;
internal and external. Internal, as you can guess, are the
kind that are in the rectum and not exposed to air. Since
that area of your intestine doesn’t have pain receptors,
it’s sometimes not apparent you have one, though they can
sometimes start bleeding if irritated. External hemroids are
the ones that occur in the end of the anus and poke
outward.
Blood in your stool is the most common sign that you might have a
hemroid. Also, in external hemroids, you may even feel it
protruding, but not always. Sometimes there are rashes and
pain involved as well. If you are having blood in your stool
it is a good idea to see a doctor to rule out more serious conditions.
Okay, so now that that is settled, how do you prevent them?
Here are some basic overall tips to avoid getting one. First
of all, don’t ever strain yourself when having a bowel
movement, let them occur naturally. If you need to use stool
softener, than do so, but don’t force it! Also,
this goes for exercise and weight lifting as well; make sure you breath
normally and don’t strain too much. It is generally
recommended to have a bowel movement whenever you feel the urge, if
possible, rather than waiting. Also, a diet high in fiber and
regular exercise are both good ideas and will lower your odds of
getting hemroids.
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing it’s
too late for you and you’ve already developed one.
My condolences, however all hope is not lost. There is a wide
variety of hemroid treatments available today, many of which are very
effective. Most of the time, the hemroid won’t need
to be treated and will heal naturally provided that you don’t
irritate it excessively. Until it heals, there are some over
the counter ointments that may be effective in treating the
symptoms. More advanced or more serious hemroids may require
medication or treatments your doctor can provide.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
