What are they?

What are haemorrhoids and what causes them to form?

While most of us know someone who suffers from haemorrhoids, the majority of us do not know exactly what they are. Haemorrhoids are flaring of the veins in the upper part of the anal canal, as a result of congestion of the blood in these veins.

One of the common mistakes in this field is that this condition is only found in older people. The truth is that haemorrhoids can appear at any age, and affect twice as many men as women.

A wide range of factors contribute to this condition, including inheritance, climate, age, sex, pregnancy, obesity and chronic use of suppositories.

Nutrition also appears to play an important part

It is known that a fibre-rich diet stimulates intestinal peristalsis and reduces the risk of suffering from haemorrhoids. On the other hand, it is generally considered that a diet low in fibres and high in carbohydrates can cause small, hard stools, which are the main cause of constipation and can lead to haemorrhoids.

 How do I know if I have haemorrhoids?

This is probably the most common question in the general practitioner's surgery. The simplest answer is that most of the symptoms are normally present in patients, with haemorrhaging being the most common sign of suffering from haemorrhoids.

If you find blood in your stools, this must be inspected immediately, as it normally means you are suffering from haemorrhoids. Any other cause of blood loss must be discounted. Pain is a frequent symptom when you are suffering from thrombosis or when a prolapse has become strangulated.

All this may sound alarming, but it isn’t!

The good news is that there are treatments for haemorrhoids and not all episodes require active treatment. There are many cases where other options are possible.

Hemorrhoids, what are they?

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