Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that are found in the rectum or anus. The swelling is a result of strain during bowel movement. Pregnancy, chronic constipation and diarrhea also cause an increased pressure in the rectum resulting in hemorrhoids.

There are 2 types of hemorrhoids, external and internal. External hemorrhoids, as the name implies, refers to hemorrhoid located outside the anus. It feels like a small lump that is sensitive to the touch. An external hemorrhoid is usually itchy and irritating. It is also a lot more painful than internal hemorrhoids.

On the other hand, internal hemorrhoids usually do not hurt and they definitely do not hurt as much as an external hemorrhoid even when it does. They are found inside your rectum itself and may occasionally bleed.

The most common symptom of hemorrhoids is blood on toilet paper or in the toilet bowl after bowel movement (this is especially true in the case of internal hemorrhoids – another symptom is an odd itch inside your rectum). As for external hemorrhoids, they can be detected easily because the main symptoms are irritation around the anus as well as painful swelling. There may also be sensitive lumps around the anus area.

While hemorrhoids are not life threatening, it can be extremely painful and cause a lot of discomfort while forcing you to forgo a lot of the activities that you enjoy. There are many forms of treatment available to get rid of hemorrhoids and you will learn more about them in the next email.

Hemorrhoids, hemroids or piles as they are more commonly known to the layperson affect at least 50% of people at some point in their lives. Considering the world has 6 billion people, that is an astounding percentage that warrants our attention!

So, what exactly are piles, why do we get them, and what are the symptoms of hemroids?

Hemroids are engorged blood vessels that manifest as painful inflammation of the rectal area. What gives rise to them?

Several factors increase the risks of piles developing. Just everyday activities can have rather exacerbating consequences. These include:

• standing without a break for long periods of time
• sitting still for prolonged periods
• extreme straining due to constipation and interestingly, its diametrical opposite; diarrhea
• extreme obesity
• pregnancy; especially during the difficult final trimester
• anal sex
• poor diet that is deficient of high fibers
• a sedentary lifestyle that is devoid in exercise
• genetics; a cause that may be purely conjecture.

So, how can we tell that we are suffering from piles; or in other words, what are the symptoms of hemroids?

As with all medical conditions, proper diagnosis is very important for correct treatment. Piles have often been erroneously blamed for other conditions such as skin fissures, fistulae, abscesses and itches.

There are two classifications of hemroids; internal and external.

Bleeding is the most commonly experienced symptom of internal hemroids. Bright red blood can be seen coating expelled stools, coloring the toilet bowl or staining used toilet tissue. Whilst it may appear alarming, hemorrhoidal bleeding does not normally lead to life-threatening major blood loss.

Another symptom of internal hemroids is when they are described as prolapsed. This is when they protrude from the anal opening. It is quite alright to push such prolapsed piles back into the anus with a firm but gentle tuck.

As for external hemorrhoids or piles, the most common symptom is the clotting of blood that results in swollen lumps. In this state, they are classified as thrombosed. This condition calls for more attention as excessive attempts to relieve the intense pain, via physical cleaning, can result in an aggravated state.

Recognising the symptoms of hemroids is the first step to recovery. Normally, piles are very easily treated. They do away without the help of any medication or treatment by a doctor. For the more persistent variety, there are plenty of over the counter remedies at the local drugstore or even on the internet. The key thing to watch out for is when they are thrombosed, whereupon it is imperative that you seek medical attention even if the embarrassment kills you. A doctor can ascertain that you are in fact suffering from piles and not any other medical condition requiring a different form of treatment.

People should be taught about hemorrhoid prevention even before they experience the pain and discomfort caused by this condition. Hemorrhoids per se is nothing to be scared of but when your hemorrhoids swell then the pain and itchiness that comes with it can be pretty scary.So people should pay attention to how to avoid hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids or the blood vessels that surround the area in your anus are located

• Internal-inside the skin
• External-under the skin

Thus, the type of hemorrhoids you will get when those veins swell will depend on where the hemorrhoids are located.

While external hemorrhoid exhibits more noticeable symptoms like pain and itchiness internal hemorrhoid should also concern you. A hemorrhoid problem is not an easy thing to deal with especially when you become too embarrassed to talk to your doctor about it. So before you develop these problems it is best to focus on hemorrhoid prevention.

Here are some tips on how to treat hemorrhoids successfully:

1. Lubricate
   Hemorrhoid problems often occur as a result of constipation and too much straining when moving your bowel. You can help clean your colon and ease your bowel movement by drinking lots of liquid throughout the day.
2. Discipline your rectum
   This may sound funny but even doctors believe you can train your body to defecate on regular basis. Through the gastro-colic reflex you will be able to discipline your body to pass out waste at the same times every day. One way to do this is by sitting on the toilet bowl for a few minutes after eating to stimulate your bowels.
3. Don’t sit still
   Contrary to what your mom told you in preschool, never sit still in one place for a long time. This will encourage blood circulation especially near the rectum area.
4. Always ask someone to carry heavy things for you
   Lucky you if you are a woman because this works all the time. If you’re a man then just avoid pulling weights by making use of wheeled carriers which you can just push around.
5. Do not ignore coughs
   Your mouth and your rectum may be far apart but don’t’ forget that they are interconnected. Coughing for a long time will increase abdominal pressure and can lead to pressure in the rectal veins.

There are various things you can do for hemorrhoid prevention. Most of these methods are so simple that you usually ignore them. However, hemorrhoids can be a product of little things that exert pressure to the rectum veins so lessening that pressure will always help in preventing hemorrhoids.