Hemroids
By R P James
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 your 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.