The Causes of hemorrhoids / hemroids:

Why is it vitally important to understand the causes of hemroids?

Knowing the causes of hemroids, is vital information for the prevention and treatment of hemroids.  Understanding the causes of hemroids, allows many of us to stop hemroids from worsening or developing, to reduce their impact on one's life and the knowledge may even help us to get rid of the hemroids that are already there, without having to resort to surgery.

Causes of Hemroids Overview and Introduction:

Hemroids, also known as piles, are the miserable lumps of tenderness that occur when one of the anorectal veins becomes constantly enlarged and often inflamed.

Hemroids are caused by excessive strain on the veins of the anorectal area.

Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to weak vein and valve walls and this can be a predisposing cause of hemroids. 

Age and the related loss of tissue elasticity are also common causes of hemroids in older people.

Increased straining from constipation or diarrhea are common causes of hemroids as well.

In addition, hemroids are commonly seen in people who are obese, pregnant, or who have liver diseases that cause back pressure to build up in the lower veins through the portal vein, often referred to as portal hypertension.

Common causes of constipation are a low-fiber diet, insufficient water, too much lactic acid from dairy products, or a vitamin E deficiency.

Excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption can also cause hemroids, as both deplete the body of water. Caffeine also produces a temporary spike in blood pressure, which doesn't help matters.

Ironically, the people most likely to suffer from hemroids live in economically and technologically advanced countries, while they are an almost unknown disorder in tribal communities. This is probably due to a combination of factors including diet, level of activity, and the lack of strain on the area from sitting toilets.

Sitting on a toilet can also cause hemroids, as it causes the pelvic floor muscles to relax and the rectal muscles to strain.

1... Basics to the Causes of Hemroids and Hemroid Prevention

Where do hemroids come from? What causes hemroids? There are many tales of what can cause hemroids. When I was growing up, I remember one of my teachers yelling at us to get up off the cold cement because it would cause all of us kids to get hemroids!

Reality is, the vein's cell structure apparently weakens, allowing the vein to stretch and swell with blood, which, by definition, we then call a hemroid. The weakening of the vein wall appears to be related to pressure and hormones, the latter especially during pregnancy. In relation to the pressure, hemroids appear to develop from straining - putting too much pressure on the anal region, causing areas to weaken. So what are the strains?

Principally, straining to force the poo / stool / feces out, such as when one is constipated. The second strain comes from wiping the anus - the harder and longer you wipe, the more likely you are to cause hemroids to develop. The third main way is by lifting and carrying heavy things - doing so can also strain the anal region giving rise to hemroids. The fourth main way is through anal sex. These areas and others are covered in greater detail below along with some preventative tips and actions you can take.

To understand the cause of hemroids a bit more in depth, understand that a hemroid is a symptom of a greater weakened area.  The hemroid can be viewed as originating from the weakest spot in the weakened area. Hence removing a hemroid, does not solve all your problems, as the weakened area is still there and can easily give rise to a new hemroid if stressed or strained.

2.. The Cause of Hemroids: STRAINING on the Toilet and How to Rectify it by making some dietary changes and by sitting correctly on the toilet.

Easy said, you say, but toileting isn't that easy for me.  Well here are the ways to end that cause of hemroids and of straining:

THE DIETARY CHANGES FOR HEMROID RELIEF AND PREVENTION - OR - IMPROPER DIET CAN CAUSE HEMROIDS:

The good news, simple changes to your diet can help bring relief from hemroids as well as help to prevent new hemroids from developing.

Specifically, eat fibre rich foods and drink plenty of water to prevent constipation and to keep the stools soft.  This will then help to reduce or eliminate the straining that can cause hemroids to develop or get pushed outside.

Avoid the heavily refined foods such as those made with white flour and sugar, as these heavily refined foods are harder for the body as they normally have very little, if any, dietary fibre in them, to help get the digested waste products of the refined foods back out of the body.  Many find their problems with constipation and painful hemroids are directly linked to their intake of these highly processed, refined type foods.  A cause that you can remedy.

INCORRECT TOILETING POSTURE IS ANOTHER CAUSE OF HEMROIDS - SO HERES THE CORRECT WAY TO SIT:

Think about it, in the days before toilets, people squatted to do their poo.  Our bodies were designed to eliminate the solid type wastes by squatting - for 1000's of years man and woman has squatted.  Toilets came along and enhanced our suffering from hemorrhoids, as toilets are sat on, which helps to retain the poo inside of us, makes it more difficult for our bodies to eliminate it, so we are more prone to straining and causing hemorrhoids.  Someone came up with the new idea of redsigning our toilets to be squat toilets, but the idea doesn't appear to have caught on.  Until that day, I suggest you follow the following toileting posture on your toilet - which was suggested by some medical specialists at my local hospital - as it can cause much easier elimination and also reduces straining immensely when on the toilet.

There is a way to sit on the toilet that may be of immense help in bringing hemroid relief and preventing new ones too. When you need to do a poo, sit on the toilet normally, then raise your feet up on tip toes and balls of feet (front part of foot), bend forward with your elbows resting on your knees. This position has been found to allow the poo to come out with little strain - lessens the chance of a hemroid coming through the hole and reduces the chance of developing new hemroids.

CONSTIPATION IS ANOTHER CAUSE OF HEMROIDS, BUT WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE CONSTIPATED SITTING ON THE TOILET:

Dealing with constipation for hemroid relief and to prevent new ones from developing: If the poo is a bit reluctant to come out, don't strain, take your time, let nature do it's thing.

If it still wont come out, try gentle deep breathing, but avoid holding your breath, this will often put a little bit of pressure on the poo to come out.

Also, sit up straight, try gently moving your torso or trunk of your body side ways a few times and, back and forward a few times, then assume the correct position again.

If all else fail, this cause of hemroids can be rectified by inserting a suppository designed to cause a bowel movement.  Obtained easily through chemists or online stores.  Within about five minutes or less your constipation is in the toilet bowel.  So, if this is problem for you, having some suppositories on hand for those necessary occasions, may be an excellent idea.

You may well find that just those simple suggestions will help considerably in controlling hemroids and preventing further hemroids from appearing.

3.. The Cause of Hemroids: Wiping too hard

Yes, wiping too hard or too long may cause or aggravate hemroids!

In relation to the this source of strain that can cause hemroids, the wiping, wipe gently - if you follow the suggestions of extra fibre and water, the bowel should evacuate the contents well, reducing the need for excess wiping.

If the wiping seems to be going on for too long, then resort to using a soft damp cloth or just get off and come back later to wipe again.   It is also possible that your bowel may not have emptied itself properly - getting up and coming back later may increase your chance of completing your bowel motion also.

Sometimes the hemroids may hold some poo back and some fecal incontinence may occur.

If you had an anal stretching operation in the bad old days for an anal fissure, incontinence may be a symptom of that past operation as well.

Gentle wiping will also assist in bringing relief from hemroid bleeding and hemroid pain, which can be caused by wiping the hemroid too long or too hard and causing damage to it.   If the hemroid becomes scratched or abraded, the hemroid may bleed.  The hemroid may also swell up more from the rubbing.

Also, if the hemroid is coming from weakened tissue close to the anal opening, you risk causing a new hemroid.

Incidentally, following these suggestions may also help reduce the fecal incontinence as well, that hemroids can sometimes cause.

4.. The Cause of Hemroids: Heavy lifting

The heavy lifting straining that can cause hemroids to show themselves, possibly cause hemroids to develop, is likely more work related and may suggest better work place practices for lifting need to be developed. An occupational health and safety issue to discuss with someone specially trained in your area of work.  

5.. The Cause of Hemroids: Being overweight or sitting too long.

I would also add, that if you are overweight, you are lifting your excess weight up every time you stand or walk or run. To help alleviate the suffering from hemroids, to bring relief to your hemroids and perhaps prevent new hemroids from developing, you may like to try losing the excess weight you are carrying around on your body.

Especially when sitting, the pressure of your body is bearing on your anal region and may well be weakening it or aggravating existing hemroids.

Another of our web sites is devoted to rapid weight loss.

6.. The Cause of Hemroids: Anal Sex

Hemroids and anal sex: Suffice it to say, that no matter how much lubricant you use, the anus was never designed for this function and it's tolerance for it I expect is very low, when you consider that just hard wiping the area with toilet paper is considered a risk.

Anal sex is likely to lead to hemroids reasonably fast. Although you may visit other web sites that may state otherwise concerning hemroid development and anal sex, the fact is, anal sex involves an object going in and out of the anus, normally at a speed much faster than poo going through.

The object has to force it's way into the anus and has an in and out motion that repeats many, many times over. This rubbing against the inside of the anus, has got to upset existing hemroids - inflame the hemroids, enlarge the hemroids, possibly cause the hemroids to bleed.

Such rubbing might also cause a hemroid, particularly if the person was potentially prone to developing them anyway, such as via increased sphincter pressure or weakened blood veins in the area.

7.. The Cause of Hemroids: Elevated Resting Pressure of the Anal Sphincters.

The anal sphincter muscles are the ring of muscles that surround the anal opening. These anal muscles are responsible for keeping the poo inside.

Some doctors found that in 40% of people that had developed hemroids, the anal sphincter muscles had increased resting pressure (for people who were hemroid free, the increased resting pressure was only found in 5% ). This increased resting pressure is believed to be one of the main causes of hemroids.

8... Occupation or Sport may be Another Cause of Hemroids

Anything that creates stress and pressure on the bottom area can cause hemroids to develop.  Mountain motor bike riding has, for example, been linked to the development of hemroids.

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Good luck in your endeavors for hemroid relief and hemorroid prevention.

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Some hemroids links to other hemroid related or health related sites, but if you liked this web site on hemroids, then you may also like this one on teeth:

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