Hemorrhoid Causes

Hemorrhoids are associated with constipation and straining at bowel movements as well as pregnancy. It is thought that these conditions lead to increased pressure in the hemorrhoid veins, thus causing them to swell. Liver disease can also cause increased pressure in the veins and also cause hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids are very common and have been estimated to occur in up to half the population by age 50 years.

Hemorrhoid Treatment

Self-Care at Home
The treatment for hemorrhoids is different depending on the severity of the problem. Most of the time, the treatment is conservative and performed at home.

• Hot sitz baths
• A sitz bath is recommended 3 times a day and after each bowel movement for at least 15 minutes.
• For a sitz bath, sit in a few inches of warm water in a tub.
• This is the best way to lessen the swelling and the pain.
• Be sure to thoroughly dry the skin around your anus after each bath so that it doesn't rub and become torn.

Dietary changes

• Drink more liquids and eat more leafy green vegetables, which will make stools bulkier and softer to relieve constipation.
• Some people with constipation or hard stools may benefit from increasing the amount of bran and fiber in their diet.

Stool softeners

• Hot sitz baths
• Stool softeners might also help.
• You should be cautious in choosing a laxative for your constipation.
• If a laxative causes watery, runny stools, it could cause an infection in the anus and should not be used.

Sitting restrictions

• Some doctors also recommend people with hemorrhoids not sit for a long period of time
• Some people feel more comfortable sitting on an air doughnut.

Over-he-counter medications

• Many creams, ointments, and suppositories are sold as pain relievers and medicines for hemorrhoids.
• These medications are of little help and sometimes might even cause the hemorrhoids to take longer to heal, so consult with your doctor first

Surgery

• If you have continued bleeding, prolapsed hemorrhoids that cannot be pushed back into place, uncontrollable pain, or severe rectal itching, surgery is needed.
   
• The surgeon might inject the hemorrhoids with a medicine to shrink them or place small rubber bands around the hemorrhoids to cut off the blood supply so they will die. These procedures are usually done in the office and don't require you to be put to sleep or admitted to a hospital.
   
• Less commonly used treatments are cryotherapy in which the hemorrhoid is essentially frozen off, or laser therapy, in which the hemorrhoid is burned off.
   
• Sometimes, it is necessary for the surgeon to actually cut the hemorrhoids off. In this case you will need to be put to sleep or have a spinal anesthetic.