Hearing the word “hemorrhoid” makes most people want to put their hands over the mouths and giggle like they were back in middle school. There are a number of medical conditions that you can talk about that won’t bring even the twinge of a smile to your face, but say the word hemorrhoid and you’re ready to start giggling. Unless, of course, you have hemorrhoids, then you realize how serious the condition can become and how painful it is to deal with.
What Are Hemorrhoids?
Before you can search for a good hemorrhoid treatment, it is a good idea to know what, exactly, hemorrhoids are. Hemorrhoids are actually swollen veins that lie in the canal of the anus. They may either be internal hemorrhoids or external hemorrhoids. As their name would imply, internal hemorrhoids are hemorrhoids where the vein swells on the inside of the anus, while external hemorrhoids are caused by the veins swelling on the outside of the anus. You may have one condition or both, depending on the severity of your hemorrhoids.
What Causes Hemorrhoids?
Most people who are searching for hemorrhoid treatment options don’t bother themselves wondering why they got hemorrhoids, they just want a cure for it. It turns out that the condition can be caused by a number of different factors. The majority of the time, the condition is caused when there is too much pressure on the veins of the rectal and pelvic area. In normal conditions, the tissue that is inside of the anus fills with blood so that it can help you to control your bowel movements. If you strain, however, you cause the pressure to increase which causes the tissue to stretch and to swell, giving you hemorrhoids.
How Can You Tell If You Have Hemorrhoids?
The symptoms of hemorrhoids vary greatly between different people. The majority of people will have an itching of the anal area that doesn’t get better when the area is thoroughly cleaned. Others will have rectal pain and will find that it’s hard t clean the anal area due to the hemorrhoids. And some will even see streaks of red blood on the toilet paper after they wipe. This is often due to the breaking of skin where the hemorrhoids are.
Diagnosing Hemorrhoids
It is actually fairly easy for a physician to diagnose hemorrhoids. Many will be able to tell that you have hemorrhoids simply by doing a physical exam. If you have internal hemorrhoids, they will be able to reach up into the anus and feel the hemorrhoids, while external hemorrhoids are visible simply by looking.
Your doctor will be able to put you on a proper hemorrhoid treatment once they diagnose your specific condition, getting the paint to go away and helping your body return to normal again.