Haemorrhoids are very common in both men and women and tend to develop between the ages of 20 and 50. They are not dangerous, though they can be quite painful and irritating. Haemorrhoids are the most common cause of rectal bleeding, but on rare occasions it might be due to a more serious condition. Haemorrhoids are also common among pregnant women and are often at their worst during the first two weeks after childbirth. Described as a lifestyle disease, haemorrhoids is often attributed to the low-fibre diet that generally is associated with a western diet.

Haemmorhoid Symptoms

Symptoms can range from temporary and mild, to acute and painful. The most common symptom of internal haemorrhoids is bleeding, especially after a bowel movement when passage of the stool causes a small blood vessel in the anal cushions to burst. Other symptoms include aching, heavy-feeling legs, distorted rope-like veins, fluid of retention, and discoloured, flaking or itching skin and, more disturbingly, blood on the toilet paper or in the bowl.

The symptoms of external haemorrhoids may include painful swelling or a hard lump around the anus that results when a blood clot forms. If you observe blood in your stools, and have the symptoms mentioned above, you should visit your doctor for a check-up. If sudden massive bleeding occurs, a person may experience any combination of the above-mentioned symptoms, which include a feeling of weakness, dizziness, faintness, shortness of breath, and cramped stomach pain or diarrhoea.

Treatment of Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids Treatment depends on the degree of prolapse and severity of symptoms. If you have symptoms of a haemorrhoid, it is important to visit your doctor to make sure that the bleeding, pain or swelling is due only to a haemorrhoid and not to anything more serious.  Treatment is usually very effective, particularly if it is started promptly. Treatment options include increasing fibre and fluids, medications such as creams or suppositories, surgery, increasing physical activity, warm tub or sitz baths, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal remedies, homoeopathy, and Ayurveda.

Haemorrhoids & Pregnancy

Pregnancy can also cause haemorrhoids to appear as the pressure of the growing foetus on the lower abdomen, along with hormonal changes, can cause the anal blood vessels to grow in size. Pregnancy makes women more suseptible to haemorrhoids, varicose veins and even, bleeding from the gums because when pregnant, the amount of blood circulating through the body increases. For most women, however, haemorrhoids caused by pregnancy are a short-lived problem and usually disappear after delivery.