Hemroids are abnormally swollen veins in the rectum and the anus. They are like the varicose veins you might see on a person’s legs and when these bulging veins are irritated, they cause the surrounding membranes to swell up. They might burn or itch or become very painful and even bleed.

Hemroids are caused by too much pressure in the rectum. The walls of the veins are stretched by the amount of blood contained in them and then these walls sometimes rupture. Unfortunately, once they have occurred, there can be a recurring weakness.

Hemroids can be either internal or external.

• Internal hemroids are usually less noticeable because they are deep inside the rectum. They do not usually cause any discomfort and are mostly harmless.
• External hemroids are the ones which cause most of the pain, burning and itching. One especially unpleasant symptom is if an external hemroid becomes cut off from its blood supply. A clot can then form in the hemroid and this can cause very severe pain.

Hemroids are mostly caused by:

• Constant sitting
• Severe coughing
• Sitting on the toilet for too long
• Straining with a bowel movement (constipation)
• Diarrhea
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Heavy lifting

Here are some tips to relieve the pain and discomfort of hemroids:

• Use a natural healing formula to treat the hemroids
• Clean the anus after each bowel movement by patting gently with moist toilet paper or use gentle baby wipes
• Use ice packs to relieve swelling
• Sit and soak the affected area in a warm bath or bowl three or four times per day

Often hemroids will disappear without treatment but even so, it is important to avoid recurrence by improving your diet so as not to become constipated. Avoid taking any pain killers which contain codeine as this can cause constipation. Drink lots of water and fruit juice and include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. Increase the fiber content with more cereals, nuts and whole wheat breads. You can even take fiber supplements. Start a program of regular exercise such as walking, cycling or swimming several times per week as this helps to keep the bowels regular. This exercise will have the added advantage of helping with weight control as well as making you sleep better at night.

Often hemroids occur both during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy and as the uterus grows, the pressure can increase on those veins situated lower in the body. Hormones relax the walls of the veins which in turn allow them to swell. The situation is aggravated by sitting or standing for long periods. A history of hemroids before pregnancy means a higher chance of suffering from them during pregnancy and after the baby is born.

Many women suffer from hemroids from all the pushing during the delivery but fortunately, most hemroids resolve as the body recovers from the birthing experience. And if needed, there is a natural healing product which has been specially formulated for pregnant and nursing mothers to treat the hemroids.