When you wake up one morning to a burning, itching, painful sensation in the area of your anus you may well have hemorrhoids. Until that happens most people do not have many thoughts about hemorrhoids. When it does happen and for the length of time that the symptoms are present most of their conscious thoughts will be about hemorrhoids. It is a constant awareness that distracts most people from whatever else is going on in their lives.
When it happens, you will want to know a few facts about hemorrhoids. They are caused by expanded or bulging veins in the rectum or the anus. This causes increased pressure in the rectal veins and during the time that they are present they make your life all about hemorrhoids. This happens because in one way or another there has been an increased pressure on the walls of the rectum and that has weakened the muscles that support the blood vessels and the hemorrhoid is formed. The result is a protrusion inside the rectum (internal hemorrhoid) or a protrusion under the skin of the anus (external hemorrhoid).
People of all ages have to face the facts about hemorrhoids. Everyone from children to the geriatric set can experience them. For the most part though they are more prevalent with advancing age. Pregnant women and women that have children are more prone to them than others. The people least likely to have to worry about hemorrhoids are those that lead active lifestyles and eat properly. It does not take a lot of activity either. Standing and walking will help to keep the muscles in that area fit. A diet high in fiber will work to keep the stools soft and cut down on the straining that often leads to hemorrhoids.
If you think that you have developed them, you will want to see your doctor about hemorrhoids. Many of the symptoms in the anus area that people have come to think of being about hemorrhoids can actually be caused by more serious afflictions and a determination should be made before treatment is started. Once identified there are many effective treatments that will reduce the symptoms as the hemorrhoids heal themselves. Typically it takes about a week for them to heal if the aggravation can be brought under control.
