Hemorrhoids, more commonly known as piles, can be a pretty bad and annoying condition, but usually aren’t life threatening. If there is varicosity and inflammation of the blood vessels in and around the rectal area, it is called hemorrhoids.
There are various causes of hemorrhoids that affect both men and women and usually occur between the ages of 45 and 65. Statistics show that hemorrhoids can occur in half of America by the age of fifty. One of the most common causes of hemorrhoids is weakness in the walls of the rectal tissue. This can be derived from several contributors, such as:
Constipation and explosive diarrhea.
Hard chairs, frequent straining, or long wait times to go to the bathroom.
Sit or stand longer in one place.
Pregnancy and exposure of children.
A very poor diet, insufficient fiber and not drinking enough water regularly.
Too much lactic acid. Lactic acid puts extra pressure on your sphincter muscles as they contract and open during a bowel movement.
Being overweight will also put unnecessary pressure on the sensitive anal veins.
There are two basic classes of hemorrhoids, internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids.
External hemorrhoids occur outside of the rectal area itself and are much easier to notice. They are usually the most painful and are most irritated by hard stools and contact with clothing and other external abrasives. External hemorrhoids often swell and can be very itchy. It is a very common symptom.
Internal hemorrhoids are in the anus. This type is usually the least painful. Often a person will not even realize that they have them, because there are no real complaints.
However, if they tear, bleeding can occur, which can lead to more serious hemorrhoid symptoms. A more serious type of internal hemorrhoid is the prolapsed hemorrhoid. Prolonged hemorrhoids are internal hemorrhoids that are swollen and eventually protrude outside the anus. The sphincter tightens together and prevents it from entering. When the blood supply reduces the prolapsed hemorrhoid, it becomes a strangulated hemorrhoid. Strangled hemorrhoids are often coagulated. A hard lump forms, which is very painful and extremely uncomfortable.