Hemorrhoids and Pregnancy - All You Need To Know

Hemorrhoids occur when the rectal area's veins becomes enlarged. Though minor and can be treated via a change in lifestyle, it can cause significant discomfort especially when sitting down. Some symptoms of hemorrhoids, such as rectal bleeding, are also indicators of more dangerous illnesses. Once this occurs, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Though an embarrassing condition, hemorrhoids are actually experienced by most people at least once in their life. Hemorrhoid and Pregnancy is even more common.

Why is hemorrhoid during pregnancy more common?

Hemorrhoids are triggered by an assortment of causes whether or not one is pregnant. Some factors that bring about this ailment are genetics and your natural body makeup, your lifestyle, the weakness of your rectal walls and yes, pregnancy.

Pregnant women are prone for similarly varied reasons. These are listed below.

1. Constipation regularly occurs to pregnant women. This is due to the increase in progesterone a pregnant woman has. Progesterone relaxes the smooth muscles in the body. This would result in more sluggish digestion because the food moves through the intestine more slowly. Hemorrhoid in the third trimester is even more common because the uterus is impressing upon the rectum which also increases the occurrence of constipation. The strain caused by constipation irritates the rectum which causes the vessels to swell.

2. The enlargement of a pregnant woman's uterus. The pressure the uterus exerts on the inferior vena cava, which is the large vein that transports the deoxygenated blood from the base are of the body to the heart, and the pelvic veins cuts of circulation to the bottom part of the body and triggers the swelling of your rectal veins.

How can a woman who is pregnant evade hemorrhoids?

Though common among pregnant women, there are still ways to reduce the risk mainly by doing activities that would help increase the speed of your digestion. Start with your diet. You can circumvent the acquisition of constipation by eating food that is chockfull of fiber. Fiber rich foods include whole wheat, grains, fruits and vegetables. Ingesting water constantly helps speed up digestion by keeping the body hydrated. Chewing food thoroughly and slowly also decreases the work your body needs to do to break down the food. Even just eating moderately can aid digestion. Over eating would lead to your body working overtime to break down the food which often results in constipation. Exercise can also help prevent hemorrhoids as a known method of increasing the speed of digestion. For pregnant women, slow walks and various exercises are available. Sitting down for really long periods of time also contributes to the presence of hemorrhoids so avoid doing so.

What can I do if I already have hemorrhoids?

Using sitz baths, which is when you sit on a basin of water or soak in a bathtub, helps in relieving hemorrhoids. You can also press an ice to the concerned area to decrease the swelling. Alternating the two methods also eases the discomfort. If all the above home remedies did not cure your ailment, your doctor can best suggest a pregnancy safe cream or other treatment.

Although hemorrhoid and pregnancy are common partners, in most pregnant women, hemorrhoids disappear shortly after giving birth.