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Many people will avoid seeing a hemorrhoid doctor about their condition as they are simply too embarrassed to do so. Oftentimes, they will not even mention the problem when visiting their Doctor. Most individuals are familiar with the pain and itching of hemorrhoids, so much so that it is often tempting to make a self diagnosis and begin treating the problem outside of the Doctor’s surgery. Many people chose to ignore their symptoms and hope that the condition will go away on its own. Self diagnosis and trying to pretend the problem does not exist are equally bad for your health. The only way in which to acquire a diagnosis of hemorrhoids is to let your doctor examine you.

For the majority of people, hemorrhoids are a nuisance rather than a serious problem. However, the most common symptom of a hemroid is bleeding from the anus. You may see blood on your stools, in the bowel or on toilet paper. In some cases, for example with internal hemorrhoids, bleeding may prove the sole symptom that is presented – you may not experience any form of pain or discomfort and you will feel fine within yourself. One problem that may occur is thinking that more serious medical conditions like colon cancer, polyps and anal fissures are in fact hemorrhoids. This is a major concern as these more serious conditions can often present the same symptoms as hemorrhoids. In which case, you would not want to treat yourself for hemorrhoids when you may actually be suffering from something more serious. Any incidence of bleeding from the anus should cause you to consult with your doctor as soon as possible. Whether or not you have other symptoms, bleeding from the anus should not be ignored.

Having to endure an examination for hemorrhoids may be embarrassing but a quick check up can put your mind at ease. If caught early, more serious conditions like polyps and colon cancer are treatable with a high success rate. Do not forget that however tempting it is to write off your symptoms, self diagnose and begin treating yourself for hemorrhoids, it is vital not to forgo an examination at your doctor’s office.

Although it’s not 100% fully understood why some people get hemorrhoids and others don’t, there are some known factors that are thought to contribute to the formation of the hemroid. This include being overweight, aging, pregnancy, anal sex, constipation and poor diet. Basically anything that puts undo strain on the anal cavity.

Both being overweight and carry extra weight due to a pregnancy put strain on the entire body, so it’s not that big a jump in logic to think that the extra weight might constrict the anal canal, possibly making it harder to pass stools which could inflame the veins in the anal region. Plus, overweight are probably not eating a diet high in healthy high fiber foods which may cause constipation, harder stools and straining while using the bathroom, all of which are thought to contribute to having a hemroids problem. For pregnant women, constipation can also be a problem, not because of bad diet choices necessarily but just because stomach problems are common during pregnancy. Plus, fetal growth and pushing the baby through the birth canal are both putting excessive pressure on the anal canal.  

It seems that the process of aging also makes hemorrhoids more likely. This may be due to problems with irregular bowel movements or may be causes by muscle loss. As we all get older, we lose muscle; this is also true of the muscles in our anal canal. We have tissue walls which hold the veins in place in our anal canals, and its thought that perhaps as we age, these wall sag a bit which then may cause the veins to become stressed. This is basically all a hemroid is, a stressed vein.

So, although doctors aren’t exactly sure why some people get hemorrhoids and others don’t, eliminated certain risk factors like obesity and a poor diet can go a long way toward improving your odds of not getting hemorrhoids.