What causes bleeding hemorrhoids and can you reduce or prevent this from happening?

Bleeding hemorrhoids can be an embarrassing and difficult subject. However, there are millions of people who suffer from hemorrhoids every day.

So what are piles and why do they bleed?

Piles are swelling of the veins in the rectum. These veins are thin, and when they swell, they can burst and cause bleeding hemorrhoids.

Here is a list of the most common reasons batteries start to swell:

• Constipation or hard stools: These can cause pressure and bloating from all the straining during the bowl movement.
• Pregnancy: It is very common to have bleeding hemorrhoids during pregnancy. This is because the weight of the fetus puts pressure on the veins in the rectal area.
• Alcohol use or alcoholism: Too much alcohol can dehydrate the body and cause hard stools and constipation. Once again, the pressure caused by exertion will cause the piles to swell.
• Being overweight or obese: This will cause the piles to swell just from the pressure of carrying all the extra weight. Also, the strain of moving around and poor nutrition leading to constipation.
• Lifting heavy objects the wrong way – If you’ve been to the gym and tried to lift something heavy during the lift, you may have held your breath while exerting yourself. This is a big mistake. If you hold your breath when you lift a heavy object, you are forcing blood into your lower body. This will cause the veins to swell and lead to bleeding hemorrhoids.
• Sneezing or coughing – Have you ever closed your nose during a sneeze? If so, you may have noticed that you feel dizzy afterwards. This is because when you sneeze, the muscles in your upper body contract. If you hold back the sneeze, it will force blood into the lower region. This will cause the veins to swell and possibly bleed.

So how can you reduce or even stop hemorrhoid bleeding?

• Take a 15-minute warm sitz bath. This will feel very calming and will help reduce swelling. Follow that up with an ice pack directly on the anus. The ice will help the clotting process and reduce swelling.
• Change your diet – stop eating processed foods and start eating natural, high-fiber foods like fruits and green vegetables. Also, increase the amount of water you drink. Try to start drinking a full 8-ounce glass of water before, during, and after each meal. By eating more fiber and drinking more water, you will soften your stools and make your bowel movements much easier and more regular. Drinking a full glass of water before your meal will help fill you up so you won’t eat as much and may even lose weight.
• Start walking every day – walking will help you lose weight and help with digestion and get things moving in the right direction. It will also help with blood circulation and help reduce the swelling of hemorrhoids. The swelling is caused by blood being forced into the lower area. So if you walk and exercise, you will increase circulation and prevent blood from pooling and causing swelling.
• Stop drinking alcohol – If you are suffering from bleeding hemorrhoids, you should cut down or stop drinking alcohol altogether.
• Don’t take aspirin. Aspirin is a blood thinner and will make it harder for your blood to clot and stop bleeding.

I hope this helps you with your bleeding hemorrhoids!