Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids? How to treat and get rid of hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids? Many people have them, but most people still find it terribly difficult and embarrassing to talk about. Here you get answers to the embarrassing questions, which treatment is needed and how to get rid of hemorrhoids!

Many of us have them, yet most people find it terribly difficult and embarrassing to talk about hemorrhoids. Maybe it helps to know that when you're sitting on the bus with 10 other people, 3 of them probably have hemorrhoids. It is therefore a very common condition!

Fortunately, hemorrhoids are usually harmless, but they can be bothersome and they can hurt. In this article we will take a closer look at:

• What do hemorrhoids come from?

• What can you do to avoid problems?

• What kind of treatment is available?

What are hemorrhoids?

We can compare hemorrhoids to varicose veins you can get on your legs. Hemorrhoids occur in completely normal blood vessels in the lower part of the rectum. If the veins (veins) are exposed to high pressure over time, pouches can form - varicose veins - and it is these pouches that we call hemorrhoids when they occur in the rectum.

The pouches can sit both on the inside of the rectal opening (internal hemorrhoids) and right in the opening so that they become visible on the outside when you push out stool (external hemorrhoids).

What causes hemorrhoids?

There is still a lot that is not known about the causes of hemorrhoids, but we do know that certain things can make you more susceptible to getting them:

• Pregnancy - hemorrhoids are common in pregnant women.

• Sluggish stomach and constipation that make you sit for a long time and have to push hard to pass a stool.

• Sitting still for a long time.

• Prolonged standing.

• Heavy physical work.

• Prostate problems - if you have to strain to empty your bladder.

• Diarrhea.

• High age.

Hemorrhoids and symptoms

Some people get problems - others don't, and the problems can come and go for periods.

The most common symptoms of hemorrhoids are:

• Bleeding from the rectum.

• Itching around the anus.

• Pain when you push out stool.

If you have so-called external hemorrhoids, the hemorrhoids can be pushed out together with faeces so that they become visible on the outside of the rectal opening and may have to be pushed back in.

Fortunately, there are both palliative treatments and things you can do yourself to reduce the pain and prevent it from returning. If you have major problems, it is also possible to get good help.

Read more about treatment further down in the article.

Hemorrhoids can have different degrees of severity and are divided according to the following scale depending on the symptoms you have:

• Grade 1: You can see blood around the stool, on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. The hemorrhoids are not pushed out so that you feel them on the outside of the rectum.

• Grade 2: You can feel, or see, hemorrhoids on the outside of the rectal opening when you push. The hemorrhoids slide back on their own.

• Grade 3: The hemorrhoids come out of the rectal opening when you push and do not go back when you finish using the toilet. They must be pushed back. You can see them as one or more soft, bluish-red balls. They are usually about the size of a little fingernail.

• Grade 4: This is a rare condition. Here, the hemorrhoids are constantly on the outside of the rectal opening and they cannot be pushed in.

Read about the treatment of hemorrhoids in the next section.