June 28, 2014

4 Simple Ways You Can Prevent Hemorrhoids

From Cleveland Clinic Health Hub

4 Simple Ways You Can Prevent Hemorrhoids
Avoid the irritation with these tips

By Brooke Gurland, MD | 5/20/14

If you have hemorrhoids, you have plenty of treatment options at your disposal. However, if you have hemorrhoids, you’d probably advise others to avoid getting them in the first place.

Hemorrhoids — swollen, inflamed venous cushions in the anal canal — are often painful and itchy and can cause bleeding. But you can avoid these irritating symptoms with some simple lifestyle changes.

1. Go when you need to go

This sounds like common-sense advice, but too many people ignore it. If you delay using the bathroom, your stool may become hard and dry in your bowel, which makes it harder to pass. If you strain to pass stool, your risk for hemorrhoids rises.

Speaking of straining, don’t force a bowel movement when you don’t need to go, either. Straining increases the pressure on your venous cushions, which leads to hemorrhoids. In particular, straining can turn internal hemorrhoids into external ones.

2. Don’t turn the bathroom into a library

Think of your time in the bathroom as a necessity, not an extended escape. If your toilet has stacks of magazines or books on the water tank, consider moving them to another room.

Why? The more time you spend on the toilet, the more likely you will strain for bowel movements. Also, the seated position puts extra stress on your anal blood vessels. Both of these factors boost your risk of hemorrhoids.

3. Reassess your diet

To prevent hemorrhoids, you want stool that is soft and easy to pass. You can reach the right consistency by making smart diet choices and drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Read more from Cleveland Clinic Health Hub >>

No comments:

Post a Comment