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In the medical world, a hemorrhoid is described as a swollen vein in the rectum area. However to regular people, hemorrhoids are as described as a real pain in the butt, literally! Veins in the anus and rectum help cushion the area, so when they swell it is not a very pleasant experience to say the least.
Hemorrhoids are very common, especially if you are over the age of fifty and they most commonly develop between the ages of forty five and sixty five. Roughly 500,000 people in the United States alone report having some type of hemorrhoid pain every year. About ten to fifteen percent of that 500,000 have surgery to get rid of the hemorrhoids.
Surgery is a very painful way to cure hemorrhoids, and should only be used as a last resort. Doctors often tell patients that hemorrhoids come from long periods of constant straining, due to constipation.
Pregnancy is also a very common cause of hemorrhoids because of the extra pressure of the unborn baby.
* Hemorrhoids are broken up into 2 main categories: Internal Hemorrhoids and External Hemorrhoids.
Internal hemorrhoids are very common, however, they are not seen as they remain inside the rectum. There is usually not much pain involved with these type of hemorrhoids, however there may be some bleeding.
External hemorrhoids are the ones that cause the most grief, they are visible and may present as an anal lump. They cause both bleeding, itching and pain and the discomfort usually worsens during bowel movements.
If you have external hemorrhoids you will surely want them cured as soon as possible.
* There are several ways to relieve the hemorrhoid pain in the short term at home, here are some suggestions:
1) You could take warm sitz bath during painful times. Do not add any oils, salts or soaps to the water, let the painful areas soak for at least ten minutes.
2) Try special medicated and soothing wipes rather than using toilet paper or even try dampening the toilet tissue.
3) An cold ice pack can also be effective to relieve pain caused from the enlarged hemorrhoidal veins, especially if they have become thombosed.
4) There are also several over the counter creams you can purchase that contain a mild sedative that will provide you with temporary relief in extremely painful times, however these will not cure hemorrhoids permanently.
While it is easy to treat hemorrhoids, it is also very easy to irritate them. Long periods of standing or sitting can irritate them even more. Straining during a bowel movement can cause even worse pain. If you are experiencing any form of rectal bleeding, it is important to take immediate action by visiting your Doctor.
He or she will perform a proper diagnosis and find the best treatment to stop hemorrhoid pain and cure hemorrhoids, based on your medical history. If you are not in need of immediate medical attention, it would be wise to start educating yourself now before your condition reaches a more serious stage.
Start doing your own research by looking into various conventional and natural hemorrhoid treatments to see how each of them work, that way you will be sure to find an effective and permanent solution.