What Causes Hemorrhoids?
Conventional Medical Opinion on Hemorrhoid Causes
The answer to what causes hemorrhoids is normally that constipation and hemorrhoids go together as day follows night. It is also widely held that it’s not just hemorrhoids that are caused by constipation but also anal fissures and other anal pathologies. Is this true though or is the reality about anal health more complex than this? The conventional medical view has recently been questioned as some other researchers have come to different conclusions. In a related article how do you get hemorrhoids we consider this more deeply.
Revised View on Hemorrhoid Causes
In one particular study undertaken by the Medical College of Wisconsin 325 patients who underwent proctoscopy were reviewed. As part of this they were asked detailed questions about their symptoms and bowel habits. It was discovered that about half the patients actually had signs of hemorrhoids which is similar to the results of another major study carried out a couple of decades ago at the Mayo Clinic. The strongest relationships involved a connection between hemorrhoids and either being overweight or having regular diarrhea. This conflicted with the conventional view that constipation was the major factor. At the same time there was little evidence to support the idea that varicose veins or cirrhosis of the liver were causal agents as had previously believed.
This was a one off study and taken alone cannot be considered definitive. Nevertheless most sources of information on hemorrhoids nearly always emphasizes the importance of constipation without mentioning diarrhea. The work at Wisconsin at least suggests that this factor is at least as important as constipation. The major recommendation following from this is that it is vital to have a stall of appropriate consistency whatever causes your hemorrhoids — neither too loose nor too hard. Having the correct consistency will almost certainly reduce the chance of further damage to the anus either way. Adopting a healthy diet cannot only help reduce your weight – another primary cause of hemorrhoids, but also directly improve your anal health. Taking action with a hemorrhoid cream is preferable to leaving symptoms unattended.
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