Hemorrhoids: Why Do They Bleed?
Streaks of bright red blood is one of the hallmark features of internal hemorrhoids.
We're going to talk about what causes the blood but before we do, consider this warning.
First of all, see your doctor to make sure that your symptoms are actually due to hemorrhoids and not to something more serious.
Also, even if your doctor has told you before that you have bleeding hemorrhoids, if you develop something new...
such as more blood or maroon (or black) streaks in the stool, see the physician right away as you may be bleeding somewhere higher in your intestine.
This needs to be investigated without losing time.
So, let's say that you have bright red blood in your bowel movement and the doc has said you have bleeding hemorrhoids.
You already know that hemorrhoids are dilated "piles" of tissue that develop as a result of increased abdominal pressure.
But, what causes them to bleed? An increase in intra-abdominal pressure which can be caused by obesity, pregnancy, constipation, sedentary position, heavy lifting, and straining.
The pressure stresses the already enlarged hemorrhoidal blood vessels and causes them to either rupture, or ooze blood.
Constipation: Constipation may be defined as the infrequent passage of small, hard, dry stools.
It is caused by a variety of things but the most common cause is low intake of dietary or supplemental fiber.
Instead of moving out of the anus in a timely fashion, the stool mass becomes sluggish and moves very slowly.
The longer it sits in the colon, the drier the stool becomes because the job of the colon is to remove water from the bowel movement.
So, the stool develops sharp edges which tear the delicate hemorrhoidal veins and cause them to bleed.
Irritants...
such as alcohol, caffeine, or spices can cause localized inflammation of the hemorrhoids and cause them to bleed.
Anal fissures are cracks that develop around the anus and can also bleed.
They are often caused by the presence of blood, mucus, or fecal matter.
It is often difficult to scrupulously clean the anal area because of tenderness.
An effective way of cleaning is the use of the sitz bath which simply means soaking the hemorrhoids in warm water.
Avoid the use of perfumed soaps and wipes...
they can irritate.
Until next time
We're going to talk about what causes the blood but before we do, consider this warning.
First of all, see your doctor to make sure that your symptoms are actually due to hemorrhoids and not to something more serious.
Also, even if your doctor has told you before that you have bleeding hemorrhoids, if you develop something new...
such as more blood or maroon (or black) streaks in the stool, see the physician right away as you may be bleeding somewhere higher in your intestine.
This needs to be investigated without losing time.
So, let's say that you have bright red blood in your bowel movement and the doc has said you have bleeding hemorrhoids.
You already know that hemorrhoids are dilated "piles" of tissue that develop as a result of increased abdominal pressure.
But, what causes them to bleed? An increase in intra-abdominal pressure which can be caused by obesity, pregnancy, constipation, sedentary position, heavy lifting, and straining.
The pressure stresses the already enlarged hemorrhoidal blood vessels and causes them to either rupture, or ooze blood.
Constipation: Constipation may be defined as the infrequent passage of small, hard, dry stools.
It is caused by a variety of things but the most common cause is low intake of dietary or supplemental fiber.
Instead of moving out of the anus in a timely fashion, the stool mass becomes sluggish and moves very slowly.
The longer it sits in the colon, the drier the stool becomes because the job of the colon is to remove water from the bowel movement.
So, the stool develops sharp edges which tear the delicate hemorrhoidal veins and cause them to bleed.
Irritants...
such as alcohol, caffeine, or spices can cause localized inflammation of the hemorrhoids and cause them to bleed.
Anal fissures are cracks that develop around the anus and can also bleed.
They are often caused by the presence of blood, mucus, or fecal matter.
It is often difficult to scrupulously clean the anal area because of tenderness.
An effective way of cleaning is the use of the sitz bath which simply means soaking the hemorrhoids in warm water.
Avoid the use of perfumed soaps and wipes...
they can irritate.
Until next time