Posts Tagged ‘Varicose veins’

Baby Hemorrhoids And How To Prevent Them

Unfortunately baby hemorrhoids are quite common in pregnant women. They can be very uncomfortable indeed and even those who have never had a hemorrhoid before are more prone to them during pregnancy.

Why Do Hemorrhoids Occur?

Hemorrhoids occur for a number of reasons, but they are more prevalent during pregnancy because of the pressure the fetus exerts on the veins inside your rectum, below uterus level. They are more common in those latter stages of pregnancy as the baby grows and exerts more pressure on the veins and arteries. This pressure does not only cause hemorrhoids however. It has also been the cause of clotting and varicose veins in pregnant woman as well as other pressure related problems. Keep your eye out for any changes in how you feel down below, as you do not want to endure any undue pain or discomfort if you can avoid it. Another cause of hemorrhoids that people are not really aware of is constipation. Constipation can aggravate an already uncomfortable situation and lead to a lot of pain and discomfort for the woman. In fact, constipation often inflames the area and leads to the hemorrhoids rupturing and bleeding. It is this constant straining during constipation that causes the problems, so you should try to increase the amount of fiber in your diet and keep your fluid levels high.

Pregnancy is difficult enough, but you will want to avoid these unnecessary complications if you can. Probably the most common reason why women experience hemorrhoids whilst pregnant has to do with their hormone levels. As you already know, your hormones can be all over the place and this increases when you are expecting. The increase in progesterone levels during pregnancy causes the protection mechanism in your veins to disintegrate that is there to stop swelling. When the walls relax there is nothing there to hinder the swelling and so hemorrhoids occur. It is this progesterone that also makes your situation worse as it can cause constipation. As already discussed, if you already have hemorrhoids, constipation can aggravate your whole situation.

What You Should Do If You Have Them

There is nothing that you can do about your hormone levels during pregnancy; you just have to let nature take its course. If you are worried or notice any of the painful signs, then please do see your doctor at once. There is not reason that you should suffer in silence. There are a lot of effective remedies out there that can relieve the symptoms and you should make use of them. If you do notice bleeding then this would be the time to contact your doctor, otherwise there is no need as it is not serious. It is also advisable that you consult your doctor before using over the counter remedies and medications, especially is they are steroid treatments. Trying natural remedies are always best, it is recommended that you take advantage of a sitz bath or use a poultice. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for other recommendations too.