OK, when was the last time you were at a dinner party and the person next to you started talking about their hemorrhoids? Uhh, never probably, I’m guessing. And yet millions of people suffer from hemorrhoids. But, because it’s so embarrassing to talk about, you may end up feeling like you’re the only one. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I’ve heard estimates that state 50%-75% of the US population will suffer from a hemroid at one point or another in their life. As we age, the odds go up. Certain other factors such as family history, weight, pregnancy, anal sex, and bad diet can also lead to hemorrhoids.
Here in the US, the biggest problem we have is our diets. It’s high in processed foods and low in raw natural foods and this is a recipe for getting hemorrhoids. The number one cause of hemorrhoids is straining while using the bathroom and pushing hard stools through the anal cavity. All this straining puts stress on the delicate veins in the walls of the anal cavity and they become inflamed and bulge out. This tiny bulge is actually the hemorrhoid itself. These stresses can form both inside the anal canal as in the case of internal hemorrhoids or directly at the opening in the case of external hemorrhoids. With external hemorrhoids you may be actually able to see the tiny bulge.
The good news about hemorrhoids besides knowing you’re not alone is knowing that this puts you directly in control of minimizing your symptoms and quite possibly eliminating hemorrhoids altogether. To do this, you need to improve your diet with fiber. Add lots of raw fruit, vegetables, high fiber grains and cereals. This tiny step alone will go a long way towards providing hemorrhoid relief. Obviously you can’t control all the factors that lead to hemorrhoids but certainly improving your diet is well within your control. And since this is a main contributor to hemorrhoids, it’s a step you should start today.