Hemroids, Lifestyle, Diet And The Bond They Share
Hemroids, Lifestyle, Diet And The Bond They Share
So is it really possible that your lifestyle could be a contributing factor to your hemroids? In fact could the way you are living be what is causing your hemorrhoids? Okay before we tackle these questions let's first have a quick go-over about what hemorids are.
What Is A Hemroid?
The term hemroid or hemorrhoid refers to the medical condition where the blood vessels (specifically the veins) that supply the lower rectum and anus become swollen and inflamed. So in this sense hemroids are not unlike varicose veins.
Hemroid Type And Classification
There are two main types of hemroids and they are 1) External Hemroids and 2) External Hemroids.
External Hemroids: a hemroid is described as external when it is located in what is known as the anal verge. Such an external hemroid is associated with the following signs and symptoms:
Itching as a result of irritation of the skin and not the hemroid itself;
Swelling and irritation;
Thrombosis which occurs when a blood clot develops or when a vein ruptures
Internal Hemroids: this type of hemroid is located within the rectum and it is associated with dysfunction of the veins that drain the superior rectal arteries.
Because there are no pain receptors located in this region internal hemroids are characteristically painless. Internal hemroids commonly present with the symptom of bright red fresh blood in the toilet bowl after a bowel movement. In medical circles this is the so-called "flash in the pan."
If left untreated internal hemroids may progress to any one of the following subtypes:
Prolapsed hemroids
Strangulated hemroids
Prolapsed Hemroids
Prolapsed hemroids is the name given to internal hemroids that have become so swollen and distended as to be forced outside of the anus. A prolapsed hemroid may progress to become a strangulated hemroid (which is a surgical emergency) if and when it becomes trapped by the anal sphincter muscle during a spasm. Needless to say strangulated hemroids are very painful.
Internal hemroids are also often classified by the degree of prolapse. This method of classification is as follows:
Grade I: No prolapsed of the hemroids
Grade II: Hemroid prolapses during a bowel movement but spontaneously reduces
Grade III: The hemroid prolapses during defecation and needs to be manually reduced
Grade IV: Hemroids are cannot be reduced and are permanently prolapsed.
Who Is Predisposed To Getting Hemroids?
At some point or other in their adult existence 75 percent of adults in all of Europe and the USA will suffer from hemroids. Hemroids occur more frequently in men than women although they tend to be a frequent occurrence in people over the age of 50.
Common Causes of Hemroids
1. Constipation
2. Diarrhea
3. Pregnancy
4. Prolonged periods of sitting
5. Prolonged period of lifting weights
6. Pregnancy
7. Anal intercourse
8. Aging
9. Hereditary
10. Liver Disease
So back to the question of whether your lifestyle could be contributing to your hemroids and exacerbating their existence. Okay if we take a look at the above list about the predisposing factors of hemroids take careful note of points 1,2 and 4.
Points 1 and 2 which are respectfully constipation and diarrhea are strongly related to diet. In fact an inadequate diet is probably the single most significant factor when it comes to factors that predispose to hemroid formation.
If you remember earlier on I mentioned that 75% of the entire adult population in Europe and The United States will at some point in their adult lives suffer from hemroids. Why? Simply put, because of the prevalent diets in those regions.
Hemorrhoids have in fact been described as the disease of affluence because whereas they are extremely common in developed nations, their occurrence is extremely rare in developing nations! And it really all boils down to the difference in diet and lifestyle.
Why?
Because the diet of most people in developed countries such as the United States is woefully deficient in fiber whereas the opposite is true of developing countries. In other words one of the leading causes of hemroids is
A Low Fiber Diet
So an easy first step to take in treating your hemroids is to ensure that you are getting enough daily fiber in your diet. A diet sufficient in fiber will promote bowel regularity and also helps to retain water in the bowel and thus avoid constipation.
So what foods should you take to increase the amount of fiber in your diet and how much fiber are you aiming for?
The typical American diet only provides 15 grams of fiber a day. Your goal is to increase that to between 40 50 grams a day. Now it is very important that you build up to this level slowly and gradually.
Why?
Because if you attempt to load up your diet with between 40 50 grams of fiber almost overnight, you are undoubtedly going to suffer from abdominal cramping and bloating!
Fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole wheat grains are a good source of fiber.
A high fiber diet actually has many benefits. Apart from normalizing bowel movements, it aids in bowel integrity, lowers blood cholesterol levels, helps in controlling blood sugar levels and also promotes weight loss.
Water
Although not an exact science, you should aim to drink about 8 glasses of water a day. This is the so-called "8 x 8" rule (the glass should measure approx. 8 ounces of fluid.)
Alcohol, Refined Sugars & Caffeine
It goes without saying that a high sugar diet is not good for you. Not only does it increase the likelihood of you becoming overweight it also aggravates any pre-existing hemroid condition. How?
By increasing insulin secretion which promotes weight gain, elevates blood pressure and promotes the "bad" eicosinoid messengers from essential fatty acids. Those bad eicosinoid messengers encourage inflammation, pain, swelling and clotting of blood.
As everybody knows an excess of alcohol is not good.
But if you suffer from hemroids you're in for a double whammy in that excessive amounts of alcohol will certainly aggravate the condition. In fact it is not uncommon for hemroids to protrude more and bleed whilst passing stool the day after a night of excess!
Excessive amounts of caffeine are also known to aggravate hemroids.
Other Predisposing Factors
I mentioned that there are other factors that play a role in hemroid formation, including age, lifestyle, pregnancy as well as a genetic linkage.
Age: As we age the integrity of our cells and tissues degenerates and this is no different in the case of blood vessels. Thus it is little surprising that hemroids are more common in older people. In fact in the United States 75% of the population suffer from hemroids at some point in their lives.
Lifestyle: The more sedentary you are (i.e., the less exercise you do) the greater your likelihood of getting hemroids. Put simple spend less time sitting and do some exercise. This doesn't have to be strenuous exerciseeven walking will do the trick. Apart from promoting a healthy weight exercise does wonders for the integrity of cells and tissue.
Pregnancy: Hemroids frequently occur in during pregnancy due to increase blood volume and pressure in the pelvic blood vessels. Also the exertion and straining during labor can promote their appearance. The good news is that hemroids that usually arise during pregnancy spontaneously disappear after the pregnancy.
Genetic Predisposition: Unfortunately if there is a family history of hemroids then you are more likely to get them due to a genetic predisposition
Click here for more on hemroids
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