subject: Pregnancy Hemorrhoids: Why Does It Happen? [print this page] Blood vessels are present in the anorectal region. There are times wherein these vessels swell and become inflamed, becoming what we call hemorrhoids. This condition is common among old people, among people who stand or sit for a long time, those who lack fiber in their diet and to those who suffer from diarrhea and constipation constantly. Pregnancy hemorrhoids happen commonly too.
Most first-time moms experience hemorrhoids during pregnancy also for the first time, too. For women who had hemorrhoids even before the pregnancy will have a bigger chance to have hemorrhoids during the pregnancy itself.
The simplest way to explain this phenomenon is because of the growing weight of the baby that pushes down on the anal region. The pressure causes the varicosities.
What specifically happens to the blood vessels during pregnancy? The inferior vena cava, a large vein on the right side, is pushed down by uterus. The main function of this vein is to receive blood form the lower extremities but when there is pressure on it, the blood coming from the lower body will have a difficult time circulating upwards. When this happens, the blood will stay longer at the anorectal veins and creating too much pressure, will lead to the inflammation.
Pregnancy makes women prone to all other forms of varicosities, whether it is on the legs, vulvar area and also causes hemorrhoids.
During the labor's second stage, pregnancy hemorrhoids may appear. During this stage, the mother pushes the baby out and may accidentally push the inflamed blood vessels as well.
Constipation is a condition that is very common during pregnancy and we are well aware that constipation is one of the primary causes of hemorrhoids.
One female hormone, called progesterone, has increased levels during pregnancy. This hormone acts to help relax blood vessels. In this case, blood vessels in the rectal area relaxes too which can lead to its weakening swelling. One more thing about progesterone is that it causes the digestive tract to move slowly, increasing the incidence of constipation.
Sure there are a lot of factors that develop hemroid pregnancy. There are ways to be relieved from it. Hemorrhoids appearing during pregnancy only will go away immediately after delivery and while still on the course of pregnancy what one sufferer can do is to find ways t o alleviate the symptoms.
Apply ice pack on the hemorrhoids to help shrink it. An ice pack with witch hazel is very effective in doing so, too. Do warm sitz bath several times a day and you may also put Epsom salt on the water. If you can, alternate the warm bath and application of ice packs. The change in temperature relieves the inflammation and swelling. Practice using clean toilet paper that is soft and unscented. If you can, use moist wipes instead of the dry toilet paper.
Since hemorrhoids appearing only while a woman is pregnant will go away after the baby's birth, what one can do as of now is to do things that will help prevent it from getting complicated.
