Can Hemorrhoids Cause Constipation? What to Know

Hemorrhoids can contribute to constipation on account of how hemorrhoidal symptoms change an individual’s bathroom habits. Hemorrhoids are veins within the rectum and anus that turn into inflamed and swollen. They could cause symptoms corresponding to itching, pain, and bleeding.

Some people may haven’t any symptoms in any respect, but others may find that hemorrhoids is usually a difficult problem that negatively affects their life in some ways. Treatments often include home remedies corresponding to increasing dietary fiber and over-the-counter (OTC) topical creams or ointments.

This article explains the connection between hemorrhoids and constipation, how hemorrhoids are treated, and recommendations on prevention.

Understanding the Connection Between Hemorrhoids and Constipation

The link between hemorrhoids and constipation shouldn’t be exactly a direct one. Hemorrhoids can contribute to the event of constipation, largely because people may change their bathroom habits, corresponding to laying aside having a bowel movement, in response to the symptoms of a hemorrhoid, corresponding to pain from wiping.

Factors that might affect the event of constipation include:

• Discomfort, pain, and anxiety around passing stools: Having a bowel movement could be painful when you’ve hemorrhoids. This may lead to ignoring the urge to go to the lavatory. Holding in stools could make them turn into harder and tougher to pass.
• Changes in food regimen: People who’ve hemorrhoids may change their food regimen in ways in which result in constipation. For example, eating less dietary fiber to avoid symptoms like bloating or gas may lead to stools which might be tougher to pass.
• Swollen hemorrhoids: A swollen hemorrhoid could physically block the anus. It could also be tougher to pass a stool past this obstruction.
• Straining on the bathroom: Straining to have a bowel movement can result in an increased risk of developing a hemorrhoid, which might, in turn, result in an increased risk of constipation.

Can Constipation Cause Hemorrhoids?

Constipation can even not directly cause hemorrhoids, as follows:

• Constipation could cause you to strain on the bathroom.
• Straining on the bathroom may lead to pressure within the anus and rectum.
• This increased pressure could affect the veins in the realm, causing them to turn into swollen and inflamed, which in turn becomes a hemorrhoid.

Constipation Symptoms

What is taken into account a “normal” bowel movement is extremely variable and differs from individual to individual. However, guidelines exist for outlining or diagnosing constipation.

Constipation may end in:

• Feeling like there’s more stool within the rectum even after defecating (tenesmus)
• Having fewer than three bowel movements per week
• Hard, dry, lumpy stools
• Stools which might be difficult to pass, which can cause straining on the bathroom

Constipation is commonly uncomfortable. You may experience discomfort in your stomach or a sense of a full rectum. These symptoms could be physically and emotionally distracting, especially after they go on for several days.

You won’t want to go away the home for fear of needing to make use of the bathroom. The uncomfortable sensations may make it harder to focus on work or school.

How to Relieve Hemorrhoid-Related Constipation

Treating each constipation and hemorrhoids may mean making changes to lifestyle and food regimen. The goal might be to have bowel movements which might be soft and straightforward to pass in order that they don’t cause pain or straining.

Measures you possibly can take at home include:

• Avoid straining: Ideally, stool needs to be easy to pass without much effort. Avoid the urge to strain. Also, don’t sit on the bathroom for long periods. These two habits are vital in stopping hemorrhoids.
• Drink more water: Not getting enough water throughout the day could make stools harder and lumpier. Drinking loads of water could help soften stools.
• Eat more fiber: Increasing the quantity of soluble fiber may help bulk up stools and make them softer. Fiber supplements may additionally be useful, but they needs to be added to the food regimen slowly and with the recommendation of a healthcare provider.
• Get more exercise: Being sedentary (not moving much) could contribute to constipation. Taking a walk or getting one other type of exercise may help.
• Treat the hemorrhoids: Over-the-counter hemorrhoid remedies may help reduce the swelling and itching. Some of those may include a light pain reliever. A sitz bath (sitting in a shallow tub of warm water) may additionally help reduce swelling. It may help treat constipation to make the hemorrhoids less of an issue.

Taking Laxatives

Using a laxative for a brief period to deal with constipation could also be helpful. Then, it’s going to be vital to give attention to stopping constipation from recurring.

It’s often not advisable that laxatives be used for a protracted period. Some laxatives can have long-term effects, especially in the event that they are used on a regular basis.

The forms of laxatives which might be available for treating constipation include:

How to Prevent Constipation and Hemorrhoids

Constipation has many causes. Certain triggers cannot be avoided, like certain medical conditions or pregnancy. If medications are causing constipation, it’s value looking into ways to scale back those effects or switch to a different drug.

Ways to forestall constipation are just like those used to treat it, including getting enough dietary fiber, staying hydrated, regular exercise, and never ignoring the urge to maneuver the bowels.

Healthcare providers may recommend attempting to have a bowel movement at the identical time every single day or at regular intervals (which is likely to be called bowel retraining).

Avoiding straining on the bathroom might help prevent hemorrhoids and, in turn, constipation. Not using a phone or other device while on the bathroom might help in avoiding sitting for too long and increasing the pressure on the rectum and anus.

Squatting during a bowel movement can even help. While seated on the bathroom, place your feet on a daily footstool (or one made especially for this purpose) that is directly in front of the bathroom in order that your knees are raised and bent as you bear down.

Can Hemorrhoids Affect Bowel Movements in Other Ways?

Hemorrhoids could cause a sense of fullness within the rectum or anus. It may feel like there may be stool there that should be passed. This can idiot people into sitting on the bathroom for longer periods, even when there isn’t any stool to pass. Sitting on the bathroom for too long and straining can further make hemorrhoids more swollen.

Hemorrhoids can bleed. Blood within the stool is at all times a reason to see a healthcare provider. Even when it’s regarded as from a hemorrhoid, a diagnosis remains to be needed. Blood may very well be from other, more serious causes, so it should not be ignored.

Hemorrhoids may also be itchy. Further inflammation and even damage to the skin across the anus (the perianal skin) may end up from attempting to alleviate the itch. This could worsen the pain and discomfort.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

A healthcare provider might help in treating constipation and/or hemorrhoids. The occasional bout with constipation or a hemorrhoid is likely to be treatable at home. However, when the symptoms go on for greater than just a few days or if there are concerning symptoms, it is time to seek care.

See a healthcare provider if the next apply:

• There is blood in or on the stool.
• There is visible mucus in or on the stool.
• The pain becomes unmanageable.
• There are other symptoms (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, losing a few pounds without trying).
• There’s any concern that the symptoms may very well be from one other condition.

Summary

Hemorrhoids are common, especially in older people, but there are methods to forestall them, and which will include treating constipation. Hemorrhoids and constipation have a bidirectional relationship, they usually can each cause the opposite to worsen.

There are many measures people can take at home to treat hemorrhoids and constipation, corresponding to getting enough fiber, water, and exercise. Seeking help from a healthcare provider could also be obligatory for people whose symptoms don’t reply to home remedies.