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Hemorrhoids: Fact and Fiction

Overview

Hemorrhoids, also referred to as hemroids or piles, are an uncomfortable medical condition that will affect approximately one-half of the world’s population by they time they reach the age of 50. Despite the prevalence of hemroids, there is still a lot of confusion about what causes the condition, and therefore what treatment methods are effective.

Hemorrhoid Myths

The following are some of the more widely-held myths about hemorrhoids:

Hemroids lead to cancer – This is completely untrue.
Hemorrhoids are caused by the swelling of the veins of the anus and rectum, whereas cancer is caused by the mutation and replications of cells. They are two very different conditions, and the treatment approaches for each condition are also distinctly different. While it is important to treat hemorrhoids at the first sign of symptoms, not doing so will only result in a worse case of hemroids; it will not lead to cancer.

Spicy foods cause hemroids – This is another belief that many people have about hemroids that is completely inaccurate. While spicy foods may upset digestion, in themselves they do not cause the constipation and straining that are the usual cause of hemroids.

Hemorrhoids are permanent – Many people believe that once you have hemroids, you cannot get rid of them. That is completely untrue. Hemroids are not permanent and will sometimes resolve on their own when the swollen veins of the anus and rectum shrink again. Most of the time hemorrhoids medications or some other form of hemorrhoids treatment can be used to resolve the condition. It is, however, a condition that can be resolved, and in general, the sooner you treat your hemroids symptoms, the more successful you will be at eradicating your hemorrhoids completely.

Sitting on a cold surface causes hemorrhoids – Sitting on a cold surface does not cause hemroids, and may in fact have more of a preventative effect. Cold surfaces can actually cause the veins in the anus to contract back into the body. Sitting for long periods of time is what can cause hemorrhoids, since the stress put on the anal area can cause the blood vessels in the area to swell and become hemorrhoids.

Anal sex leads to hemroids – While anal sex may aggravate an existing case of hemroids, there has been no evidence to suggest that it causes hemorrhoids, as so many people believe. Anal sex does not cause the veins of the anus and rectum to swell and become hemroids. Tissue that is already inflamed and hemorrhoidal, however, can be further irritated by the friction of anal sex.

Only old people get hemorrhoids – While it is true that aging does make you more likely to develop hemroids, the condition is not limited exclusively to the elderly. Hemorrhoids can develop in people of all ages, and most folks would be surprised to learn that even children can get hemorrhoids. The reason that hemroids occur more frequently in the elderly is due to the body’s natural deterioration that comes with old age. The walls of the blood vessels in the anus and rectum become weakened as we become older, and hemorrhoids are more likely to occur.

In conclusion, it is important to know the facts about hemorrhoids develop, and what the true causes of hemroids are. Once you know the root cause of hemorrhoids, only then can you find an effective treatment for the condition which will help you alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms of hemroids and eliminate the hemorrhoids themselves.