What are hemorrhoids? These are swollen blood vessels of your rectum. Your hemorrhoidal veins are found in the lowest area of your rectum and your anus. There are instances when these veins swell, thereby stretching the walls of the vein each time there are bowel movements. There are two classifications of the condition: they can either be internal or external.
If they are internal, you cannot feel them since they are located far deep inside your rectum. You may not feel pain because there are only a few pain-sensing nerves deep into the rectum. These growths are often prolapsed, meaning they grow more and protrude outside the anal sphincter. This time, they might hurt and you will be able to feel them as most pads.
The external growths are found within the anus and often bring discomfort to the sufferer. You will be able to feel them, too, if they prolapsed.
Causes
Males and females of any age group can get it. However, doctors say the condition is more common in pregnant women and the elderly.
Your eating habits can also be associated with the condition. However, those who eat a lot of processed foods are at high risk.
Treatment
Treatments usually aim at alleviating pain and itching. Patients are advised to go on high-fiber diet with lots of fluid intake. In extreme cases, banding, cauterization, and surgery can be done.
Thin Stool: How Indicative Is It?
The most common indications of this condition are the presence of blood in your stool; this indicates bleeding and you have to consult a doctor when this happens.
Other symptoms include itching around the anal area, painful bowel movements, and mucus discharge.
There are patients who notice the changes in terms of the shapes and sizes of their stools. Most often than not, they immediately conclude the occurrence of this condition. This can be accurate, though not entirely.
Low-fiber foods and inadequate fluid intake can cause strain during bowel movements. The condition is further aggravated when you have to pass hard stools. Thin stool is also said to indicate the presence of the condition. However, it can also mean that there is an obstruction in your colon due to cancer or other gastrointestinal condition.
These are not conclusive, because the inconsistency in the shapes, sizes and color of your stools can be caused by the normal changes in your daily diet and a change in diet makes the stools look “normal” again.
Constipation and IBS
Hemorrhoids and constipation go together. Constipation is considered as one of its symptoms. However, passing thin or pencil-thin stool can be an indication of other medication conditions: obstruction in the anal area, polyp, or worse, cancer.
It can also be indicative of conditions like spastic colon and IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. Both men and women, between 30 to 45 years old, can suffer from IBS.
Hence, thin stool can mean a lot of things. The best thing to do is to consult your doctor the moment you notice the presence of symptoms that are out of the ordinary.
Hemorrhoids are usually not life threatening but it is always wise to consult a doctor for any medical sickness or conditions.
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