What Causes Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids mainly affect adults between ages 45 – 65 and are most usually accompanied with problems like an abnormal bowel movements, including diarrhea or severe constipation, pain and itching while passing stools. The causes of these symptoms can be constant straining, excessive pressure on veins due to pregnancy or tumors and sitting on a toilet for a very long time.
Each of these factors can exert pressure on the veins draining blood from the rectum and colon, that are present in the anal canal within a structure called hemorrhoid cushion. The increase in blood pressure can lead to slipping of these veins from surrounding connective tissues and other muscles meant to hold them in place, thus leading to the formation of hemorrhoids.
The veins near your anus may stretch under high pressure and can swell or bulge out. Varicose veins (hemorrhoids) can be formed due to an increase in pressure in the area around rectum due to the following reasons:
- Bruises during a bowel motion
- Sitting on the toilet for a long period
- Chronic constipation or severe diarrhea
- Obesity
- Low-fiber diet
- Pregnancy
- Tumors of the bowel (rectum) or adjacent organs
