What You Should Know About Hemorrhoids and Pregnancy

Hemorrhoids are a very common side effect that may occur during pregnancy. Usually they are very unwelcome and uncomfortable, and they only add to the large and ever growing number of pregnancy related complications that every expectant mother is bound to experience.

It is therefore important for the expectant mothers to uncover all the relationships that exist between hemorrhoids and pregnancy.

What is the relationship between hemorrhoids and pregnancy?

Hemorrhoids and PregnancyHemorrhoids are some very uncomfortable conditions that arise in the rectum. They are often alternatively referred to as piles and occur as swellings or little bungles at the end of the rectum. The prevalence rates of hemorrhoids or piles among pregnant women is relatively high, suggesting that there exists a strong relationship between the hemorrhoids and pregnancy.

Official figures indicate that between 20-30 percent of all pregnant women in the world are affected by hemorrhoids at some point during the pregnancy.

It is therefore comforting to know that the hemorrhoids are not considered dangerous.

They often tend to fade of without causing any further medical complications besides the discomfort that they are known to cause. This said, the level of discomfort that the hemorrhoids can cause to expectant mothers is high and calls for decisive measures targeted expressly at their control.

It is suspected that hemorrhoids and pregnancy are related in the sense that the hemorrhoids are caused by pressure from the enlarging uterus during pregnancy which causes higher blood pressure in the pelvic region and swelling of the rectal veins.

It is important to point out here that the hemorrhoids are actually swollen veins of the rectum that take on the appearance of grapes. Besides this reason, there are a number of other alternative pregnancy related causes that have been linked to the occurrence of the hemorrhoids. Some of these causes are listed below.

Causes of hemorrhoids during pregnancy

  • Hemorrhoids can be caused by excessive pushing during the time of labor. This kind of hemorrhoid is referred to as postpartum hemorrhoid, in reference to the manner in which it is usually formed.
  • Hemorrhoids can get aggravated by constipation during the period of pregnancy. Constipation leads to difficulties in the elimination of stool and anal fissures may result.

For the proportion of expectant mothers who have been suffering under the problems of hemorrhoids during pregnancy, there is still some consolation and good news. The discomfort caused by hemorrhoids can be controlled to a great extent and even eliminated if some measures are put in place. Some of these measures are discussed in detail below.

How to deal with hemorrhoids during pregnancy

The problem of hemorrhoids and pregnancy can be reduced in any of the following ways:

Rather than sleeping on your back, try to sleep on your sides. This will relieve the pressure on the area around the rectum where the hemorrhoids normally form.

Consume a lot of fluids at regular intervals. This will have the effect of reducing chances of constipation, a key element that aggravates the problem of hemorrhoids.

Avoid straining or lingering in the toilet for long stretches of time.

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