Causes of Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are inflamed veins in the anal area. These veins get inflamed because of the stress and strain that we put on that area to get the stools to pass through.
There are many reasons for hemorrhoids. One of the biggest reasons is constipation brought on by the extra weight in our body. Most of us are aware that over 60% of the American population is overweight.
How did the majority of Americans become overweight?
No one is really sure how a whole generation became overweight and unhealthy. Those of us who lived through the 1980’s may remember the advertisements and fuss about movies which were connected by commercials to children’s food, toys and “happy meals”. Connecting FUN to FASTFOOD was accomplished very neatly and many children grew up clamoring to go to the local fast food restaurants. As adults, we too, loved the salty, fat dripping, hot, squishy foods and the sweet (10 teaspoons of sugar per can) sodas. The only vegetable we ever ate were the hot, salty fries dripping with more fat! YUM!
Why are we so constipated most of the time?
The only problem we had was that all this food because muck in our bodies as our body was left clueless about how to digest this grub. As our body rejected most of the stuff in these year old frozen meat combos filled with preservatives and additives, it was puzzled by the new sweeteners that showed up in strange chemical compositions (high fructose corn syrup). The by-products of digestion, the pesticides, the chemicals that kept the food looking “fresh and juicy” and the residues of the artificial sweeteners that our body couldn’t even process were all being collected as stools.
The only problem was that this collection of waste products did not behave as a natural diet waste with lots of fresh fiber would do. So the mechanism to remove the toxins from our body failed. As the toxins collected in the rectum and anal areas, E-Coli bacteria present in the skin also may have started to react and cause infections. The end product of all these changes was disease.
The first symptom that is triggered by this backup in the rectum is constipation. As we strain and push to remove the contents of the body, we damage the veins in the area and activate the growth of hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids may also be caused by constant or heavy lifting, long bouts of diarrhea, sitting on the commode for long periods such as for reading newspapers, books, etc. You may also get hemorrhoids if you have certain diseases such as Crohn’s disease or conditions such as inflammatory bowel syndrome.
As we get older, our tissues, ligaments and muscles lose their elasticity. This lack of pelvic exercise may also lead to veins not being able to handle the stress of straining for bowel movements.
Another cause for hemorrhoids is pregnancy and the resulting hormonal changes that happen in the woman’s body which is busy in the creation of a brand new human being. The pressure that the expanding uterus puts on the rest of the organs in the lower abdomen can also lead to the creation of hemorrhoids. The stress of delivery and possible episiotomy may also weaken the muscles surrounding the anus and cause hemorrhoids.
Other Related Resources:
Medicinenet
MayoClinic
eMecidineHealth