Are Hemorrhoids Genetic? Discover the Genetic Factors That Impact Hemorrhoids

Are Your Hemorrhoids Genetic? Hemorrhoids are a nuisance, and these painful rectal protrusions can lower the quality of life, hindering exercise, activities, and even jobs.  If you have hemorrhoids, you are not alone in this struggle, because there are at least 10 million Americans each year who reportedly suffer from this anorectal disease, too. 

Hemorrhoids are unbiased in whom they affect, and it doesn't matter what race or gender you are because these inflamed veins are an internationally experienced problem.

Research has long-studied this question and has decidedly confirmed that yes,

Hemorrhoids have been a consist problem for humans since the dawn of humankind, and may have even contributed to Napoleon Bonaparte's stunning defeat at the battle of Waterloo, as the emperor of France was reportedly suffering from severely thrombosed hemorrhoids at the time. 

If anything, this is an accurate indication of just how painful and life-altering hemorrhoids can become, especially for those left untreated.

If hemorrhoids are so common, what causes them?  And is there anything we can do to prevent them?  These questions have multiple answers, and you may find yourself asking them to your doctor soon enough, as more than half of American adults will experience hemorrhoids. 

Types of Genetic Hemorrhoids

If hemorrhoids run in your family, you may experience them in two different types.  The two types of hemorrhoids can occur individually or at the same time, which while unfortunate, you can relax knowing that when they are caught early on, can be treated efficiently. 

Hemorrhoids are, in all essences, a prominence of anal mucosa, forming a painful protrusion of veins, conjoining tissues, and vessels.  Hemorrhoids are vascular cushions located in the lowest area of the rectum and the anus. 

Depending on their location, hemorrhoids can be divided into two groups—or types.  External hemorrhoids, as you can guess, are outside the anus, forming underneath the skin and if you have them, they are visible to you.  Internal hemorrhoids are the opposite, taking shape inside the anal canal.

Internal hemorrhoids can have complications that require more aggressive procedures to treat because they can involve the collapsing of anal cushions through the rectum.  Doctors rate the state of a prolapsing internal hemorrhoid in grades or degrees.

When genetics are concerned, you may have to ask the uncomfortable question to your parents or grandparents as to if they suffer from hemorrhoids and if so, which type? 

There are multiple reasons at play as to why you have hemorrhoids, but if your family has a history of this unpleasant rectal disorder, then that could be a significant factor. 

Are My Hemorrhoids Inherited? 

If you have heard your parents, grandparents, or other close relatives complain of hemorrhoids before, then chances are, your hemorrhoid disease has been inherited. 

The question of hemorrhoids and hereditary factors is almost a moot point, because with so many adult Americans—about half—experiencing hemorrhoids at some point in their older age, then this common anorectal disease seems to be unavoidable, no matter what.

That doesn't have to be the case.  There are ways to prevent hemorrhoids, even if your hemorrhoids are inherited. If your entire family has hemorrhoids and makes frequent trips to see your family doctor about them, then your doctor can still advise them on ways to manage these flare-ups.

You cannot get enlarged or displaced (prolapsed) anal cushions by being intimate, coming into contact, or being

What Causes My Hemorrhoids? 

Understanding the other underlying causes of hemorrhoids can clue you into what you can change, and what you cannot.  Science and research have studied hemorrhoids for as long as this disease has plagued humankind, and fortunately, the results have come up with a few answers on the causes.

Yes, your hemorrhoids can be caused by the sheer fact that your genetics have predisposed you to develop them.  However, your lifestyle and diet have an equivalently large role as to why you develop hemorrhoids. 

Do you have a job that requires you to lift heavy objects throughout the day? If so, then you could be putting yourself at risk for developing painful hemorrhoids—either external or internal. 

Are you overweight?  Your body is built to handle certain levels of weight, and being overweight can cause damage and lead to conditions you would find surprising.  Hemorrhoids are one of these conditions, and rectal veins do not respond well to unneeded pressure, causing them to inflame frequently.

All of these factors can happen by themselves or all-together, and depending on which ones you experience, your risk of hemorrhoids will subsequently be higher if more than one application at a time. 

How to Prevent Genetic Hemorrhoids

Genetic implies that the hemorrhoids you have cannot be prevented, that they are in your DNA.  However, there are plenty of ways to manage and prevent hemorrhoids from developing.

Your first step in hemorrhoid prevention begins with talking to your doctor.  Making a treatment plan while your hemorrhoids are in a mild form can prevent them from worsening. 

Describing all of your symptoms to your doctor will help him, or her determine the severity of the hemorrhoids, which treatment methods are most appropriate, while also treating any underlying causes.

A good hemorrhoid doctor will first recommend a change of diet for their patients, and in doing so, most mild cases of internal and external hemorrhoids

Your doctor may also work to target any conditions like constipation or diarrhea, normalizing bowel movements, and help you strive for a better diet to improve your toilet habits.

Other Genetic Issues That Cause Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are sometimes a symptom of another gastrointestinal cause, and by working with your doctor to resolve this cause, you can avoid hemorrhoids from forming in the future.

For more severe hemorrhoids, there are non-operative, non-invasive procedures that have been perfected.  Rubber band ligation treatment is the most widely performed non-operative treatment in which internal hemorrhoids are removed.