Chronic Hemorrhoids Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Revealed

One of the things that a lot of people think about when they have hemorrhoids, is how bad it really is. Unfortunately, hemorrhoids are so common that 50% or more of people find themselves with them at some point in there lives.

Many people, despite suffering, just don't want to talk about it. It can be an embarrassing or taboo subject and is one of the reasons most won't go to their doctor for help.

Still, if you have hemorrhoids, you should try and seen by a doctor to make sure it's nothing worse, especially if your problem is chronic.

What Causes Chronic Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are typically formed when a bowel movement is too stiff (aka constipation strikes) and you do an excessive amount of straining. This excessive straining puts pressure on the area around the anus and causes a hemorrhoid to form. 

Also known as piles, some of the symptoms and signs of hemorrhoids include:

• pain,
• itching
• blood in the stool
• swelling and inflammation

While these unfortunate symptoms are all good indicators that you have hemorrhoids, sometimes it is hard to tell if you really do have hemorrhoids.

What Type of Hemorrhoids Do You have?

Internal hemorrhoids often show none of the symptoms mentioned above except some spotted bleeding on the toilet paper.

Many people will have this type of hemorrhoid and not even realize it.

With internal hemorrhoids, you may have a small bit of discomfort and maybe see a little bit of blood if a lot of straining is done in minor cases.

In major cases your hemorrhoid can prolapse and cause a world of problems for you. A prolapsed hemorrhoid will usually require medical treatment or a procedure to fix. 

Clinical studies do show that if it the prolapsed hemorrhoid is getting better symptomatically, that you might not need a medical procedure for it to go away.

External hemorrhoids sit on the outside of the anus.

Another severe case of hemorrhoids is the external thrombosed hemorrhoid. This is an external hemorrhoid with a blood clot. It can be very painful and can also require medical treatment.

But What About Chronic Hemorrhoids?

In certain individuals because of diet and a few other factors, hemorrhoids can be chronic. There are quite a few chronic hemorrhoids causes.

Here are some common causes of chronic hemorrhoids:

• Sitting for long periods of time
• Not getting enough fiber in your diet
• Eating too many fatty foods
• Constantly dehydrated and not drinking enough water
• Wiping with rough toilet paper
• Straining too hard when you use the bathroom
• Drinking too much caffeine
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Not eating enough veggies or fruits
• Eating too many spicy foods

As you can see, there are multiple avenues that can lead to chronic hemorrhoids. Chronic hemorrhoids are typically an external hemorrhoid which presents with bleeding, itching, pain, and swelling.

Chronic hemorrhoids can also be internal and usually show hemorrhoid bleeding.

Chronic bleeding hemorrhoids can be dangerous so seek medical attention with this condition.

Chronic Hemorrhoids Treatment and Surgical Procedures

Here are the different types of procedures that are used for the treatment of chronic hemorrhoids: 

1. Hemorrhoidectomy - This is the surgical removal of the hemorrhoid. It can be very painful and there is not guarantee the hemorrhoid won't come back.
2. Electrical coagulation - With this treatment, a hemorrhoid doctor will cauterize the hemorrhoid tissue with an infrared photo laser.
3. Sclerotherapy - This is where the doctor injects the hemorrhoidal tissue to kill and shrink the hemorrhoid.
4. Banding - A rubber band ligation procedure is used to reduce the size of the hemorrhoid. A doctor will tie a rubber band around the hemorrhoid. This cuts off blood supply and the hemorrhoid will die over time.

Once you have hemorrhoids a few times and find out that you seem to be more susceptible to them, there are few things that you can do to minimize the risk flare-ups.

Check out the two lists below to see popular tips and tricks you can use to help chronic hemorrhoids from returning. 

We've listed both the foods you should be staying away from as well as the foods you should try to eat.

If you follow these steps and the combination of the two does not balance out your system, there are also some over-the-counter medication or medical procedures that you might want to consider. 

If you are trying to prevent chronic hemorrhoids, you may want to try some of these hemorrhoid remedies:

• Drink Prune juice, especially if you are constipated.
• Eat vegetables and fruits
• Consume a high-fiber diet
• Make sure you go to the bathroom when needed
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid the foods that can cause hemorrhoid flare ups
• Don't sit for extended periods of time
• Use an ice pack if you feel a hemorrhoid coming on
• Try witch hazel to shrink any swollen tissue
• Wipe yourself with baby wipes or hemorrhoid wipes

Here are a list of foods you should avoid in order to help prevent chronic hemorrhoids:

• Processed meat
• Spicy foods
• Alcohol
• Red or dark meat
• Caffeine
• Refined carbohydrates
• Citrus fruit
• Excessive fiber white breads and bagels
• Fried food
• Dairy products

How Do I Know if I Have a Chronic Onset of Hemorrhoids?

One of the things you want to keep a watch out for is a severe amount of pain from your rectal area that lasts for more than a week.

If you have hemorrhoids more than a couple times a year you likely have chronic hemorrhoids.

Keep an eye out for severe pain or swelling from the anal area. Also, if you notice any kind of tissue bulging from the anal area that looks like it shouldn't be there, that is a cause for concern.

If you have an external thrombosed hemorrhoid or internal prolapsed hemorrhoid that lasts for more than a week, it may be a chronic case. Get in and see your doctor is this is the case.

If your thrombosis (lump) or prolapse gets bigger and more painful, make sure you seek help.

Does Diarrhea Cause Chronic Hemorrhoids?

Some people ask if diarrhea causes hemorrhoids? There is no short answer to this.

With diarrhea, there is an excessive amount of acid flowing through the body and that in it self can start a hemorrhoid flare up.

Studies have also linked hemorrhoids to irritable bowel syndrome, so if you have chronic diarrhea you may experience chronic hemorrhoids.

With IBS, you can have either loose bowel movements (diarrhea) or firm, hard bowel movements (constipation).

Either of these types of IBS will put pressure on that area of the body and can cause hemorrhoids to keep coming back.

Are Your Chronic Hemorrhoids Very Painful?

If you are having a lot of pain, itching or a severe amount of swelling, you really should see a doctor about the problem.

A few different conditions can cause many of these common hemorrhoid symptoms, some that are very serious.

If you change your diet and start eating the right things, drinking the appropriate amount of water, using topical creams and OTC medicines and you still can’t get rid of them, it's time to seek medical help.

The creams and home remedies can help stop the pain and itching and treat the symtpoms.

If you notice that your hemorrhoids start getting worse, you may want to see a doctor. 

It's possible you could have an infection. Or, you may have a strangled hemorrhoid or swollen thrombosis.

Talk to a doctor and see what they recommend. Always take care of your health and be happy.