Recurring Hemorrhoids Guide - What Causes Recurring Hemorrhoids?

Recurring hemorrhoids are a common problem. You can work hard to get your symptoms under control, and think that your hemorrhoids are gone for good then they come back! Unfortunately, that is how hemorrhoids work. Flare-ups are common when it comes to hemorrhoids.

What Causes Recurring Hemorrhoids?

In many cases, hemorrhoids can be recurring. You may wonder why your hemorrhoids have come back, but unless you have treated your hemorrhoids with surgery, it is likely you will experience flare-ups.

The common causes of flare-ups are the same causes of hemorrhoids in general:

•  Straining during bowel movements
• Sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic diarrhea
• A low-fiber diet
• Aging
• Pregnancy
• Frequently lifting heavy objects

Recurring Internal Hemorrhoids

The interesting thing about recurring internal hemorrhoids is that you may have them without knowing. Internal hemorrhoids are often symptomless.

Because they are located in an area of the anal canal that is free from pain-sensing nerves, you may have recurring internal hemorrhoids without even knowing.

The common symptoms of recurring internal hemorrhoids are:

• Bleeding from the rectum. You may notice blood in your stool, bright red blood on the toilet paper, or blood in the toilet bowl after a bowel movement.
• Prolapsed hemorrhoids appear as a lump protruding from the opening of the anal canal.
• Pain from prolapsed hemorrhoids.

Recurring External Hemorrhoids

Recurring external hemorrhoids can be a real nuisance because they often come with annoying symptoms.

There are a range of symptoms you may experience when it comes to recurring external hemorrhoids, including:

• Itching around the opening of the anus
• Pain around the anus
• Lumps around the anus
• Blood in the stool during or after a bowel movement
• Burning sensation

 The most common causes of external hemorrhoids are:

• Straining during a bowel movement
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic diarrhea
• Pregnancy
• Obesity

How Can You Prevent Hemorrhoids from Developing or Recurring?

The best way to deal with hemorrhoids is to prevent them. There are many lifestyle changes you can make to prevent hemorrhoids. These include:

• Eating high-fiber foods. When you add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet, you increase your fiber intake. This helps soften the stool and ease bowel movements. Since chronic constipation is a main cause of hemorrhoids, this can help reduce straining and prevent hemorrhoids.

• Increase your fluid intake. Whether you drink six to eight glass of water or half your body weight in ounces, increasing your fluid intake will help keep your stool soft.
• Consider supplements. If you can’t get the right amount of daily fiber from your diet, or still have issues with hard stool, you can introduce fiber supplements and stool softeners to your daily regimen.
• Avoid straining. You should avoid straining when you have a bowel movement. Straining creates an increase of pressure in the veins of the lower rectum causing or adding to hemorrhoids.
• Don’t wait to go to the bathroom. If you feel the urge to go, don’t wait. When you hold your stool, it becomes dry and makes it harder to pass.
• Exercise regularly. When you stay active, you can help reduce the pressure on the veins. Being active also helps prevent constipation. Exercise can also help with weight reduction.

If you can’t prevent hemorrhoids, you should treat them properly. While at-home remedies and over-the-counter treatments are available, the best way to prevent hemorrhoids from recurring is to have surgery to prevent them all together.

A hemorrhoidectomy or hemorrhoid stapling can rid you of hemorrhoids. When you get rid of them completely, recurring is rare.

Recurring Hemorrhoids After Surgery

Once you have surgery to remove hemorrhoids, you have a lower chance of recurrence. Although, in some cases, recurrence will occur.

If you experience recurrence after hemorrhoids surgery, talk to your healthcare professional about a plan for the future.

You may need to undergo an additional hemorrhoid surgery. But, you may be advised to make some lifestyle changes to prevent recurrence again in the future.

Since the most common hemorrhoid surgery, a hemorrhoidectomy, works by removing the vein that is an issue, recurrence rates are low.

How to Stop Recurring Hemorrhoids

The best way to stop recurring hemorrhoids is to create lifestyle changes that will prevent them all together. Some ways you can change your lifestyle that would help prevent recurring hemorrhoids are:

1.  Fill up on fiber. Constipation and infrequent bowel movements adds to hemorrhoids. When you add fiber to your diet, or take fiber supplements, you can reduce the effects of constipation and help prevent recurring hemorrhoids.
2. Drink enough water every day. This is a great strategy because it’s simple and cheap. Adequate water intake helps keep things moving. Drinking enough water can also help with weight loss, which can also help reduce recurring hemorrhoids.
3. Get your exercise. This will help keep you regular and keep the blood flowing through your body. When you stay active, you reduce the amount of pressure on your veins in the lower rectum.
4. Don’t fight the urge to go. This is such a simple way to prevent recurring hemorrhoids. When you have to go, go! When you wait, it can lead to straining which is our next point.
5. Avoid straining. This puts more pressure on the veins in your rectum and leads to painful and bleeding hemorrhoids.

If you still have issues with recurring hemorrhoids, talk to your healthcare provider. You may need to have hemorrhoids surgery to fix the problem all together. Hemorrhoids can be a painful to deal with, but remember that they are common and can be fixed and prevented.