The hemorrhoids that are often mentioned in relation to difficult bowel movements thus pertain to the swollen structures in the anal canal. These inflamed hemorrhoids can be of two types, namely internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids occur within the rectum or the canal that directly leads to the anus. On the other hand, external hemorrhoids are the protrusions that develop around the anus, mainly due to difficult bowel movement. In order to prevent development of hemorrhoids, digestive aids such as fruits and vegetables should be included in daily meals for better digestion.
One of the most common ways of telling if you have hemorrhoids is to check whether your stool contains blood. Stools that are tainted with fresh blood represent a ruptured blood vessel in the rectum and this should be simply addressed by employing digestion aids in the daily diet. For example, fruits and vegetables rich in dietary fiber can serve as a natural laxative in moving the bowel. Digestion aids thus help in softening the stool, making bowel movement easier. Nuts and cereals are also very useful digestion aids for better digestion and colon health.
When blood is frequently observed in your stool, it is important for you to seek the advice of a doctor. In some cases, rectal bleeding is painless but when this is associated with pain, it is advisable that a physician conducts additional medical examinations in order to fully determine your colon health.
Another sign indicative of hemorrhoids is constipation or difficulty in bowel movement, often suggesting a need for better digestion. Constipation is often determined if bowel movement happens less than three times each week. Constipation is associated with a hardened stool, which can be abrasive to the surface of the rectum, causing bleeding. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are digestion aids that can soften the stool, decreasing the chances of scraping the inner lining of the rectum during every bowel movement. The fiber in these digestion aids also helps achieve better digestion and increase the viscosity of the stool.
Another sign associated with hemorrhoids is mucus or pus in the stool. The presence of pus often indicates an infection in the rectum and thus bacteria might be present in this part of the digestive tract. The presence of pus in the stool also indicates poor colon health. The presence of mucus also suggests that there is an infection in your body and that you need to see a doctor for further examination.
According to a recent report published in the journal American Family Physician, most patients ignore the initial signs of hemorrhoids and only decide to seek medical attention when the signs become more serious. For example, some patients only go to the doctor when rectal bleeding becomes profuse although the bleeding has been happening for the past year. The importance of digestion aids including nuts, cereals, and vegetables can also help in better digestion and improve colon health.
It is important to understand that hemorrhoids can also be an indication of a more serious condition such as colorectal cancer. A thorough medical examination should thus be conducted as early as possible to determine if the hemorrhoids simply occurred due to poor choices of food items and can be simply resolved through better digestion. If this is the case, the physician can suggest various digestion aids that could result in softer stools and better colon health. Including fiber-rich food items in regular meals can also result in better digestion and good colon health.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed for patients suffering from painful hemorrhoids, and these are coupled with digestions aids such as fruits and vegetables for better digestion. When the hemorrhoids are severe, there might be a need to perform surgery to remove these swollen structures to improve colon health. Additional tests might also be performed to rule out the possibility of colon cancer.