Generality
Hemorrhoids are a frequent problem, which at least once in life affects about 90% of the population. In pregnancy, despite the brevity of the period, up to 30% of the puerpers suffer from it.
Causes
During pregnancy the female organism is subjected to stresses of different nature, many of which predispose to the hemorrhoidal problem. Among these the most intuitive is related to the increase in volume of the uterus which, by pressing on the intestine and on the anorectal veins, favors the appearance of constipation and hemorrhoids. However, the one described is only one of many predisposing factors. At the beginning of pregnancy, for example, it is hormonal modifications that favor the dilation of hemorrhoids. Due to the progressive increase in estrogens and especially progesterone, there is a general connective relaxation. The resistance of the venous vessels is also severely tested by the increase in blood volume and abdominal pressure. The latter aspect is aggravated as the time of delivery approaches: starting from the fifth month of gestation, factors of a mechanical nature (linked to uterine enlargement) and behavioral prevail (due to the general tendency to reduce physical activity) ).
The stagnation of venous blood, together with vascular weakness, facilitates the onset of excessive vessel dilations, responsible for the anal swelling and prolapse of the hemorrhoidal plexuses and more generally of varicose veins or varicose veins.
Care
Once the causes of the haemorrhoidal problem have been proven, it is very important to treat this small and annoying disorder before it takes on important proportions. Therapy, it is logical to imagine, varies in relation to the extent of the disorder. Recent onset hemorrhoids, bothersome but not particularly painful, find immediate benefit and relief from simple behavioral therapy. In essence, it is a matter of adopting a series of useful measures to reduce inflammation and restore elasticity to the vein walls. Let's see the main ones:
- regular physical movement: stimulates intestinal motility and favors the return of venous blood to the heart, limiting, among other things, the risk of other unpleasant disorders such as varicose veins, swelling and constipation. The ideal exercise is walking, to avoid important and violent efforts instead.
- Gradually increase the amount of fiber in the diet, accompanying it to abundant fluid intake; in this way the feces will be more soft and abundant, constipation will be only a bad memory and with it the risk that the effort in the defecation facilitates the protruding and the bleeding of the hemorrhoids.
- Also anal hygiene with washings of warm water and acid soap is very important, since it accelerates healing and eliminates the risk of infection. Avoiding washes with icy water because the consequent spasm of the anal musculature could cause choking of the hemorrhoidal nodules.
Finally, ointments and suppositories with a decongestant, anesthetic and / or disinfectant action represent the "conservative" remedies, useful for treating hemorrhoids in the initial stage and alleviating the symptoms. The main substances used for this purpose are corticosteroids and locally acting anesthetics. Also in this case, as with many other diseases, drugs alleviate symptoms but do not act on the causes that gave rise to hemorrhoids. For this reason, and for the other effects deriving from their use, the drugs must not be taken on indiscriminately but under the exclusive medical supervision.
In pregnancy, for example, the use of cortisone is forbidden and very often recourse to phytotherapy which, although generally less effective in the short term, has fewer side effects than synthetic drugs. Particularly useful are the pharmacognostic preparations able to reinforce the vessel walls and reduce inflammation (horse chestnut, marshmallow, witch hazel not by mouth, blueberry, wild berries, mallow).
To learn more: Medicines for the cure of hemorrhoids in pregnancy ยป
