- Factors in the development of hemorrhoids
- Principles of prevention
- Benefits of Duphalac®
Hemorrhoids are a fairly common problem, symptoms of which are observed in approximately 15% of the world's population1. However, before we look at preventive measures, let's identify the factors that contribute to the appearance of hemorrhoids1:
- genetic predisposition;
- age over 50 years;
- constipation;
- pregnancy;
- sedentary lifestyle, physical inactivity;
- heavy physical activity.
Some of them are beyond our control, so let's focus on what we can change in our lifestyle to avoid the problem of hemorrhoids.
Causes of hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are a common disease, diagnosed in both men and women.
The following factors provoke it:
- Sedentary work. If a person sits in the office for 8 hours, and when he returns home, he collapses tiredly on the sofa, then with age he will discover that he too has a similar problem. Stagnation of blood in the perineum, physical inactivity and constipation will provoke hemorrhoids.
- Lifting weights. Heavy physical labor also has an adverse effect on health, including hemorrhoids, which can also be caused by weightlifting without taking precautions.
- Stress.
- Poor nutrition. Indulgence in spicy and fatty foods, lack of vegetables and fruits lead to constipation. And prolonged constipation most often leads to hemorrhoids. Insufficient drinking regime.
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol causes vasodilation, including in the digestive tract and intestines. In addition, it disrupts the intestinal microflora, which also causes constipation.
- Pregnancy and childbirth. It is during this period that a woman first encounters this problem.
- Inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs, tumors. Any infection and inflammation in the body should be treated, as they cause various complications. For example, fibroids in women are often accompanied by hemorrhoids.
- Injury and constant irritation of the anus.
- Prolonged bowel movements, constipation and diarrhea.
The coincidence of several unfavorable factors leads to rectal problems. Prevention of hemorrhoids is the elimination of disease provocateurs from life.
Professions affected by the disease
Hemorrhoids from sedentary work develop in people who spend a lot of time at computers: programmers, engineers, teachers, office workers. It often appears in truck drivers who are forced to remain behind the wheel for 8-12 hours at a time.
The risk group also includes people with a hereditary predisposition to developing the disease. If close relatives of a person had varicose hemorrhoidal veins, he should avoid prolonged stays in a stationary position and pay attention to the prevention of the disease.
Moderate physical activity
- When working sedentarily, you should get up every hour and take breaks for at least five to ten minutes. It is advisable to move during your lunch break.
- Introduce moderate physical activity: exercise, swimming, running and walking. This is especially true for those who drive.
- Do simple exercises at home. These are pelvic lifts, lying on your back, abdominal exercises, bending.
- In the office, sit on a hard chair, it is safer than a soft chair. Even while working at the computer, you can quietly squeeze and relax your buttocks.
Benefits of Duphalac®
- Duphalac® has a favorable safety profile6,7.
- The drug can be used for as long as necessary5,7, which is suitable for people with hemorrhoids, since in most cases it is a chronic problem.
- Duphalac® is approved for use by pregnant women, who may also experience this problem. You can read more about this in the material “Hemorrhoids during pregnancy.”
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Co-author of articles, editor - Shimbaretsky Georgy Alekseevich.
Balanced diet
Diets, colon cleanses and enemas are the main provocateurs of anal problems. But a diet balanced in carbohydrates, proteins and fiber, and adherence to a drinking regime will improve regular bowel movements and relieve constipation.
Consume fermented milk products, which improves intestinal microflora. Eat fruits, vegetables, cereals and bran bread - all these foods improve intestinal motility.
Avoid alcohol and spicy foods. Reduce your consumption of flour, especially baked goods.
Principles of prevention
1. Normal physical activity
. Let's use the principle of reasonable sufficiency. The body requires regular moderate exercise to function naturally. One simple exercise can be walking or swimming. During the day, short breaks for exercise or regular walking will help restore normal blood circulation. And when doing fitness, you need to comply with the permissible load for your age, weight and health status.
2. Diet
. Normalize the daily diet in composition and quantity and consume enough liquid. Excessively salty, hot, spicy foods should be avoided. It is necessary to give up sugary carbonated drinks, alcohol consumption, and excessive coffee consumption. For constipation, you need to increase the content of fermented milk and fiber-containing products, reduce fatty and protein foods.
If the problem has already appeared, then local drugs with an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and healing effect (suppositories, creams) can be used to treat it, as well as laxatives to soften the contents of the intestines, and hence reduce pain when going to the toilet3,4 .
For hemorrhoids, regardless of the presence or absence of constipation, Duphalac®5 may be the optimal choice. The drug has a double effect.
Firstly, by attracting water into the intestines, Duphalac® softens the stool, providing a gentle and comfortable cleansing of the intestines. This may help reduce pain and discomfort when going to the toilet. The second effect of Duphalac® is to normalize the intestinal microflora due to the prebiotic effect.
The role of hygiene in the prevention of hemorrhoids in men
Maintaining hygiene is an excellent prevention of hemorrhoids in men, because clean and healthy skin in the perianal area helps to avoid many problems, including tissue infection. To prevent such phenomena, which under special conditions can provoke hemorrhoids, it is recommended:
- thoroughly clean the perineum after defecation with water or wet wipes;
- choose high-quality toilet paper - without fragrances, dyes and foreign inclusions, as well as soft;
- Periodically (at least twice a week) take sitz baths with sea salt.
Features of treatment of hemorrhoids
The effectiveness of treatment depends on three main components:
- You need to start taking appropriate measures immediately after the first symptoms of the disease appear. The sooner therapy begins, the faster and better the result will be.
- An integrated approach using conservative and minimally invasive techniques.
- Lifestyle correction – getting rid of bad habits, proper nutrition and sports.
Most often, doctors prescribe combination therapy, which includes medications and minimally invasive surgery. The latter are considered more radical ways to get rid of hemorrhoids, but they allow you to eliminate the very cause of the disease with minimal risk of relapse. Among the drugs, the most popular are oral venotonics, anti-inflammatory suppositories, and pain-relieving ointments. The most popular minimally invasive methods include:
- Sclerotherapy;
- Photo- and electrocoagulation;
- Ligation with latex rings;
- Desarterization of hemorrhoids.
What treatments are there for hemorrhoids?
Treatment methods for hemorrhoids depend on the stage of the disease. The therapy is chosen by the proctologist after examining the patient and based on the results of his tests. For the treatment of hemorrhoids, the following may be prescribed:
- conservative treatment with the prescription of phlebotropic drugs (increase the tone of the veins), suppositories, ointments;
- minimally invasive interventions (disarterization of hemorrhoids, radio wave method, latex ligation, laser vaporization of hemorrhoids)
- traditional surgery.
Hemorrhoids in the final stages or with complications cannot be treated with medications and require surgical intervention.
Forming correct eating habits
Most diseases of the human body appear due to disrupted eating habits. We eat too much or too little, most often not entirely healthy food; instead of a full meal, we eat a dry snack on the go.
If you want to reduce the risk of hemorrhoids, be sure to review your diet:
- minimize the consumption of spicy foods, smoked foods, processed foods, fast food and various pickled foods;
- include in your diet those foods that are rich in fiber (cereals, vegetables, dried fruits, fruits);
- it is desirable that the menu include fermented milk products;
- Be sure to drink enough clean water per day.
Such changes will normalize intestinal function, i.e. eliminate constipation and diarrhea, which also affect the occurrence of hemorrhoids.
The importance of a timely visit to the doctor
If you are concerned about hemorrhoids, the causes and symptoms should not be left without medical attention. Many patients put off going to the doctor because of embarrassment. Some people are afraid of possible surgery.
It is necessary to understand that for medicine there are no “inconvenient” diseases, and false shame becomes the cause of the rapid growth of pathological nodes and the rapid deterioration of well-being. The occurrence of hemorrhoids does not necessarily require traumatic surgery. Today, the main emphasis is on the use of high-quality drugs and minimally invasive treatment methods. Before carrying out therapy, the exact causes of hemorrhoids are determined, the stage of the disease, the presence of concomitant pathologies and the individual characteristics of each patient are clarified.
Course of the disease
At the initial stage, hemorrhoids tend to be asymptomatic. Many patients find out about the presence of a problem only after the appearance of pain and bloody streaks in the stool.
At an advanced stage, the disease provokes the formation of hemorrhoids, which can be:
- internal;
- external.
External nodes look like “bumps” that fall out of the anus. Their appearance is typical for stages 3-4 of the disease.
It is necessary to understand that hemorrhoids do not resolve or disappear on their own. In the absence of quality treatment, they can degenerate into malignant tumors.
When hemorrhoids develop, the causes and treatment must be addressed promptly. The greatest risk of pathology developing into cancer is present in patients who consult a doctor late. In such cases, the help of a proctologist-oncologist is already required.
Preventive measures at work
People who care about their health should pay attention to their own workplace and put it in order. Proper organization of the workspace is required: there should be several steps to office equipment. A minimal warm-up will reduce the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle and prevent the formation of venous insufficiency.
In the office, you need to pay attention to the chair - it should not be soft, preference is given to hard seats. During work, you can quietly train the muscles of the buttocks - to prevent varicose veins and normalize blood circulation in the pelvic area.
For professional drivers, prevention involves the use of special airbags. Their top coating is a massage layer that helps prevent the development of congestion in the perineal area. Preventative products are sold by pharmacies and medical equipment stores.
When driving for long periods of time, you need to stop regularly and walk a little. A short warm-up, combined with breathing exercises, will activate blood circulation and stop the development of congestion and hemorrhoids.
