What Causes Hemorrhoids? Pregnancy as a Cause of Hemorrhoids

Pregnancy is a common cause of hemorrhoids. With more and more women complaining about the same problem, hemorrhoids have recently gained attention due to its link with pregnancy.
Hemorrhoids, basically varicose veins, are one of the most common complications experienced by the people of United States. In fact, with every passing year, the count is rising significantly. Pregnancy is now considered to be one of the prominent causes of hemorrhoids in women, and there are valid reasons that contribute to the same.

Pregnancy and Hemorrhoids – Why?

There is still a lot of doubt about what causes hemorrhoids exactly. However, as research is ongoing and some conclusions have been made, pregnancy stands out to be a cause of hemorrhoids that cannot be ruled out. Pregnancy makes a woman more vulnerable to hemorrhoids and varicose veins occurring in the vulva and in the legs.

It is the growing uterus that puts a lot of pressure on a woman’s pelvic vein and also in her inferior vena cava, which is the large vein on the right side of our body that mainly receives blood from limbs. Due to this, the blood returning to the lower part of the body might slow down, which in turn increases the pressure on veins lying below the uterus and makes them more swollen and dilated.

Also, during pregnancy women are likely to become more constipated, which aggravates the condition even further. Constipation leads to straining, which worsens hemorrhoids and it becomes increasingly difficult for you to regularize your bowel movement.

Furthermore, as the progesterone hormone level rises during pregnancy, it becomes one of the crucial causes of hemorrhoids. The increasing level of progesterone hormone makes the veins relax thereby allowing them to inflame more easily. Progesterone is a cause of constipation too.
The many causes of hemorrhoids are varied actually – different people develop hemorrhoids for different reasons. However, pregnancy stands to be the one of the most common cause of hemorrhoids in women and is undeniably painful and complicates the 9 month pregnancy cycle. It is important to be careful about one’s sitting posture, toilet usage, hygiene factors and eating fats which are all critical in any attempt to cure hemorrhoids.

Doctors suggest a fiber-rich diet, lots of water, light exercise, loose undergarments (preferably cotton) and some medications if required. No matter what causes hemorrhoids, it is important to learn that hemorrhoids can be treated naturally by making subtle changes in your lifestyle and eating habits. Not every case of hemorrhoids needs surgery.

Pregnancy causing hemorrhoids is a known problem, but it is also true that your hemorrhoid might vanish right after you have delivered your baby.
What causes hemroids?