Hemorrhoids are one of the most common medical ailments known. According to The American College of Gastroenterology, nearly half of all Americans will develop them by the age of 50. Two types of hemorrhoids occur, external and internal. External hemorrhoids appear as swollen or dilated blood vessels in and about the anus and lower rectum. Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the rectum and above the anal opening. Both types of hemorrhoids develop from increased pressure in the veins of the anus.
Chronic Constipation
MedlinePlus indicates straining during bowel movements as the most common cause of internal hemorrhoids. Straining can occur with chronic constipation. Chronic constipation results when someone has a recurring problem eliminating feces from his body. Habitually straining to have a bowel movement can cause the tissues that support the blood vessels within the anal lining to stretch, notes the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. The vessels dilate as a result of the stretching. The blood vessel walls become thin. The weakened blood vessels protrude through the anal lining and internal hemorrhoids form. Internal hemorrhoids usually don’t cause symptoms, but symptoms can occur. Painless, rectal bleeding can indicate that internal hemorrhoids are present. The bleeding appears as bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl after a bowel movement.
Sitting for Long Periods on the Toilet
Someone who has faulty bowel functions, such as chronic diarrhea or chronic constipation, often spends long periods of time on the toilet. Sitting for a long period of time on the toilet can result in internal hemorrhoids because it forces a great deal of pressure on the veins inside the anus, which causes them to bulge, says the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. The force or straining from faulty bowel functions, along with the pressure that prolonged sitting puts on the internal hemorrhoids, can cause them to enlarge and prolapse, or protrude outside the anal opening. Completely prolapsed hemorrhoids usually require medical treatment because of the severe pain they cause.
Pregnancy
Internal hemorrhoids occur as a common effect of pregnancy. The growing fetus causes the veins inside the anus to increase in pressure, states MedlinePlus. The pressure causes the veins to bulge inside the anus and they expand, causing pain, particularly while sitting.
