Hemorrhoids are painful if you get them in the anal area, and internal rectal hemorrhoids can bleed and become prolapsed. This condition has several causes, and certain exercises can aggravate hemorrhoids, but many physical activities help alleviate the swollen veins. Your hemorrhoids go away more quickly if you use appropriate exercises and take other treatment steps.
Definition
Hemorrhoids are sometimes known as piles and are swollen veins inside the rectum or on the outer anal area. Rectal hemorrhoids are not always painful but may cause bright red blood in your stool, while anal hemorrhoids are often sore and itchy, especially when you sit down or put pressure on them by straining. Both can show up as hard lumps and make bowel movements painful, according to PubMed Health.
Complications
Hemorrhoid cases are complicated by sitting down for long stretches of time. For example, you put pressure on the anal area if you work an office job that keeps you at a desk all day. Some exercises require you to sit and cause contact with the affected area. For example, bicycling or sitting on certain exercise machines is problematic, and the strain of weightlifting may also worsen your piles. The veins get inflamed, increasing the itch and pain, and you compound the problem if you give in to the urge to scratch them.
Appropriate Exercise
Appropriate exercise actually helps heal and prevent hemorrhoids. Activity relieves pressure on the veins when you stand upright and move around, according to MayoClinic.com. Excess weight is bad for piles, so regular physical activity that helps you shed pounds also helps the problem. Continue to exercise once your hemorrhoids are gone because staying physically active promotes proper digestion and prevents constipation. Straining to have a bowel movement is a frequent hemorrhoid cause, so keeping yourself regular wards off piles. Combine the exercise with a high-fiber diet and drink plenty of water every day for maximum effect.
Other Treatments
Exercise is not the only self-help hemorrhoid treatment. Keep the anal area free of irritation by wearing plain cotton underwear and cleansing yourself with baby wipes instead of rough toilet paper after bowel movements, PubMed Health advises. Relieve itches with witchhazel applied gently with a cotton ball. Soak for at least 10 minutes in a sitz bath and apply a soothing over-the-counter cream. Eat a high-fiber diet combined with plenty of water or take a stool softener to ease bowel movement discomfort. Your doctor can offer other treatment options if home care does not give you adequate relief.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Hemorrhoids Prevention; December 2010
- HemorrhoidsTalk.com: Can Exercise Cause Hemorrhoids?
- PubMed Health; Hemorrhoids; May 2011
- Harvard Health Publications; Hemorrhoids and What to Do About Them; July 2004
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Hemorrhoids; November 2010
