Hemorrhoids in pregnancy – causes, symptoms, treatment. Hemorrhoids and natural childbirth

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Waiting for the birth of a child is a special time, full of joy and emotions. Unfortunately, during pregnancy, there are also many physical ailments that cause discomfort and hinder normal functioning. One of them is hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids in pregnancy – occurrence

Do you feel a burning sensation and pain in the anal area? Did you notice any smudges of blood on your stool? These symptoms could be due to the formation of haemorrhoids. Hemorrhoidal disease can affect anyone, regardless of gender and age, but it relatively often affects pregnant women. It is estimated that every second pregnant woman has this problem. Hemorrhoids do not endanger the baby in any way. Most often, they shrink spontaneously a few weeks after giving birth. Unfortunately, with subsequent pregnancies, the haemorrhoidal disease returns with increased force.

Also read: Why do hemorrhoids form

What are hemorrhoids?

Anal hemorrhoids or varicose veins are the common name for haemorrhoids. The hemorrhoids themselves are not a disease, but an anatomical part of the anal canal. It is only when the haemorrhoids undergo a pathological change that we are dealing with a haemorrhoidal disease, commonly known as haemorrhoids. The cavernous hemorrhoids are filled with blood and, together with the sphincter muscles, seal the anal canal. They help control bowel movements. It is worth mentioning that Hemorrhoids are classified according to their characteristic location into internal and external. Internal ones are more prone to bleeding and external ones are usually more painful.

Often, however, due to various factors, the haemorrhoids are overstretched. The blood in them does not empty completely, and the nodules themselves move outside, beyond the anal canal. This can cause inflammation of the hemorrhoids and anal tissues. In the initial stage of the disease, the nodules only extend outward during a bowel movement and regress spontaneously. Later, they fall out even when coughing or lifting. They no longer retract on their own and need to be manually positioned. The accompanying symptoms are itching, burning and pain around the anus. Often there is also blood on the stool or the paper. All such symptoms should be consulted with a doctor.

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Hemorrhoids in pregnancy – causes

The enlarging uterus compresses the blood vessels, making it difficult for venous blood to flow out of the pelvis, causing blood stagnation. At the same time, the amount of progesterone secreted increases significantly during pregnancy. It causes the expansion of blood vessels, but also makes their walls weaker and less flexible. The hormones secreted during pregnancy also slow down the digestive process, so you have fewer bowel movements. Constipation favors, less physical activity at this time.

Defecation problems, prolonged pressure, contribute significantly to the haemorrhoidal disease. In pregnancy, hemorrhoids most often appear in the third trimester. They can also appear only during the puerperium, as a result of the strong pressure during labor, which causes the blood vessels of the anus to tighten, creating hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids in pregnancy – symptoms

One of the most characteristic symptoms of the presence of hemorrhoids is rectal bleeding. Bleeding occurs during bowel movements and can sometimes be seen in the toilet bowl if the bleeding is profuse. If the bleeding is light, then a trace can be seen on the toilet paper. The list of symptoms also includes itching and burning around the anus, as well as a feeling of incomplete bowel movements.

Whether a pregnant woman has hemorrhoids may also be indicated by pain (which is much greater in inflammation of the external hemorrhoids), irritation and discomfort around the anus. Occasionally, mucus may leak from the anus.

Hemorrhoids in pregnancy – diagnosis of hemorrhoids

In order for the doctor (preferably a proctologist or surgeon) to be able to confidently diagnose hemorrhoids in a pregnant woman, he should perform a rectal examination (through the anus). To detect hemorrhoids, rectoscopy and sometimes colonoscopy are also performed.

Also check: How to treat bleeding hemorrhoids?

How to prevent hemorrhoids in pregnancy?

If constipation occurs in the first months of pregnancy, you should fight it effectively immediately. First of all, the diet must be easily digestible and rich in fiber to improve the intestinal peristalsis. Vegetables, fruit, wholemeal bread, groats, dark rice and whole grain pasta are a rich source of fiber. It is also worth enriching the diet with dairy products such as yogurt or kefir.

You should also remember about proper hydration of the body. It is recommended to consume about two liters of fluid a day. It can be mineral water, light teas or fruit juices. We give up fatty, hard-to-digest and spicy dishes and chocolate products. We replace sweets and snacks with dried plums, apricots or dates. Such a diet regulates bowel movements and prevents constipation.

Although strenuous exercise is inadvisable during pregnancy, you should not completely give up physical activity. A leisurely walk, swimming, aqua aerobics are highly recommended, of course, unless the doctor finds that there are any contraindications for this. Movement not only prevents constipation, but also helps with other ailments during this period. If you feel the need to rest, avoid sitting. Rest in a supine side or back position with your legs slightly elevated above your hips. In constipation, you should also not hold the stool or sit on the shell for a long time. The additional pressure favors the formation of hemorrhoids and the circle is closed.

It is also better not to wipe the anus area too intensively with toilet paper, but rather to wash it with water with intimate hygiene liquid intended for pregnant women (e.g. with oak bark extract). We should also remember about appropriate underwear – soft, airy, preferably cotton. If the applied prophylactic treatments do not protect against hemorrhoids, they will certainly delay their appearance and alleviate the symptoms.

Read more: How to prevent the formation of hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids in pregnancy – treatment

As the haemorrhoidal disease during pregnancy and after delivery is usually temporary (the hemorrhoidal nodules shrink spontaneously a few weeks after delivery), conservative treatment is applied. Conservative treatment involves the use of an appropriate diet and physical activity, avoiding constipation, and proper intimate hygiene. With severe symptoms of haemorrhoidal disease, pharmacological agents can be used in the form of ointments, gels or rectal suppositories.only after consulting a doctor, as not all measures can be used by pregnant women. Permitted measures will help to strengthen blood vessels and stop bleeding.

For the care of the anus area, reducing itching and soothing irritation, it is worth buying HEMOpran – a gel for washing the perianal area.

Invasive methods of treating hemorrhoids, such as: tourniquets (the procedure involves putting on special rubber bands that cause fibrosis of the nodules), photocoagulation (applying a laser emitting infrared or ultraviolet rays to the tissues, which destroy the vessels supplying blood to the hemorrhoids), sclerotherapy ( involves injecting a drug around the anal lump that causes its fibrosis) or cryotherapy (destroying the anal lump by freezing it) are postponed until it is resolved. The exception is thrombosis of the hemorrhoids, which is surgically removed under local anesthesia.

Burning burning, pain or bleeding can also be relieved with safe home remedies. Tea packs are very helpful. The tannin acid contained in tea has an astringent effect, so it will relieve bleeding or swelling. Oak bark or calendula extract works in a similar way. Cool ice packs wrapped in a tetrapack diaper also bring relief. On the other hand, you can buy in pharmacies comfortable, gel bands, which we put on the sick place after cooling. Please note that in during pregnancy and after childbirth, you must not do sitz bathsthat dilate blood vessels.

Find out more: How to Treat Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids in pregnancy and natural childbirth

There is no reason to be concerned as hemorrhoids in pregnancy are not a contraindication to natural childbirth and do not endanger the health of the woman and the fetus. However, the doctor may decide to perform a caesarean section, for example if the hemorrhoids are bleeding more.

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