ppg asks:
I eat a fibre-rich diet with fruit, and drink lots of plain water. Every so often I become constipated and the effort involved of passing small motions brings about haemorrhoids and sometimes bleeding. After a few days of this, all is well again, but it may strike again all of a sudden. I take psyllium husks daily, so would appreciate your suggestions! Thanks
Dr. Adams responds:
Hello,
It sounds like you have external hemorrhoids. You certainly are doing many correct things with your diet and supplements. All of these efforts have been proven to prevent and or lessen the effect of hemorrhoids. However, it is possible that it still might not be enough.
Make sure that you are not straining on the toilet when having a BM. Also, make sure you are not sitting on the toilet for too long.
Another common cause of hemorrhoids is liver disease.....cirrhosis, alcohol abuse, etc.....Do you fit into this category? Liver disease will cause blood to back up into many veins of the body, and some of these veins are the rectal veins........and this leads to hemorrhoids.
Finally, have you visited a doctor for a rectal exam? You may need an interventional procedure such as band ligation or even surgery. So I certainly recommend that you pay a visit to your physician for an examination.
_________________
Dr. Adams is a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at North Shore University Hopsital in Manhasset, NY. Got a question for him?
