Causes of hemorrhoids: the occurrence of the disease in men, women and children
The content of the article:
- The mechanism of development of hemorrhoids
- The causes of hemorrhoids in men
- Causes of hemorrhoids in women
- The reasons for the development of hemorrhoids in children
- Psychological reasons
- How hemorrhoids manifest
- Video
The cause of hemorrhoids, a common disease that affects people of different sexes, ages and occupations, is a circulatory disorder in the pelvic area. In the fight against hemorrhoids, first of all, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of its occurrence, and the removal of symptoms and prevention of complications are secondary tasks for the doctor. For this it is important to understand what exactly led to the development of the disease in each individual patient.
Sedentary work is one of the main causes of hemorrhoids in men and women
The mechanism of development of hemorrhoids
The immediate cause of hemorrhoids is varicose enlargement of hemorrhoidal veins - vessels located around the rectum, loss of elasticity of the vascular walls and stretching of the mucous membrane.
Connecting with each other, the veins of the rectum form plexuses in different layers of the intestinal walls. In the lower part of the rectum, there are two types of veins: ordinary and cavernous (in the walls of which there are direct blood vessels connecting arteries with veins - arteriovenous anastomoses). Clusters of cavernous veins are localized in the submucosal layer of the anal canal and resemble a bunch of grapes. When filled with blood, these structures thicken and seal the anal canal. With the urge to empty the intestines, the circular muscle of the sphincter relaxes, there is an outflow of blood from the corpora cavernosa and the exit of feces.
When blood stagnates in the pelvic area and its outflow is disturbed, the cavernous vascular tissue undergoes hyperplasia. Violation between the flow of arterial blood to the cavernous bodies and the outflow of venous blood from them leads to an increase and weakening of the vascular plexuses, an increase in the number of arteriovenous anastomoses, and the formation of hemorrhoids. Inflammation of hemorrhoids provokes the appearance of hemorrhoids.
Smoking negatively affects the blood vessels, including the vessels of the rectum, increasing the risk of developing hemorrhoids
The causes of hemorrhoids in men
What causes hemorrhoids in men? Basically, the causes of hemorrhoids in men are associated with bad habits and an unhealthy lifestyle. As a rule, damaging factors are superimposed on a hereditary predisposition, which becomes the starting point of the disease. The likelihood of developing hemorrhoids increases with the number of cases of the disease in male relatives. The hereditary category of causes can be attributed to congenital malformations, for example, the absence of valves in the hemorrhoidal veins. The likelihood of developing hemorrhoids increases with age.
The reason that most often leads to male hemorrhoids is a sedentary lifestyle associated with the professional field of activity. A special risk group includes office workers and drivers. Sitting for a long time leads to a slowdown in blood circulation in the small pelvis, which is a favorable condition for the development of hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids are often caused by heavy physical activity and sports associated with strength training and weight lifting.
Many diseases can lead to hemorrhoidal changes in the intestine: chronic bronchitis, intestinal obstruction, benign and malignant tumors in the small pelvis.
An important factor in the development of hemorrhoids is the inappropriate diet, which is characteristic of many men, which consists in insufficient consumption of fiber (vegetables and fruits) with excess consumption of meat and meat products. Such a diet leads to slow digestion of food, thickening of feces and their stagnation, and, ultimately, manifests itself as stool disorders - chronic and frequent constipation.
Many men lead the wrong way of life, have bad habits, in particular, smoke and abuse alcohol. When drinking alcoholic beverages, there is an increased blood flow to the pelvic area and its stagnation due to blood thickening (alcohol contributes to dehydration). Lovers of strong alcoholic beverages are especially susceptible to the formation of hemorrhoids. Smoking increases the risk of developing hemorrhoids by causing changes in blood vessels.
Causes of hemorrhoids in women
Women suffer from hemorrhoids more often than men, but the causes of the disease are different. Just like in men, a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and bad habits become the causes of hemorrhoids in girls.
With the onset of pregnancy, new factors are added to these factors. During the period of bearing a child, women increase the volume of circulating blood, against the background of which the blood flow to all internal organs, including the rectum, increases. Vessels are also stretched because their elastic properties are somewhat reduced, caused by hormonal changes. During childbirth, strong straining leads to even greater pressure on the walls of blood vessels and the mucous membrane. In this regard, the development or exacerbation of pre-existing hemorrhoids in pregnant women is a very common occurrence.
Vigorous exercise, especially heavy lifting, is a risk factor for hemorrhoids
Other causes of hemorrhoids in women are unfavorable working conditions, physical activity, and changes associated with weight gain or loss.
The professional activity of women often involves long-term sedentary or standing work, which, by causing blood stagnation in the pelvis, increases the risk of hemorrhoids.
Another “female” factor is the pursuit of an ideal figure. Performing heavy physical activity in the gym that does not match the capabilities of the female body, women often earn hemorrhoids. A sharp and significant weight loss is also fraught with serious consequences for the internal organs and, in particular, for the rectum. Often, women, seeking to lose excess weight, choose irrational diets that contribute to the development of constipation, which is another damaging factor. And, of course, this group should include the abuse of laxatives, which are often used for weight loss.
Like men, women have a higher risk of developing hemorrhoids with age. In addition, the older the patient, the greater the risk of developing complications.
The reasons for the development of hemorrhoids in children
Hemorrhoids usually develop in people between the ages of 25 and 65. Nevertheless, children are also susceptible to this pathology, and hemorrhoids in children proceed differently and have causes different from adults.
The most common cause of hemorrhoids in children is regular constipation, which can occur in both newborns and older children. In infants, stool disorders, as a rule, are associated with an imbalance of the intestinal microflora, and in older children, especially in primary school students, with improper nutrition. Children can rarely control their diet, they often abuse junk food (chips, snacks, sweets) and fast food, as well as sugary carbonated drinks. At the same time, they often refuse healthy food - soups and vegetable dishes, and also drink too little water.
Prolonged crying in infants can cause the development of hemorrhoids
Due to prolonged constipation, the stool becomes denser and, during bowel movements, injure the rectal mucosa. In addition, the child constantly has to push during bowel movements, which increases blood flow to the small pelvis and increases the load on the vessels. All these factors create conditions for the occurrence of hemorrhoids.
Frequent and prolonged crying can cause hemorrhoids in infants. If a child constantly screams, the tension increases intra-abdominal pressure and increases blood flow to the small pelvis.
In children of the second year of life, constipation is a very common occurrence, and prolonged sitting on the potty aggravates the situation. This may be due to psychological reasons. Many children are unable to use the toilet in someone else's environment, such as in kindergarten. Planting on a pot at a certain time also plays a role, and not when you want. As a result, the child pushes for a long time and to no avail, sitting on the potty. The veins around the rectum become full of blood and stretch, which leads to hemorrhoids.
A rare but serious cause of hemorrhoids in children is congenital enlargement of the hemorrhoidal veins. Such a developmental defect makes itself felt from the first days of a child's life. When straining during bowel movements or with prolonged crying, you can see protrusions in the anus.
For schoolchildren, a daily long sitting at a desk at school and at a computer at home is a risk factor. It is necessary to maintain the child's physical activity even at home in order to compensate for the blood congestion in the pelvis that occurs as a result of forced prolonged sitting.
In adolescents, hemorrhoids occur for "adult" reasons. This is a sedentary lifestyle, and an irrational diet, and bad habits. Many teenagers try alcohol, which has a detrimental effect on the state of the body in general and the gastrointestinal tract in particular.
Psychological reasons
Some experts argue that the factors in the development of hemorrhoids can be not only violations of the physiology of the body, but also mental causes. In particular, the development of hemorrhoids can speak of constant emotional stress and fear, which a person keeps in himself and does not even discuss with loved ones. Such emotions can appear in a person who constantly forces himself to something, overloads and demands the impossible from himself. Suppressed emotions accumulate and put pressure on a person, triggering the development of various diseases, the digestive system is especially vulnerable.
Frequent stress and overwork are also attributed to possible causes of the development of hemorrhoids.
How hemorrhoids manifest
The manifestations of hemorrhoids depend on the stage of the disease and its course. There are two forms of hemorrhoids - external (external), in which the hemorrhoids are located outside the anus, and internal, when the bumps are localized inside the rectum. Both forms can be both chronic and acute. For the chronic course of hemorrhoids, periodic exacerbations are characteristic. During exacerbations, symptoms become more intense due to inflammation of the hemorrhoids.
The main symptoms of hemorrhoids:
- itching, burning in the anus;
- edema of the perianal region;
- pain that gets worse during exercise and bowel movements;
- bleeding during bowel movements;
- prolapse of hemorrhoids from the anus;
- depletion and necrosis of rectal tissue.
Whatever the causes of hemorrhoids, the appearance of the listed symptoms is a reason to see a doctor.
Video
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Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
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