Why do hemorrhoids develop during pregnancy?
Why many women have hemorrhoids during pregnancy is not yet fully understood. However, there are some factors that are known to promote it:
Pressure in the abdomen
Constipation
The baby also puts pressure on the intestines. Therefore, pregnant women often have constipation. They push hard during bowel movements, which further increases the risk of hemorrhoids.
Other reasons for constipation and thus hemorrhoids during pregnancy are the increasing body weight, the associated restriction of movement and the often necessary intake of iron supplements.
Other favoring factors
In addition, the risk of hemorrhoids during pregnancy increases for women who already have children or are slightly older.
For women who have had hemorrhoids before, the symptoms worsen during pregnancy and childbirth.
How do you notice hemorrhoids in pregnancy?
Common hemorrhoid symptoms during pregnancy (and other stages of life) include:
- Itching
- Oozing
- Feeling of pressure
- Bleeding with blood on the stool, in the toilet, or on the toilet paper
In most cases, however, hemorrhoids in pregnancy are only mild – they are usually hemorrhoids of severity grade one or two. Only rarely do pregnant women develop severe hemorrhoidal disease, such as grade four.
For more on severity grades one through four hemorrhoids, see the article Hemorrhoids.
How can hemorrhoids be treated during pregnancy?
During pregnancy and also after birth in the so-called postpartum period, doctors prefer to treat hemorrhoids with conservative measures. In the vast majority of cases, doctors advise pregnant women against sclerotherapy or surgical procedures to treat hemorrhoids.
Affected women primarily receive the following advice:
- Eat a diet rich in fiber.
- Swelling agents such as psyllium husks additionally support stool regulation.
- Move around as much as possible.
- Try to avoid sitting for a long time and/or pressing hard on the toilet.
- Clean the anal region thoroughly with water after defecation.
Special hemorrhoid ointments or suppositories that relieve discomfort are also usually allowed. The remedies contain anti-inflammatory, astringent and/or local anesthetic agents. There are over-the-counter and also prescription preparations.
In addition, there are some hemorrhoid home remedies that can relieve discomfort well. In some cases of severe hemorrhoids, these also support the treatment by the doctor a little.
You can read more about home remedies for hemorrhoids in this article Hemorrhoid Home Remedies.
Do hemorrhoids persist after pregnancy?
This is another reason why targeted removal of hemorrhoids (for example, by surgery) is usually not necessary. In exceptional cases, however, surgery is advisable, for example in the case of heavy bleeding or prolapse of the anus (anal prolapse). However, if possible, doctors remove hemorrhoids at the earliest two months after birth and not during pregnancy.
