We asked experts to explain the factors and lifestyle habits that increase your risk of getting hemorrhoids.
Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission
My family isnt shy about butt stuff.
When we get together, someone inevitably starts talking aboutpoop.
According to the gastroenterologists I talked to, the answer is complicated.
Experts in This Article
Christine Lee is an esthetician and the U.S. education manager for Comfort Zone.
Elana Maser is assistant professor of gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Christine Lee is an esthetician and the U.S. education manager for Comfort Zone.
Hemorrhoids occur when clusters of veins in the rectum and around the anus become inflamed and enlarged.
People who deal with hemorrhoids often experience itchiness, pain, and sometimes bleeding.
When looking for information about hemorrhoids online, you may see family history as a risk factor.
But that doesnt necessarily mean the condition is genetic, Dr. Maser says.
For something to be considered genetic, it has to be connected to the makeup of your DNA.
Currently, theres only one major study that suggests a genetic correlation with hemorrhoids.
However, your DNA is onlyonepossible factor, saysChristine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Cleveland Clinic.
But theres a little bit of nurture involved, too.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
If your parents didnt eat much fiber, you might not either.
If your parents didnt exercise much, you mightve learned to skip movement, as well.
So what can you do if you have a family history of hemorrhoidsgenetic or not?
The good news is that youre not doomed.
Your family history might increase your risk, but lifestyle changes can help keep them at bay.
First, confirm youreeating enough fiberand drinking water every day.
Ensuring enough dietary fiber is our best preventative intervention, Dr. Maser says.
So you want to check that you exhale as youre pushing, Dr. Lee says.
A good trainer will teach you to breathe out as you lift.
You get there, you do your thing, and you get up and go.
Thats the most perfect toileting you could have.
So if you think youre prone to hemorrhoids, leave the reading and phone games for another time.
Of course, you might already have hemorrhoids.
What do you do then?
In the long term, those lifestyle changes can still be helpful.
But that doesnt soothe your itchy bottom right now.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
