Hemmoroids are an unfortunate occurrence that can cause a lot of discomfort, and even pain. When you have hemorrhoids, the veins around your anus become swollen, and appear as bulging areas around the rectum. These nasty swellings, which are a form of varicose veins, are not unusual in pregnant women. It is possible to get hemorrhoids for the very first time when you are expecting, but if you have previous experience with them, they are likely to strike in pregnancy too.
Why do hemorrhoids have a nasty way of occurring during pregnancy? Well, varicose veins are more common when you are gestating a baby, and unfortunately, the rectal area does not get a special exception. In addition, many pregnant women experience constipation. Hard stools can cause hemorrhoids too, because of all the straining that is likely to be involved with them.
But, while they are certainly unpleasant, hemorrhoids are not normally a real worry. If you have small hemorrhoids, you do not usually need any medical treatment. Using a stool softener can help them disappear, and you can get some relief by applying an icepack to the affected area or using a herbal sitz bath. Some women get rectal bleeding as a result of hemorrhoids. In that case, it is important to clean the area very well each time you use the toilet – but gently, because vigorous wiping with rough toilet paper can make them worse.
If you are suffering from persistent and large hemorrhoids, you might want to contact your doctor about them. You might find that you will get the same advice we have just given, but in bad cases, there are local anesthetic creams available that can help you gain pain relief and also make the swelling go down a bit.