Piles are varicose veins or swollen veins that appear in the rectal area. Piles can bulge out from the anus, can be itchy, hurting and, in some cases, can rip open and bleed.
Common Causes of Piles:
- Straining during passing stools
- Excess body weight
- Sitting/standing for long period of time
Your chance of suffering from piles is high if you often experience constipation . To prevent constipation during pregnancy, include high fibre foods in your diet, drink plenty of liquids and stay active.
Pregnancy Associated Causes of Piles
- Increased blood volume causes veins to expand.
- Growing uterus puts extra pressure on the veins of the rectal area.
- Pregnancy hormones also relax the walls of the vein, which makes it easy for them to expand. Straining traps more blood into the piles, which makes it more painful.
If you have suffered from piles before pregnancy, your chances of having it again during pregnancy increase.
Ways to Manage Piles during Pregnancy
Try and achieve a healthy weight gain during pregnancy . Avoiding long hours of sitting/standing, exercising regularly and attending nature’s call immediately can also help prevent piles. You can:
- Include high-fibre foods such as raw vegetables, fruits, whole grains, bran in your daily diet.
- Drink at least 8–10 glasses of water every day and 1–2 glasses of fruit juices such as prune juice
- Try not to strain during bowel movements
- Keep the anal area clean, avoid soap and clean carefully and gently dry the area, as moisture can cause irritation
Ways to Ease the Swelling, Pain, Itching of Piles
- Soak your rectal area in warm water for 10–20 minutes for many times during the day. You can use sitz bath (hip bath), which is a small tub that fits onto the toilet seat.
- Use doctor-prescribed piles cream
- Apply ice packs or cold compresses
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