If you don't wipe your butt properly, you will get hemorrhoids. How to prevent hemorrhoids? If you don't know, read this

Wiping one's ass is a technical job.

Regardless of gender, age or status, going to the toilet is an essential part of daily life. However, not everyone can do the post-going to the toilet work - wiping the buttocks correctly.

Many people feel uncomfortable if they can't wipe their butts clean. So they wipe hard with toilet paper until the toilet paper "bleeds", and sometimes they can feel something coming out of the anus.

Attention! If you have these typical descriptions, you may have been targeted by hemorrhoids! If you don't wipe your butt properly, hemorrhoids will really come to you? How to identify hemorrhoids? How to prevent them?

Does wiping your buttocks incorrectly really cause hemorrhoids?

The saying that "improper way of wiping your butt after defecation or improper folding of toilet paper can cause hemorrhoids" is widely circulated on the Internet.

Currently, for people without hemorrhoids, there is still insufficient research evidence to directly support the causal relationship between the two, but fecal residue and infection caused by improper wiping methods may be related to the occurrence of hemorrhoids.

In addition, improper wiping may cause abrasion and bleeding of the perianal skin or rectal lining, which can easily lead to "self-diagnosis" of hemorrhoid disease. Improper wiping can also easily lead to asymptomatic hemorrhoid mucosal bleeding, which may indirectly increase the detection rate of hemorrhoid disease.

How to tell if you have hemorrhoids?

Many people are afraid of hemorrhoids, but in fact, nearly half of people with hemorrhoids have no symptoms.

Fresh blood after defecation is a major problem for symptomatic patients. Bleeding caused by hemorrhoids can be mild, moderate or severe. At first, there may be only blood on the toilet paper, and then it may gradually progress to blood on the toilet bowl, blood dripping, or even spurting blood during defecation.

In addition to blood in the stool, some patients may experience prolapsed hemorrhoids when defecating, coughing, or bearing weight. These prolapsed hemorrhoids can be reduced by themselves or manually, but sometimes they may become incarcerated and cannot be reduced.

Hemorrhoids can also cause perianal itching or pain, or complications such as iron deficiency anemia, perianal erosion or ulcers, infection, and thrombosis.

It is worth noting that many diseases such as colorectal cancer, colon polyps, anal fissure, anal fistula, colorectal diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. can cause blood in the stool. Patients with hemorrhoids may also have these diseases at the same time. Therefore, do not take it for granted that blood in the stool is due to hemorrhoids. Seeking medical treatment in time for a clear diagnosis is the correct response measure.

Which group of people are prone to hemorrhoids?

People aged 45 to 65 are more likely to become "people with hemorrhoids".

People who are labeled this way often have unhealthy lifestyles, such as drinking alcohol or eating spicy foods frequently, sitting or standing for long periods of time, or having poor bowel habits.

In addition, frequent heavy lifting, constipation, pregnancy, prostate hyperplasia, malnutrition, perianal infection, obesity, ascites and other reasons may also induce hemorrhoids. These risk factors can easily cause local bruises, muscle spasms or tissue hypertrophy in the anal canal.

How to prevent hemorrhoids? What to do if you get hemorrhoids?

Controlling risk factors

The general preventive measures for hemorrhoids are to control risk factors, including quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, exercising regularly (including levator ani exercises), and keeping a good mood. Avoid long-term sitting. For people who need to sit for a long time every day, use a breathable cushion to reduce local pressure.

Maintain a balanced diet

Maintain daily nutrition and fluid balance, reduce the intake of spicy and stimulating foods such as coffee and strong tea, and eat more vegetables and fruits rich in dietary fiber, such as raspberries, pears, apples, bananas, oranges, peas, broccoli, etc.

Change bad bowel habits

Changing bad bowel habits is an important measure to prevent hemorrhoids, including avoiding squatting or sitting for long periods of time, avoiding multitasking such as looking at mobile phones or reading while using the toilet and prolonging bowel movements, and avoiding excessive straining, as being in a bowel movement posture for a long time or exerting too much force can easily increase local blood vessel pressure around the anus and cause dilation and congestion.

Keep the anal area clean

After defecation, the anus should be wiped gently from front to back. If it is difficult to wipe clean, you can use wet wipes (alcohol-containing wipes are not recommended). Choose a tub bath or use a shower head to rinse the anus when squatting. This will help remove residual feces around the anus and avoid repeated wiping that may cause skin damage. Local massage around the anus after wiping can also help promote blood circulation in the perianal mucosa.

In addition, pay attention to timely medical treatment for long-term constipation, prostate hyperplasia, perianal infection, colorectal polyps and other diseases to keep bowel movements smooth and regular.

For people who already have hemorrhoids, the above preventive measures are also helpful in improving hemorrhoidal symptoms. In particular, dietary adjustments (including adequate intake of fiber and water) are the preferred non-surgical method for treating hemorrhoids. The recommended daily fiber intake is 25-35g.

For patients with hemorrhoids who do not respond well to conservative treatment, injection of sclerosant, rubber band ligation therapy or surgical resection can be selected under the guidance of a doctor.

(Note: What people often call hemorrhoids is called hemorrhoid disease in Western medicine, or simply hemorrhoids.)

Expert of this article: Cheng KT, Master of General Medicine, Peking University Health Science Center

This article was reviewed by Meng Qingcheng, chief physician of general surgery at Beijing Aerospace Center Hospital (Peking University School of Aerospace Clinical Medicine), associate professor at Peking University, third-batch health science popularization expert in Beijing, doctor of medicine