Swelling in the blood vessels and tissue in and around your anus causes hemorrhoids, also known as piles, to develop. These bulging vessels can cause symptoms such as discomfort, itching and even bleeding when you pass a bowel movement, depending on their severity. But do hemorrhoids cause gas or other abdominal symptoms? Here’s what you need to know.
Having hemorrhoids will not directly cause gas and bloating. However, if you have internal hemorrhoids, they can impact your ability to comfortably pass stools or gas. As such, you may notice gas building up and causing discomfort, along with bloating.
When gas buildup is caused by infrequent bowel movements, adding fiber to your diet could help relieve constipation and bloating. You should also avoid habits that are known to increase the buildup of gas, such as chewing gum or talking while you drink and eat. Finally, you may be able to relieve multiple hemorrhoid symptoms by focusing carefully on your diet.
Specifically, you can eliminate foods that can increase gas buildup, including:
In addition to gas and bloating with hemorrhoids, you may experience symptoms such as pain, itching or noticing bright red blood in your stool. Additionally, internal hemorrhoids may protrude from your anus, known as prolapsing. Sometimes, you may be able to manually reposition the swollen vein, but in other cases, the prolapsed hemorrhoid can only be resolved with medical intervention.
While mild hemorrhoids may resolve on your own, it’s never too soon to try and address piles. After all, mild hemorrhoid symptoms can be relieved with home care, but as the symptom severity increases, the solutions become more invasive.
To begin with, you may be able to find relief by following this diet to help hemorrhoids and reducing the amount of time you spend sitting, especially on the toilet. Soaking in warm, shallow water can soothe inflamed hemorrhoids. And you may benefit from an over-the-counter hemorrhoid cream if your symptoms are still mild.
When you pass stool, try to gently pat the area clean and avoid vigorous wiping, or use soothing medicated wipes instead of rough toilet paper. If you are carrying extra weight, reducing your BMI may help, since there’s a connection between obesity and hemorrhoids. And if you suffer from IBS and hemorrhoids, reducing flares can also help relieve your piles symptoms.
However, if you have grade 2 or 3 internal hemorrhoids, you may need a medical procedure to find symptom relief. In such cases, you can avoid surgery by choosing to undergo hemorrhoid artery embolization (HAE), a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks hemorrhoids by cutting off their blood supply. And you can request a consultation request a consultation request a consultation at the Texas Hemorrhoid Institute to see if you’re a candidate for HAE.
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