Is it true that people who like spicy food are more likely to get hemorrhoids?

You have been sitting on the toilet for a long time, but the urge to defecate has not come yet. When you have worked hard and finally break through the bottleneck, the warmth and wetness on your anus and the bright red blood on the toilet paper...all these tell you: it may be hemorrhoids that are to blame!

Hemorrhoids are probably a secret problem that many people cannot talk about. As the saying goes, "Nine out of ten men have hemorrhoids, and ten out of ten women have hemorrhoids." Although the specific proportion is not that high, hemorrhoids are indeed a problem that bothers the public. Especially with the changes in people's lifestyles and work styles, more and more people are sedentary, and the occurrence of hemorrhoids is naturally increasing.

01

What are hemorrhoids?

So what exactly are hemorrhoids, which people are so afraid of?

In fact, the essence of hemorrhoids is one or more venous clusters formed by varicose venous plexus of mucosa, which looks bright red. This venous cluster is what we call "little meat ball". Once the little meat ball appears, it is often difficult to heal on its own. In severe cases, it is often necessary to go to the hospital for removal.

Hemorrhoids can be divided into internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids. In medicine, the serrated dividing line between the rectum and the anal canal is usually used as the standard, and the hemorrhoids located below the serrated line are called external hemorrhoids. External hemorrhoids, as the name suggests, are located in the anus. The presence of external hemorrhoids is usually strong, causing obvious itching, pain, and foreign body sensation in the anus. Generally speaking, people with external hemorrhoids will feel it themselves.

Internal hemorrhoids are usually located in the rectum and are usually not noticeable. However, if you use too much force or strongly stimulate them, they may bleed. Internal hemorrhoids may also prolapse outside the anus, and if there is a rupture or infection, it will cause obvious pain.

02

How do hemorrhoids form?

Whether it is internal or external hemorrhoids, hemorrhoids are probably a problem that everyone needs to worry about. After all, the occurrence of hemorrhoids is likely related to our habit of walking upright and exerting force on the lower body.

Walking upright allows humans to free their hands to use tools. However, walking upright also causes humans to suffer from a problem that most other species do not have: hemorrhoids. When standing upright, gravity causes our internal organs to fall naturally, and we are always used to exerting force on our lower body, which puts a lot of pressure on the entire buttocks. The already fragile rectum, anus and other parts can easily be overwhelmed.

The formation of hemorrhoids and their later severity in some people are also related to our bad living habits.

Sitting or standing for a long time will cause blood to flow to the rectum and become blocked. The blood accumulated there will cause excessive congestion in the anus, aggravating the severity of hemorrhoids. **Habit of playing with mobile phones while using the toilet,** sitting on the toilet for half an hour will also cause greater pressure on our rectum and anus. Over time, it may induce hemorrhoids.

Eating too little vegetables, fruits and dietary fiber can lead to slow intestinal peristalsis and difficult bowel movements, which can also induce hemorrhoids. Even drinking too little water and having dry stools can irritate the anus.

As for eating spicy food, it actually has no direct relationship with the formation of hemorrhoids. However, spicy food will irritate your intestines, making you have a long-term love affair with the toilet, which may indirectly lead to the occurrence of hemorrhoids. If you already have hemorrhoids, then the spicy food you eat will not only spiciness your mouth, but also your "chrysanthemum". After all, the mucous membrane of the anus is sensitive and has a wealth of pain receptors, and the essence of "spicy taste" is pain, so these spicy foods will naturally not let go of these mucous membranes in your anus area.

Therefore, if you have hemorrhoids, try to eat less spicy food, as it will really make you suffer!

03

I already have hemorrhoids

What should I do?

Hemorrhoids need to be diagnosed through a doctor's digital examination. If you suspect that you have hemorrhoids, or if you have a suspected hemorrhoid problem, do not treat it yourself. You must go to the anorectal department for confirmation first, and then treat it according to the doctor's advice. After all, in addition to hemorrhoids, diseases in the anus area also include anal fissures, rectal cancer, etc., and their symptoms may also be pain and bleeding.

Not all confirmed hemorrhoids need to be removed. Generally speaking, hemorrhoids do not have a particularly big impact on our normal life. This type of hemorrhoids often does not require surgical removal, and attention to care in daily life is enough. For example, changing the habit of sitting for a long time, establishing a more reasonable diet structure, sitting bath cleaning, reducing bowel movement time, etc. are all very useful. Drugs can also be used to treat the symptoms of blood in the stool.

If your hemorrhoids are so severe that they affect your life, you can go to the hospital to have them removed. But it is important to note that removing hemorrhoids is not a permanent solution. If you continue to live an unhealthy life after the removal, hemorrhoids may still recur!

Produced by | Science Popularization China

Author: Sydney

Review｜Sun Yifei, Medical Education History Research Office, Hebei Medical University