Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the wall of the rectum and anus. Caused by too much pressure in the vein. They can cause pain or bleeding. The primary symptoms of hemorrhoids are lumps in the anus that may become painful or swollen, bleeding from the anus or rectum, particularly when you pass stool mucus in the rectum, and itching.

The good news is most of these symptoms will go away on their own. Hemorrhoids can be caused by being overweight, pregnancy, lifting heavy objects, constipation or diarrhea for a long time, sitting on the toilet too long, pushing too hard while passing stool, and sometimes anal sex.

To treat the symptoms, you can use stool softeners or laxatives, take pain medication, apply numbing cream, or sit in a shallow tub of warm water for ten to 15 minutes a few times a day. Some removal methods include a shot that causes scarring in the hemorrhoid, heat, electric current, lasers, tying the hemorrhoid with special rubber bands that cause it to fall off, or sometimes surgery.

To prevent hemorrhoids, make sure to eat fiber, drink fluids, exercise, go to the toilet when you feel like you have to refrain from sitting on the toilet for too long and keep your anus clean.