When veins around the anal opening become abnormally enlarged or dilated, then they are called hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are classified into internal and external hemorrhoids. The former lie far inside the rectum and cant be seen or felt. They occur above the dentate line (a line separating the two types of anal skin. The skin above the dentate line is not sensitive to pain, while the skin below is) and are, therefore usually painless. They have been known to cause bleeding and sometimes prolapse, or enlarge and protrude outside the anal sphincter. External hemorrhoids occur below the dentate line and are sometimes called skin tags because they can be seen or felt as extra skin around the anus. They can become very distressing when the blood in the external hemorrhoid clots and inflammation irritates the near by pain sensitive skin. This condition is called a thrombosed external hemorrhoid and is quite painful. Hemorrhoids are very common, especially during pregnancy and after childbirth. The incidence is 2 out of 1000 people. The majority of people will experience symptoms of or problems from hemorrhoids during their life. Both men and women are susceptible to hemorrhoids.

• Bright red anal bleeding that may streak the bowel movement or the toilet tissue.
• Pain during bowel movements.
• Anal itching.
• A mucous anal discharge.
• Painful swelling or a lump near the anus
• Bright red blood in the stool.
• Heavy lifting
• Eating a diet low in fiber tends to cause small, hard stools which may lead to constipation.
• Ordinary commercial laxatives may irritate the membranous lining of the colon that could also lead to hemorrhoids.

Keeping a few simple tips in mind can help prevent hemorrhoids:

Too much pressure in the rectum, forcing blood to stretch and bulge the walls of the veins, sometimes even rupturing them, leads to the formation of hemorrhoids. The most common sources of this pressure are:

Patients with internal hemorrhoids usually seek help because of painless (or nearly painless) bright red bleeding at the time of defecation. Patients usually notice intermittent spotting on toilet tissue or episodic streaking of stool with blood. A prolapsed internal hemorrhoid appears as a protrusion of painless, moist red mass covered with rectal mucose at the anal verge. Prolapsed internal hemorrhoids may become strangulated and thrombosed, and thus painful. Itching is not a common symptom of hemorrhoids. The diagnosis of "hemorrhoids" may cover a variety of minor ailments of the anus, which may or may not be related to the hemorrhoidal veins. The ED approach consists of ruling out immediately life-threatening problems, and then providing the patient with symptomatic relief and appropriate referral.

• Eating a diet low in refined, processed foods and high in whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables could control hemorrhoids.
• A high-fiber diet for e.g. oat burn, whole grains, dried prunes, dates, raw fruits, vegetables and beans can be very helpful in bowel movements. Individuals who do not take enough fiber tend to strain during bowel movements due to formation of small and hard feces.
• Drink six to eight glasses of water per day to avoid constipation and the formation of hard stool.
• Avoid refined white flour, white sugar, high-fat junk food, coffee, caffeine and alcohol.
• Salt can also cause hemorrhoidal tissues to swell more due to retention of fluid.

• Regular exercise like brisk walking, low impact aerobics, yoga or dance classes all help keep the bowels active. 
• Do not use abrasive, scented or colored toilet paper to keep the anal area clean. Use a premoistened wipe then dry with toilet paper. If using toilet paper, moisten it first with witch hazel.
• To reduce pain use petroleum jelly on the anal area.
• To decrease swelling and pain apply an ice pack to the anal area.
• Try not to postpone bowel movement when you feel the urge. Constipation can result from this practice and may initiate difficult bowel movements.
• To relieve the pressure on anal tissues and get some relief from pain, try sitting on a doughnut pillow.

Anyone who has hemorrhoids needs to develop peace of mind about it. Stress only aggravates the problem. A healthy routine helps the mind to relax and adopt a positive attitude that helps cure the disease.

Butcher’s broom is a herb shows its beneficial effects on body in condition of hemorrhoids. ^1,2,3,4 Aloe vera also provides its favorable effects in condition of hemorrhoids because it enhances wound healing. ^1,2,3,4,5,6 Garlic also helps during hemorrhoids because it maintains healthy blood vessels ^1,2,7 and supports defense mechanism of body. ⁷ Supplements of co Q 10 are also helpful as they prevent body from free radial damage. ^2,3,5,6,8,9