How to treat hemorrhoids in women after childbirth. How to treat hemorrhoids after childbirth, what to do at the first symptoms? What happens if there is no treatment at all?

In the last months of pregnancy, the stress on a woman’s body is mainly associated with compression of the internal organs by the growing uterus. Most complications, such as swelling, constipation, heartburn, go away after the birth of the child. But some problems remain and appear even more pronounced. There are often cases when women begin to notice pain during bowel movements, bloody streaks in the stool, and discomfort in the anus. These are all symptoms of hemorrhoids.

The disease is dangerous due to its complications - inflammation of the rectum and the development of a malignant tumor. Therefore, it is important to promptly and competently treat hemorrhoids after childbirth. The modern therapeutic approach involves the use of medications, folk remedies, as well as following a special diet, performing therapeutic exercises and correcting hygiene procedures.

Postpartum hemorrhoids, despite their name, begin during pregnancy. In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, the uterus and fetus constantly increase in size and put pressure on the rectum. The longer the pregnancy, the worse the blood supply to this area becomes. Nodules and cracks form during childbirth due to a sharp increase in intra-abdominal pressure. The severity of the disease is determined by the individual characteristics of the woman, the weight of the child, and the course of labor.

Another common cause of hemorrhoids after childbirth is those that appeared during pregnancy. Their appearance is caused by several reasons. There is a change in hormonal levels. The body begins to intensively produce progesterone, a hormone that reduces the tone of the smooth muscles of internal organs. Its main task during this period is to prevent uterine hypertonicity and miscarriage. Reduced intestinal motility leads to a slowdown in the digestion process and the development of constipation. The blood in the vessels of the rectum stagnates, and hemorrhoids form.

Additional factors that provoke hemorrhoids are excess weight and lack of physical activity. If there are complications during pregnancy, the doctor may prescribe medications that also increase the risk of developing the disease.

Hemorrhoids after childbirth cause great discomfort to a woman and can lead to more serious diseases, so treatment must be carried out immediately after symptoms are detected. To quickly eliminate the problem, you need an integrated approach that combines diet, exercise, medications and folk remedies.

Diet

Since treating hemorrhoids after childbirth during lactation is prohibited with most medications, it is important to focus on proper nutrition. In addition, it will be beneficial for the baby’s health. By correcting your diet, you can eliminate chronic constipation, which is one of the factors in the development of hemorrhoids.

A nursing woman's daily menu should include foods high in fiber. Its fibers enhance intestinal motility and restore normal stool. Sources: oatmeal, buckwheat and pearl barley, wheat bran, vegetable oil, dried apricots, prunes, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

It is important to maintain a drinking regime. The water intake is calculated based on body weight: for each kilogram there should be 30 ml of liquid per day. The best option is to drink purified still water; you should avoid sweet drinks.

All sweets, smoked foods, spices, rice and semolina porridges, flour products, and carbonated drinks are prohibited. It is worth minimizing the consumption of canned foods and semi-finished products. Among vegetables, it is not recommended to eat radishes, turnips and sorrel.

Physical exercise

There are special therapeutic exercises against hemorrhoids. Physical exercise improves the functioning of the large intestine, increases the tone of the muscle fibers of the anal zone and abdominal wall, and reduces congestion in the pelvic vessels.

You need to exercise a couple of times a day, and if most of the time is spent in a sitting position - 3-4 times. The duration of the complex is about 5 minutes.

Here are simple but effective exercises:

1. Walk around the room, raising your legs bent at the knees high;
2. While standing, swing your straight leg forward, backward and to the sides (repeat with the other leg);
3. Standing, feet shoulder-width apart, bend to the sides, forward and backward;
4. Perform plie squats: with legs wide apart and on toes;
5. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, strain your buttocks, pulling in your anus (hold the tension for 7-10 seconds).

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Carrying a child and giving birth in most cases lead to an exacerbation of various diseases that a woman has. Problems of the body’s venous system are no exception. The question of how to get rid of hemorrhoids after childbirth worries up to 60% of young mothers. A quarter of all women in labor complain of problems with the veins of the anus, and more than 40% of women note various abnormal sensations in the rectum in the first week after the birth of the baby. What should young mothers do?

Read in this article

What you need to know about hemorrhoids

Medical workers distinguish two forms of this disease. In 80% of cases, patients are diagnosed with chronic hemorrhoids. The onset of the disease usually occurs with virtually no symptoms and often does not cause the woman any inconvenience. Over time and in the absence of appropriate treatment, the disease can progress.

Experts usually distinguish the following stages:

Acute hemorrhoids are almost always a complication of chronic ones and are manifested by the presence of inflammation in the venous nodes and severe pain in the anal area. The process of pinching the venous nodes leads to disruption of tissue trophism in the perineal area.

The development of pathology usually goes through three main stages. Initially, infringement of the venous plexus develops based on the presence of inflammatory symptoms, and pain is a consequence of irritation of the nerve endings of the walls of the hemorrhoids. You can hear complaints from patients about a feeling of discomfort and increased temperature in the anus.

If the disease is complicated by inflammation of the strangulated nodes, then in addition to painful sensations in the rectal area, a picture of general intoxication of the body also appears. The woman’s health deteriorates, her body temperature rises, and sharp swelling and hyperemia are noted at the site of prolapsed hemorrhoids.

If necrosis of the venous nodes occurs, urgent assistance from a surgeon is required, since the pathological process can spread to the entire area of ​​the perineum and pelvis, causing serious complications that require surgical treatment and subsequent long-term drug rehabilitation.

Hemorrhoids after childbirth: causes

Experts regard hemorrhoids as a general disease of the venous system, in which the nodal areas of the rectal veins become overfilled with blood, come out and become inflamed. One of the factors leading to such a pathology is pregnancy and childbirth.

A woman may have a history of various diseases of the intestine and its excretory section long before pregnancy and childbirth. For example, various pathologies of the venous nodes are often caused by the use of hormone-based contraceptives for a long period of time. Pregnancy only aggravates disorders of the vascular system of the pelvis and rectum.

With the development of the fetus in a woman’s body, there is a sharp increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity, as a result of which the blood flow in the veins of the rectum and pelvic organs slows down.

The presence of such physiological disorders in women is also facilitated by:

• frequent constipation during pregnancy;
• excessive weight gain;
• weak physical activity of the expectant mother.

The process of childbirth itself continues to worsen the condition of blood vessels and contributes to the development of hemorrhoids in the early postpartum period. During pushing, a woman’s venous pressure increases in all parts; the vessels of the small pelvis and rectum are no exception. This process leads to the formation of hemorrhoids and their partial prolapse.

Experts have calculated that performing a cesarean section reduces the likelihood of hemorrhoids after childbirth by 15 - 20%, but the possibility of inflammation of the nodes in the anus remains high. Postpartum hemorrhoids remain a big problem for obstetricians, gynecologists and surgeons.

Symptoms of strangulation and inflammation of the venous nodes in the postpartum period

Most often, while carrying a child, a woman is practically not bothered by inflammation in the rectal area. As the baby's body moves through the birth canal, the pelvic vascular system is compressed, which leads to an increase in arterial and venous pressure in the intestinal blood supply. The venous outflow of blood is critically impaired. All this causes the formation of hemorrhoids.

After the end of the period of childbirth, the formations periodically fall out of the rectum; in mild cases of the disease, the woman manages to reset them independently using her hands. If you do not pay attention to this problem and do not seek help from a specialist, inflammation of the hemorrhoids may occur.

In the rectal area, the young mother will feel a burning sensation, soreness and discomfort. Since in the first days of lactation a woman’s body begins to produce new hormones and the effect of old ones decreases, a problem with the gastrointestinal tract arises, in particular constipation.

Abnormal bowel movements lead to the development of an inflammatory process in the hemorrhoids themselves, and bleeding appears from rectal fissures and strangulated venous nodes.

Pain in the rectal area begins to become constant, the mucous membrane swells, and this in turn makes the process of defecation and urination even more difficult. In 60 - 70% of cases, a young mother after childbirth experiences a transition from a chronic process in the rectum to acute hemorrhoids, which is a consequence of a crisis in the functions of the rectum during pregnancy. This pathological process usually has a mild course; copious bleeding and severe pain in the anus are not typical in this situation.

If timely appropriate treatment is not carried out, the process may develop into acute hemorrhoids. In this case, necrosis of the hemorrhoids may occur, the pathology may transfer to the perineal tissue and the development of acute paraproctitis. These problems can directly threaten the health and life of a woman and require long-term treatment.

Diagnosis of this disease is quite simple. Most hemorrhoids can be observed in the area where the rectum exits, where they are accessible to palpation. If a woman develops internal hemorrhoids after childbirth, there are special instrumental methods to diagnose this process. It is possible to perform sigmoidoscopy and irrigoscopy.

This examination is practically painless, is available to all mothers and does not require stopping breastfeeding during the period of rectal examination.

Treatment of hemorrhoids after childbirth

When asked by women whether it is possible to get rid of hemorrhoids after childbirth, experts answer in the affirmative. The main problem in the treatment of this pathology is that not all medications are allowed to be taken during lactation.

• This includes suppositories with sea buckthorn oil, which promote rapid regeneration of the rectal mucosa.
• A good effect has been proven when using “Posterizan” ointments and suppositories for hemorrhoids. The E. coli contained in this drug actively affects the flora of the rectum and accelerates recovery.
• Most hemorrhoid treatment specialists recommend Relief and Relief Advance suppositories and ointments to their patients. These products are based on cocoa butter, are absolutely safe for the baby and give excellent results in the conservative treatment of chronic inflammation of the venous nodes of the rectum.
• To relieve swelling, the use of Hepatrombin ointment is indicated. This medicinal substance acts on the walls of blood vessels, as a result of which the swelling completely disappears, and dense blood clots do not form in this section of the vein.

Surgery for this pathology is required only as a last resort - in the presence of purulent inflammation in the perineal area. In surgery, the method of planned operations to remove hemorrhoids is practiced, however, during the period after childbirth and breastfeeding, this method of treatment is not relevant.

Traditional recipes for problems with the rectum after childbirth

The simplest and most effective method of preventing hemorrhoids in the postpartum period is to stabilize the diet and home hygiene. Constipation is dangerous when the venous parts of the rectum are inflamed, and fighting infection will help prevent inflammation in the female perineum.

Homemade candles made from potatoes minced through a meat grinder or from candied honey are very helpful for chronic and acute hemorrhoids. This method helps reduce swelling and relieve pain.

One of the most common methods of treating inflammation of hemorrhoids is considered to be various baths. First of all, this is a bath of ordinary cold water. 2 - 3 liters of liquid are poured into a basin, potassium permanganate is added and taken for 10 minutes twice a day. It is possible to use an infusion of burnet herb for sitz baths.

Some sources advise using a sitz bath based on onions boiled in milk for inflammation of hemorrhoids. After a cleansing enema, the perineum is treated with steam from this solution for 5–7 minutes.

In the treatment of hemorrhoids, many plants are used in the form of decoctions and infusions. Traditional medicine specialists strongly advise using freshly picked rowan juice, alum in milk and an infusion of the royal scepter herb.

These medications must be used for at least 2 - 3 months to obtain a pronounced effect. Decoctions for chronic hemorrhoids have proven themselves to be the most effective.

There are a large number of recipes for treating hemorrhoids at home, however, during the period after childbirth, it is better for a young woman not to self-treat and endanger her health and the life of the baby. If the first symptoms of the disease develop, you should seek help from a doctor.

Childbirth is a big burden on the body. Physiological changes are aimed at maintaining pregnancy and providing the fetus with all the necessary substances. This does not always benefit the expectant mother. The increase in the size of the child and the growing uterus not only displace many organs, but can also compress them and disrupt blood flow. The venous system suffers more.

Many conditions resolve after the baby is born, and some require treatment. Often, the signs of developed hemorrhoids do not go away after childbirth, and may even intensify. Natural delivery itself leads to this. What to do if such a problem arises, because many medications are prohibited for nursing mothers?

What is the peculiarity of the disease

Hemorrhoids are a pathology of veins - varicose veins that provide blood flow from the rectum. The veins in the lower part of the intestine undergo changes. The disease can occur in acute and chronic form. The location of the nodes determines the type of hemorrhoids:

• interior;
• outer;
• combined.

Each form has its own stages or classification. Chronic hemorrhoids occur in the following stages:

• Stage 1 – there is bleeding, but the nodes do not fall out;
• Stage 2 – when straining, nodes appear from the anus, but are reset back on their own;
• Stage 3 – fallen nodes are reset manually, that is, by hand;
• Stage 4 – it is impossible to set the dropped nodes, or after setting them five immediately fall out.

The acute form is characterized by the addition of additional complications:

1. Thrombosis of nodes without inflammation.
2. Thrombosis is combined with an inflammatory reaction in the nodes.
3. Thrombosis with inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue, swelling of the area around the anus, necrosis of the surface of the nodes.

The acute phase is characteristic of the third chronic stage of the disease. In this case, surgical treatment is required.

It all starts during pregnancy

According to research, 33% of women suffer from hemorrhoids in the first trimester of pregnancy, 35% in the second, 42% in the third. In the postpartum period, this problem worries 41% of postpartum women. It occurs with equal frequency in the first and second pregnancies.

The course of the gestational period determines why hemorrhoids develop later, after childbirth. And some women have prerequisites even before conception. You just need to remember how regularly bowel movements occur, whether there is a tendency to constipation, and what kind of life the expectant mother leads.

During pregnancy, several factors influence the development of the disease.

Elevated progesterone levels

The action of the hormone is aimed at maintaining gestation. It reduces smooth muscle tone, which means it slows down intestinal motility. This leads to severe bowel dysfunction - many pregnant women complain of irregularity and constipation.

How do hemorrhoids manifest after childbirth?

External hemorrhoids

It is milder than internal and is rarely accompanied by complications. The first signs that a woman may notice are slight itching in the anus or other unpleasant sensations. They often occur after bowel movements, especially due to constipation. By touch, you can independently identify soft or compacted folded formations, often resembling warts. When pressed, they do not decrease in volume. Bleeding in its external form is rare.

Sometimes external nodes can become infected. Against the background of infection, there is a risk of developing thrombophlebitis. In this case, the nodes become dense and very painful. Sharp pain appears during bowel movements.

Internal hemorrhoids

It has a characteristic arrangement of nodes. They are found in the folds of the rectal mucosa. The number and location may vary greatly between patients. These are both single nodules and entire groups that resemble a corolla. They are characterized by the following features:

• have a wide base;
• if you press, they fall off;
• when straining or coughing, they begin to bulge or become tense;
• accompanied by pain.

Mucus leaks from such nodes, which irritates the skin around the anus. Redness, discomfort or itching appears.

At a certain stage, the nodes fall out. At the same time, their surface becomes bluish-purple. As the infringement develops, the pain becomes sharp. The nutrition of the mucous membrane is disrupted, areas of necrosis appear, which is accompanied by the appearance of symptoms of intoxication:

• increase in temperature;
• poor health;
• lack of appetite;
• skin itching;
• headache.

If the condition progresses, thrombophlebitis of the rectal veins joins it.

But more often a woman may notice the appearance of scarlet blood. The hemorrhoid begins to bleed during bowel movements. In this case, blood appears on the surface of the stool, or it flows out in a thin stream during straining.

These manifestations are more typical for acute hemorrhoids. If after childbirth it becomes chronic, then the pain syndrome ceases to be characteristic. Pain appears only when complications develop in the form of infection, thrombophlebitis or strangulation.

If acute pain occurs, you should consult a doctor. After the examination, it will be determined what the condition is threatening and how to deal with it.

Which doctor should I contact?

To get rid of hemorrhoids, you need to visit a doctor after giving birth. It is impossible to independently determine how to treat this stage of the disease. Initially, the doctor who will deal with this problem will be a surgeon. If there are external nodes that cause slight discomfort, this will be enough. If there are a large number of nodes, internal localization, as well as the development of complications, the problem should be dealt with by a coloproctologist.

The doctor will definitely conduct an examination. The list of mandatory methods includes:

• anoscopy;
• sigmoidoscopy;
• colonoscopy;
• irrigoscopy.

The anal reflex is also checked, and according to indications, sphincterometry and electromyography are performed to assess the obturator apparatus of the rectum.

To diagnose a woman’s general condition, routine blood and urine tests are prescribed.

What can be treated

Treatment of hemorrhoids during breastfeeding is carried out in three directions:

• diet correction;
• drug therapy;
• surgery.

The first two methods are necessary in case of mild disease. If complications arise and the pathology progresses, surgery will be required.

Diet therapy

Changing your diet can serve both as a prevention of complications and as a treatment for hemorrhoids. The menu should be structured in such a way as to prevent the development of constipation and soften stool, making stool regular. The following products are allowed in the diet:

• lean meat;
• dairy products;
• vegetable oils;
• vegetables rich in fiber: cabbage, beets, pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes;
• fruits: apricots, melon, plums or dried versions of them;
• berries: gooseberries, blueberries, lingonberries;
• eggs;
• herbs (celery, dill, parsley);
• porridge with water;
• weak soups with vegetable broth.

Be sure to drink enough water throughout the day - 30 minutes before meals or 1.5-2 hours after.

It is prohibited to consume foods that can harden the stool:

• fresh bread, any pastry and flour;
• fatty foods and dishes, including meat;
• confectionery with cream;
• legumes, mushrooms;
• viscous porridges - rice and semolina;
• soups with strong broth;
• fermentable vegetables: radishes, onions, garlic;
• astringent fruits: pear, quince, as well as grapes, which lead to fermentation.
• alcohol, coffee, strong tea.

Spicy seasonings and dishes, smoked meats, marinades, salty foods, canned foods, and sauces in the form of mayonnaise are also prohibited.

Drug therapy

How and with what to treat hemorrhoids that develop after childbirth must be determined by the doctor; self-medication is unacceptable and can aggravate the situation. For each stage of the disease, a different combination of drugs is selected. It is also necessary to determine how severe the complications are and whether surgery is necessary.

For safety reasons for the child, treatment of hemorrhoids in a nursing mother is carried out with local medications. To do this, use candles and cream. Suppositories have different effects depending on their composition, so the purposes for their use and the situations in which they are indicated differ.

What candles are best to use? It is necessary to focus on the composition and symptoms. The main drugs that are allowed for use during lactation are the following.

Relief

It contains shark liver oil. It can heal wounds, correct immunity, relieve inflammation and stop bleeding. The drug Relief-Advance is also produced, which will help both relieve pain from hemorrhoids and carry out treatment.

Relief suppositories can be used for external and internal hemorrhoids, rectal fissures and anal itching. But in case of thromboembolic disease and individual hypersensitivity, it is better not to use them. Suppositories are inserted into the rectum in the morning and evening after hygiene procedures. If there was a bowel movement during the day, then you need to reapply the suppositories. In total, up to 4 times a day are allowed.

In addition to suppositories, an ointment with the same name is used. Its principle of action is the same as that of Relief suppositories. The ointment is first applied to the applicator, and then gently rubbed into the anal area.

Glycerin suppositories

Used by both pregnant and nursing mothers. They have long shown their safety. Glycerin in suppositories has an antibacterial effect. It may have a slight antiseptic effect and prevent infection. Suppositories based on it can eliminate constipation, as well as soften and moisturize the rectal mucosa and relieve irritation. But in case of acute inflammation, as well as the development of bleeding, they cannot be used.

Natalsid

These are suppositories with anesthetic properties. If hemorrhoids hurt, you need to choose suppositories with analgesic properties. Natalsid acts only locally, therefore it is not contraindicated during pregnancy and after childbirth during lactation. It can be used for anal fissures, chronic hemorrhoids, which are accompanied by bleeding. The suppository is inserted into the anus daily after bowel movement. It is optimal to do this 2 times a day. Treatment may last 7-14 days.

Nigepan

Suppositories that are used for thrombosis of external or internal nodes. The medicine contains heparin, which is necessary for the treatment of thrombophlebitis. Benzocaine has a pronounced analgesic effect. Also, suppositories reduce the severity of inflammation. The indication for the use of Nigepan is thrombosis of external or internal nodes. The product should be used only after bowel movements.

Hepatrombin

A combined drug that is available in the form of suppositories or ointments. It contains three active components: heparin, prednisolone and lauromacrogol, which provides a complex effect and helps relieve the symptoms of hemorrhoids. The action of heparin is aimed at preventing the formation of blood clots, as well as eliminating inflammation and swelling. Prednisolone is a glucocorticoid hormone that relieves itching, swelling, and inflammation. Lauromacrogol is a sclerosing component. It causes the walls of the node to stick together and relieves pain.

The medicine in the form of an ointment is applied to the area of ​​the nodes 2-4 times a day or injected into the rectum. Suppositories are used rectally. Indications for the drug are all types of hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fistulas, as well as in preparation for surgery and in the postoperative period.

Heparin ointment

It has a similar effect - it reduces the risk of blood clots. But it is not recommended to use it for a long time. And on the first day of use, increased bleeding may be observed due to the specific effect of the drug.

Proctosan suppositories

They have a complex composition, are approved for use after childbirth (only after consultation with a doctor) and allow you to treat hemorrhoids at home. They are used for grade 1-2 hemorrhoids, anal fissures and anal itching. The composition includes the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug bufexamac. It eliminates pain, reduces inflammatory manifestations and swelling. Bismuth subgalactate and titanium dioxide have astringent properties, accelerate wound healing, and reduce the likelihood of bleeding. The last component, lidocaine, is a local anesthetic and should be used with caution during lactation.

Levomekol ointment

When treating hemorrhoids during lactation, it is rarely used due to the possible penetration of its components into breast milk - the antibiotic chloramphenicol, which is contraindicated in childhood due to toxicity.

Bepanten ointment

Contains the active component dexpanthenol. In the body it is converted into pantothenic acid, which acts as a vitamin. It is involved in the regeneration of epithelial cells, therefore it is used for any damage. Including anal fissures or during the healing stage of hemorrhoids. This drug is completely safe for pregnant and lactating women and does not require stopping breastfeeding.

For treatment, the protocols indicate such groups of drugs as phlebotonics (Phlebodia, Detrolex), angioprotectors (Troxyvenol), drugs for sclerotherapy (Sklerovar). But all of them can pass into breast milk and are contraindicated for nursing mothers.

How long does it take for hemorrhoids to go away?

This depends on individual characteristics, the correct treatment method chosen and adherence to the doctor’s recommendations. But on average it takes 10-14 days. If conservative therapy has not shown its effectiveness, minimally invasive operations are performed for grade 2-3 hemorrhoids:

• sclerotherapy;
• ligation with latex rings;
• proximal ligation;
• infrared or radiofrequency photocoagulation.

If hemorrhoids do not go away from treatment, at grades 1-4, a radical Milligan-Morgan, Ferguson operation can be performed.

When to think about prevention

Prevention of hemorrhoids after childbirth should begin even before pregnancy. If you have bowel movements or a tendency to constipation, you need to take care of your diet in advance. It is adjusted to such an extent that bowel movements occur daily. If diet is not enough, even during pregnancy and the postpartum period, you can use mild lactulose-based laxatives - Duphalac. They do not cause increased peristalsis and diarrhea, but slightly soften the stool.

Lactulose is a nutrient medium for intestinal flora. Therefore, if constipation is caused by dysbacteriosis, then treatment can be supplemented with bifidobacteria preparations (Linex, Bioflor).

Doing basic physical exercises every day will help you avoid hemorrhoids. They will be useful both for pregnant women and in the postpartum period.

It is also necessary to remember the risk of developing anemia as a result of chronic blood loss. After childbirth, most women experience a decrease in hemoglobin levels. And pathology of the rectal veins, accompanied by bleeding, can increase unpleasant symptoms. This is unacceptable for a nursing mother. Therefore, treatment is supplemented with iron supplements to prevent or treat anemia.

Hemorrhoids after childbirth are a nuisance that awaits at least half of women who have recently given birth to a child. For some, this problem occurs for the first time in their lives, for others - as an exacerbation of a long-existing disease.

How to avoid it, and if it has already appeared, how to treat it? These questions are among the most popular on any women’s forum: going to the doctor is scary, awkward, and there’s no time...

Let's try to answer them.

Delicate anatomy

The rectum is well supplied with blood: there are three arteries alone that feed it. The venous apparatus consists of several plexuses located in different layers of the intestinal walls. Through them, blood flows into the portal and inferior venous systems.

Usually in veins, valves - leaflets on the walls of blood vessels - regulate the strength and direction of blood flow. They are not present in the veins of the portal system, nor are they present in the superior rectal vein, so the function of normalizing blood circulation here is taken over by the muscles that contract during defecation and body movement. However, women often suffer from intestinal atony, constipation, and move little, which leads to chronic stagnation of blood in the vessels of the rectum.

As a result, the walls of the intestinal veins weaken, and nodes filled with stagnant blood form in them.

Hemorrhoids after childbirth occur in the lower part of the rectum due to weakening of the walls of the veins, which are subjected to significant stress during pregnancy and especially during pushing.

Why do knots appear?

Stagnation of blood in the intestinal veins is a direct consequence of the lifestyle and nutrition of women. It almost never occurs in properly nourished, energetic and active expectant mothers.

The risk group includes:

• Overweight women;
• Those who are accustomed to eating without a system and on dry food: eat few raw and stewed vegetables, fresh fruits, drink little liquid;
• Office workers and everyone who moves little.

A small group of patients with hemorrhoids are women who have chronic pathologies of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), abnormalities of intestinal development, some systemic diseases (scleroderma), as well as those who are forced to take certain medications - for example, opiates.

It is believed that genetic predisposition and congenital weakness of the vascular walls remain factors that provoke the development of hemorrhoids.

Thus, in some women hemorrhoids appear long before childbirth, while in others they develop later, under the influence of pregnancy and childbirth, when intra-abdominal blood pressure increases significantly.

Signs of illness

"Fresh" hemorrhoids

The first signs of hemorrhoids after childbirth are characterized by a minimal set of quickly passing symptoms, if the disease did not arise long before pregnancy.

Women feel:

• Heaviness in the anus, feeling of fullness, heat
• Pain during bowel movements that goes away quickly

This is the initial stage of the disease. Later, minor bleeding occurs after bowel movements - this is what makes women really worried.

Later, without treatment, internal and external nodes appear. The internal ones often bleed when straining and passing stool, while the external ones are felt at the entrance to the anal canal as lumps the size of a pea or cherry. They also bleed, but not as profusely.

Exacerbation of a long-standing illness

If hemorrhoids have long been a problem, then pregnancy and childbirth aggravate it even more: after the birth of a child, bluish, purple nodes come out, causing excruciating pain and often heavy, prolonged bleeding. Severe hemorrhoids after childbirth are a sign of a long-standing pathological process in the veins of the rectum.

Moreover, it does not matter what the birth was - physiological or by caesarean section: the loss of long-formed nodes cannot be avoided. If they are not treated further, the hemorrhoidal cones become inflamed, ulcerated, and there is a danger of developing paraproctitis and other serious complications.

The older the disease is, the more difficult it is to set the nodes: at first they “go away” on their own, and in the later stages they can only be set by hand, and even then not always.

“Hemorrhoids” case: how to deal with the problem?

What to do if hemorrhoids come out? First, you need to find time to go to the doctor. Ideally, this should be a proctologist - a specialist in diseases of the large intestine. If there is no such doctor, you can contact a surgeon.

A visit to the doctor will help you determine exactly:

• Number of nodes, their location and status
• Stage of the disease
• Possible concomitant pathologies - anal fissures, polyps, tumors
• Further tactics are treatment with conservative methods or surgical removal of cones

It may also be appropriate to have blood tests done to see if anal bleeding is causing anemia.

“Fresh” postpartum hemorrhoids are treated with special preparations - suppositories, ointments and gels. The purpose of their use is to relieve pain, inflammation, heal wounds, and improve venous blood flow in the anus.

Late stages of the disease must be treated only surgically, since the hemorrhoids no longer adjust, become very painful and bleed. Local remedies have only a temporary symptomatic effect, briefly relieving pain and stopping bleeding, so you should not seriously count on them.

Modern surgical techniques make it possible to get rid of hemorrhoids very quickly and completely: removal of cones is carried out with laser, sclerotherapy, and cryotherapy sessions. These methods are relatively painless and do not require a long recovery period, which is very important for women who have recently given birth to a child.

If a woman is breastfeeding

Which product should I choose? The problem of choice is very serious for women breastfeeding: medicinal substances are quickly absorbed by the intestinal walls and enter the blood, and from there into milk. This can cause severe allergies in the child, so treatment of hemorrhoids during breastfeeding requires mandatory medical consultation before undergoing treatment.

Good results are achieved by suppositories and ointments based on plant extracts and bee products:

• Candles with calendula
• Suppositories with propolis
• Similar ointments

During lactation, doctors recommend using relief, posterisan, procto-glivenol. These drugs not only relieve pain, swelling, inflammation and heal bleeding sites, but also strengthen local immunity in the tissues of the anus.

Traditional medicine

Treatment of hemorrhoids after childbirth can be carried out not only with the help of purchased and not always cheap drugs, but also with folk remedies. Of course, they are unlikely to cure severe, advanced varicose veins, but in the initial stages they can give very good results.

Remedies for external varicose veins

• Potato compresses

Place peeled, grated potatoes in gauze and apply to the opening of the anus overnight. Before the manipulation, go to the toilet and thoroughly wash the anus area, dry carefully with a soft cloth.

Make potato compresses until the condition improves.

• Compresses with sea buckthorn oil

Moisten a cotton pad with ready-made pharmaceutical oil or prepared at home (if available), apply to the anus overnight. The preparation is the same - bowel movement, washing with cool water.

• Compresses with ointment

Dissolve 50 grams of good, fresh butter in a water bath, add 3-4 crushed bay leaves, boil together for 10 minutes.

Strain the resulting broth and pour into a clean jar. When the ointment hardens, lubricate the nodes around the anus with it at night, if possible, also affecting the anus inside. Apply clean gauze or cotton pad.
Apply compresses at night until complete recovery.

Washing the anus area with cool water at night is an excellent way to prevent hemorrhoids and a measure that helps improve the condition when varicose veins begin for the first time or worsen.

You should also make it a rule to wash your anus after each bowel movement. Cool water tones tissues and blood vessels.

You can also do sitz baths with chamomile, calendula, and yarrow for external hemorrhoids.

Remedies for internal hemorrhoids

These remedies are not particularly effective: internal hemorrhoids are often detected in the later stages, when surgery is the only treatment option.

However, you can try if you cannot undergo surgery in the very near future.

• Rowan juice

If the nodes are disturbed just during frosts, when the rowan is slightly frozen, you can take several bunches and squeeze out the juice. Drink 50 grams after meals. If you are not allergic to honey, add it to the juice.

• Candles made from aspen leaves

Wash the aspen leaf well, roll it into a tube and carefully insert it into the anus. Do the procedure at night after a bath or washing with cool water until the condition improves.

If relief does not occur within a few days, you will have to go to the doctor and agree to surgical removal of the nodes.

A few more mandatory measures

How to treat hemorrhoids after childbirth to achieve maximum results? You can’t do this with ointments and suppositories alone: ​​you’ll have to completely reconsider your diet and do therapeutic exercises.

Nutrition

A woman who is breastfeeding already has to be careful when choosing foods so that they do not harm the baby. However, during treatment and for the prevention of hemorrhoids, it is necessary to include as many vegetables and fruits in the diet as possible - they are rich in fiber, contain many vitamins and water.

Of course, raw vegetables and fresh fruits can cause intestinal cramps and gas in the baby if he receives breast milk. Therefore, a reasonable compromise here would be dishes made from stewed vegetables - potatoes, zucchini, carrots, beets.

Fresh and baked fruits and juices of a nursing mother can be gradually included in your menu as soon as the pediatrician allows the baby to be given berry purees, grated apples and juice.

It is better to take dietary bread - with bran. Bran has a good effect on intestinal motility and prevents the development of constipation. Every day, the diet should include liquid soups and borscht, cooked in light chicken or vegetable broth, and porridge from whole grains.

Drink

Pure water without gas is the basis of a woman’s drinking regime in the postpartum period. There are no special standards here: you need to drink as you wish, but in such a way as to prevent dehydration.

Homemade juices, fruit drinks, and compotes diversify your drinking diet, but you will have to completely give up coffee, tea, and store-bought drinks (even non-carbonated ones).

You should not drink, even if the child receives artificial nutrition: alcohol increases blood flow to varicose nodes and can cause an exacerbation of the disease.