Every person suffering from a chronic disease has to make some restrictions in his life. This is especially true for alcohol: alcohol in many diseases is not just contraindicated, but dangerous. Can I drink alcohol for hemorrhoids ? You will find the answer in this article.
What is hemorrhoids?
Before you know whether hemorrhoids and alcohol are compatible, it is worth saying a few words about what kind of ailment it is. This pathology is a varicose vein, which is located in the rectal region. Due to the expansion of the veins, their pressure decreases, which leads to stagnation of blood and painful sensations, inflammatory processes and perceptible discomfort.
Hemorrhoids begin gradually. First, a person feels a slight pain during bowel movements. Over time, it becomes more pronounced, burning and itching join it, sometimes in the stool you can notice traces of blood. If a person does not seek the help of a doctor, the disease causes painful suffering and affects the quality of life. Hemorrhoids not only bring pain and do not give a normal bowel movement, but can also degenerate into cancer, provoke the development of rectal cracks and other dangerous complications.
Why does hemorrhoids occur?
The main reason for the development of hemorrhoids is considered an improper diet. If a patient suffers from frequent constipation due to an unbalanced diet, he may develop varicose veins of the rectum over time. Other factors that trigger the development of the disease include:
- physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle);
- alcohol abuse;
- frequent physical stress: hemorrhoids can develop in people who are involved in weightlifting;
- smoking;
- the absence in the daily diet of foods containing coarse fiber.
The connection between the human diet and the development of hemorrhoids seems obvious: frequent constipation provokes a rush of blood to the veins of the rectum. Hypodynamia, considered another factor causing the disease, becomes the cause of stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs. But how is drinking alcohol related to hemorrhoids? To answer this question, you need to understand how alcohol affects the body as a whole.
How does alcohol affect the human body?
Alcoholic beverages affect the body as follows:
- Alcohol dilates blood vessels, while increasing pressure. This effect causes heart attacks and strokes. It has long been known that people who abuse alcohol have heart attacks much more often than those who do not drink.
- Alcohol dilates blood vessels in the pelvic organs. Due to blood flow, congestion in hemorrhoidal veins intensifies. As a result of this, the appearance of new hemorrhoid cones may occur, which means that the course of the disease becomes heavier.
- Alcohol negatively affects the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Firstly, alcohol reduces intestinal motility, which leads to constipation, which, in turn, provokes varicose veins of the rectum. Secondly, the breakdown products of alcohol lead to the appearance of small ulcers on the intestinal walls, which also impairs digestion.
- Alcohol, as a rule, is used with fatty snacks, which worsen the condition of the intestinal mucosa.
- Alcohol leads to dehydration, which causes constipation.
- Alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the liver, leading to such a dangerous disease as cirrhosis. This ailment is directly related to varicose veins of the rectum: doctors know that both of these diseases often occur simultaneously.
Are hemorrhoids and alcohol compatible? This will be discussed further.
Hemorrhoids and alcohol: compatibility
And now the main question. Can I drink alcohol with hemorrhoids? Usually, doctors recommend that patients suffering from varicose veins of the rectum give up alcohol forever. What will happen if you ignore this warning? The consequences may be as follows:
- The vessels expand, which means the hemorrhoidal nodes expand . This increases the risk of them falling out of the anus.
- The intestinal mucosa is dehydrated, which exacerbates such unpleasant symptoms as itching and burning.
- Due to constipation, bowel movements become extremely painful. At the same time, veins can be damaged by solid feces, due to which very serious bleeding can develop.
Is it obligatory to refuse alcohol?
Especially hemorrhoids and alcohol are incompatible during an exacerbation of the disease. During this period, there can be no question of alcohol: this will immediately intensify the symptoms that bother the patient. If the disease has not been felt for a long time, you can drink small amounts of alcohol, while you should choose high-quality and expensive drinks. As for beer, drinking it is also not worth it. This is due to the fact that in most cases this drink is “accompanied” by savory and savory snacks, which worsen the condition of the already damaged rectal mucosa. Therefore, it is also advisable to refuse low-alcohol drinks.
It is important to consider the stage of the disease. If at the initial stages of the disease small amounts of beer or wine do no harm, then if there are pronounced nodes, even small doses of alcohol can cause the development of an inflammatory process.
Alcohol and drugs for the treatment of hemorrhoids
During the treatment of hemorrhoids, it is better to completely abandon alcohol. Why? This is due to the fact that varicose veins of the rectum require treatment with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and antihistamines. Most of these drugs are incompatible with alcoholic beverages. Regular drinking can cause either a deterioration in the patient's condition or the development of side effects, which pose a serious threat to health.
If the patient cannot imagine his life without a drink, he should inform the doctor so that he can choose the most suitable medication. However, it is advisable at least for some time to use your willpower to give up alcohol. This will make the treatment more effective and complete it in a short time.
Removal of hemorrhoids and alcohol
In many cases of hemorrhoids, the patient is shown surgical intervention. The doctor removes the affected veins, as a result of which the patient's condition quickly improves. Is it possible to alcohol after removal of hemorrhoids? In order for the operation to have a long-term effect, and the rehabilitation period passed without complications, it is important to abandon the use of alcoholic beverages after surgery. At the same time, if with conservative treatment small doses of alcohol are permissible, then after surgery there can be no question of this.
Alcohol after hemorrhoid surgery is contraindicated, since it, by dilating the vessels, can provoke bleeding, as well as cause changes in the tissues of the rectum. To avoid this, you should give up alcohol for at least six months. True, there are minor exceptions to this rule. After tissue healing has come to an end, patients can consume small amounts of live beer or red wine. Naturally, you should be limited to one glass per day. Particularly noteworthy is the wine, which has beneficial effects on the blood and strengthens the immune system.
How to relieve unpleasant symptoms?
What to do if the patient could not resist and took a small dose of alcohol, thereby exacerbating his condition? There are simple ways to quickly get rid of discomfort:
- Bed rest helps reduce pain. People whose hemorrhoids have worsened after alcohol should preferably spend as little time on their feet as possible.
- If constipation occurs after drinking alcohol, you should not push hard during bowel movements. Excessive force can cause injury to the anus and bleeding. To facilitate bowel movements, an enema or laxative should be taken.
- To narrow the vessels and get rid of pain, a cold compress should be applied to the damaged area. It is important not to keep it for more than five minutes.
Also, patients can use special suppositories that alleviate the symptoms of hemorrhoids, or take analgesics in moderate doses. However, you should not try to remove the symptoms yourself: in case of exacerbation of hemorrhoids after alcohol or in any other case, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible who will choose the appropriate treatment.
How to protect yourself from negative consequences?
There are simple tips to minimize the negative consequences of drinking alcohol with hemorrhoids:
- Do not snack on fatty or salty foods.
- Try to carefully control yourself: in a state of intoxication it is easy to break the diet and provoke constipation, which means exacerbation of the disease.
- Before drinking alcohol, take activated charcoal, based on the calculation of one tablet per 10 kilograms of your weight. Activated carbon absorbs toxins and decay products of alcohol, which will reduce its negative impact on your body.
- Take probiotics and prebiotics regularly to protect your intestinal mucosa from negative influences.
- Take multivitamin complexes that are right for you.
Naturally, these methods with the regular use of alcoholic beverages will not prevent the further development of the disease, but only slightly slow it down. To get rid of hemorrhoids, it is important not only to comply with all the doctor's recommendations, but also completely abandon alcoholic beverages.
Prevention
It is easier to avoid the onset of the disease than to treat it. Therefore, it is important to follow simple rules that will help avoid hemorrhoids:
- do physical exercises regularly, walk more often;
- eat right and balanced;
- try to abandon bad habits (do not drink alcohol, do not smoke, reduce the amount of tea and coffee consumed);
- undergo preventive examinations and immediately consult a doctor, noticing the first symptoms of hemorrhoids: in the initial stages, varicose veins of the rectum can be treated conservatively.
Conclusion
Hemorrhoids are an unpleasant disease that is dangerous not only because it worsens the quality of life of patients. Varicose veins of the rectum are considered a precancerous condition that, if untreated, can turn into a malignant tumor. Therefore, it is important to monitor your health and consult a doctor on time. As for alcohol, its negative effect on the human body has long been proven. Moreover, this influence is systemic, that is, all organs and organ systems suffer. Is alcohol possible for hemorrhoids? The answer is obvious. It is better to give up alcohol in time and find other pleasures than to spend the precious time of your life on treating the consequences of your wrong lifestyle.