Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in or around the anus that can be mildly irritating to downright painful. However, the treatments can be simple and easily obtained prevention is always better than cure. To know how to prevent hemorrhoids you have to know their common causes.
There are several potential hemorrhoid causes:

• Weight – Excessive weight can be a major contributor to hemorrhoids. The extra weight on the abdomen causes pressure, which in turn causes the veins to swell and become irritated.

• Constipation – When you strain to produce a bowel movement the stress involved can cause swelling of the veins in and around the rectum. Another theory proposes that the dragging motion of the hard stool pulls haemorrhoid cushions downward.

• Diet – Along with the constipation theory is the idea that diet plays a large role in the appearance and frequency of hemorrhoids. The western diet is rich in processed foods and low in fiber. This leads of course to constipation and straining.

• Heredity – If members of your family are prone to varicose or weak veins you may be at a higher risk for hemorrhoids.

Prevention
When you consider the more common hemorrhoid causes, it is a simple matter of eliminating as many potential factors as possible to avoid them.

Being overweight has several serious health consequences beyond hemorrhoids. If you are suffering from being overweight or obese, you should begin taking steps to correct the problem for those reasons as well. Increase your daily exercise even if it means just parking a bit further from the store or work, the extra steps you take every day will help you lose weight and strengthen core muscles like the abdomen.

Playing right into the weight loss factor is proper diet. To lessen your chances of getting hemorrhoids you should increase your daily fiber intake and drink more water. Both of these will soften your bowel movements and make you healthier in the process.

Constipation should be addressed fairly well with the diet and exercise changes. However if you find that you are still having bowel movement problems you might want to consult a physician. Over the counter stool, softeners can be used for emergencies, but you should still see a doctor if this is a chronic problem.
If you feel you are at risk due to heredity, there are still a few things you can do to lessen the risks. Eat a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise and if you smoke quit. Smoking increases weakness in the veins and may increase your chances for getting hemorrhoids.

Overall
The simplest thing you can do is attempt to prevent hemorrhoids, however if all your attempts fail the treatments are simple and easily accessible. Very seldom, will a hemorrhoid result in anything more invasive than a suppository, though surgery for very painful or prolapsed ones is an option.

For more information on hemorrhoid causes check out H-Miracle below!