The question of the possibility of drinking alcohol interests many people with chronic diseases of the rectum. Those who have been diagnosed with hemorrhoidal disease are no exception. Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have hemorrhoids? No! Alcohol is strictly contraindicated for proctological diseases.
Alcohol and hemorrhoids are incompatible things! Even drinking a glass of vodka or a mug of beer can cause severe inflammation and cause an exacerbation of the disease.
| Peculiarities | |
| Why you can't drink | Alcohol increases blood flow in the pelvis and can cause bleeding. Leads to blood stagnation and inflammation of hemorrhoids. Even in small quantities it always causes an increase in unpleasant symptoms of the disease. |
| What to do if you have to drink | Taking activated carbon, drinking more water, preferring light alcoholic drinks not exceeding 12 degrees. |
| What is prohibited to consume | Vodka, cognac and beer. |
| Norm and dose | In the absence of an acute phase of the disease, 100-200 grams of dry wine, cider or soju are allowed. |
What is it and why does it occur?
Hemorrhoids are varicose veins localized in the rectal area. As the disease develops, the pressure in these capillaries decreases, which leads to stagnation of blood and the occurrence of associated symptoms: pain, bleeding during bowel movements, inflammatory process, constipation, burning in the anus. The disease develops gradually:
- At the initial stage, difficulties arise with bowel movements.
- As the pathology progresses, bloody discharge is present in the stool. The patient feels constant itching and burning in the anus.
- In the absence of therapy, cracks appear on the walls of the rectum.
Haemorrhoids
If the first symptoms of pathology occur, you should urgently consult a proctologist and undergo the necessary examinations. If this is not done, the disease will progress, which increases the risk of degeneration into cancer. The following are the causes of hemorrhoids:
- Genetic predisposition. If a person has weakened blood vessels in the rectum since birth, the likelihood of developing hemorrhoids is about 90%.
- Physical inactivity. The pathology is often diagnosed in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, which causes stagnation.
- Frequent heavy lifting and standing work. Excessive physical activity is just as harmful to the body as lack thereof.
- Intestinal dysfunction (frequent constipation and diarrhea).
- Unbalanced diet. Excessive consumption of spicy foods and alcohol has a particularly detrimental effect on the condition of the intestines. Such products lead to irritation of the intestinal mucous membranes, which increases pressure on the vessels around the rectum and impairs blood circulation.
Also, about 98% of pregnant women experience exacerbation of hemorrhoids. During pregnancy, this phenomenon is absolutely natural and is caused by anatomical changes.
The influence of alcoholic drinks
The beginning of the pathology is the expansion of the veins of the colon. The pressure increases in them, discomfort and slight pain occur. Next, the plexuses of venous vessels form nodes and begin to fall out of the rectum. Causing severe pain, a feeling of pressure and burning. Alcohol provokes just all the manifestations of hemorrhoids.
In practice it looks like this! Alcohol, as a strong diuretic, causes increased urination. The body experiences mild dehydration, but this is enough to harden the stool in the intestines and make it difficult for them to move through. Emptying is painful because pressure is placed on the affected venous vessels.
Impairs blood circulation, intensifies the inflammatory process
Alcohol is a cellular toxin; it destroys the cell membrane.
Where cells are damaged, the toxic and destructive effects of alcoholic beverages are most noticeable. At the same time, it greatly dilates the blood vessels and increases the distensibility of the veins, disrupting the normal flow of blood.
Heart rate increases after drinking alcoholic beverages. The heart pumps blood faster, which means the load on the vessels increases. Unable to withstand the strong blood flow, the vessel bursts. That is why, when defecating the next day after drinking alcohol, the patient observes scarlet blood. The process of development of hemorrhoids has been started anew.
After a good feast, discomfort often occurs when sitting on something hard. The feeling of pressure, burning, itching, and incomplete bowel movements returns. In severe circumstances, new nodes and compactions form in the intestine, and bleeding begins.
Taking medication only relieves the discomfort, but in many cases treatment must be started again.
These decoctions can relieve hemorrhoids
The relationship between alcohol and hemorrhoids
Doctors warn that excessive alcohol consumption can provoke the development or exacerbation of hemorrhoids. This happens due to the specific effect of ethanol on some internal organs and systems of the body:
- Heart and blood vessels. Alcohol provokes a sharp narrowing and then expansion of the capillaries, which worsens the tone of the walls. Also, when drinking alcoholic beverages, the intensity of myocardial contraction increases, which causes the pressure in the blood vessels to increase. If a person does not have problems with the walls and capillaries of the rectum, such fluctuations will not cause harm. However, with hemorrhoids, when the nodes are enlarged, such interruptions can cause disruption of blood circulation, which leads to destructive changes in the walls and blood vessels. As a result, cracks and bleeding appear.
- Exchange processes. Under the influence of alcohol, metabolism slows down, causing tissues to receive insufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals, and dehydration occurs. All this negatively affects blood vessels and can provoke inflammation. Additional stress on the capillaries is caused by toxins contained in alcoholic beverages.
- Liver. When drinking alcohol regularly, the liver is subjected to increased stress, which causes the functioning of the organ to deteriorate. The likelihood of circulatory problems increases.
Effect on the body
Drinking alcohol if you have hemorrhoids is also harmful because alcohol promotes dehydration. As a result, the course of the disease worsens. Some patients who drink too much alcohol over a short period of time find that the symptoms of exacerbation of hemorrhoids cannot be eliminated even with the help of medications.
How does drinking alcohol affect the body?
It is safe to say that a person who drinks alcohol does not receive anything other than short-term euphoria. Let's explain why.
Firstly, alcohol affects the walls of blood vessels, first provoking their expansion and then narrowing, resulting in an increase in blood pressure, both arterial and venous. As a result, a drinker has a high risk of hypertension, myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.
Secondly, alcoholic drinks slow down the peristalsis of the intestinal tube, which can lead to constipation. In addition, ethanol and other components of alcohol damage liver cells and irritate the colon mucosa, increasing blood flow to it.
Thirdly, regular abuse of alcoholic beverages reduces a person’s immunity, as a result of which he becomes defenseless against the effects of pathogens.
There are many more known aspects of the negative impact of alcohol on the body, namely: decreased reproductive function, mental disorders, failure of the endocrine system, kidney damage, etc.
Thus, the harmful and irreversible effect of alcoholic beverages on the human body cannot be compared with short-term imaginary relaxation. Drinking or leading a healthy lifestyle is everyone’s choice. Moreover, many believe that low-alcohol drinks, unlike strong alcohol, do not cause harm, although this is not true, because even minimal doses of ethanol can negatively affect the body.
Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have hemorrhoids?
If a person occasionally consumes high-quality alcohol, there will be no harm from it. Doctors confirm that if you drink a glass of natural wine once a week, it is unlikely to have any effect on your well-being. However, if you increase the frequency and dosage of alcohol consumed, the risk of health problems increases significantly.
As for the compatibility of alcohol and hemorrhoids, doctors agree that in case of hemorrhoidal disease it is better to give up alcohol. This is due to the fact that even a minimal amount of ethyl alcohol can aggravate the course of the pathology and intensify the accompanying symptoms.
With exacerbation of hemorrhoids
Attention! During an exacerbation of hemorrhoids, it is forbidden to drink any alcohol-containing drinks, including low-alcohol ones.
This is due to the fact that even a minimal dose of alcohol has a detrimental effect on the condition of internal organs and provokes a jump in blood pressure, which causes an increase in hemorrhoids. In this case, the symptoms of the pathology intensify, and the effect of therapy is reduced to zero.
During the period of remission of the disease
During remission, there are no symptoms of the disease, so most patients forget about the ban on alcohol. But, despite the calm, doctors warn that it is often enough to drink a couple of bottles of beer once for the nodes to become inflamed again. In order not to provoke an exacerbation of the disease, it is better not to drink alcohol even during remission.
Alcohol ban
Factors that provoke the occurrence of hemorrhoids
A person in modern society is surrounded by too many factors that provoke this delicate disease. This:
- malnutrition;
- passive lifestyle;
- hard physical labor;
- a sport that involves lifting weights.
If, despite all these factors, you drink beer or drink other alcoholic beverages, then the risk of disease is almost one hundred percent. The fact that drinkers suffer from hemorrhoids is confirmed by official medicine. But this disease is delicate, therefore, as they say, the patient suffers in silence.
In the modern world, it is common to drink alcohol for any reason or just like that, after a hard day. If a person drinks drinks in small quantities, this has virtually no effect on the body’s activities. But the harmful habit of consuming it daily, in large quantities, cannot but affect human health.
Considering that the snack in this case is not always a healthy food, the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract are at risk. Drinking alcohol means provoking an exacerbation of all these diseases.
Basic rules for drinking alcohol for hemorrhoids
Not every patient is ready to give up alcohol after being diagnosed with hemorrhoids. Doctors have found that a relatively safe dose of alcohol for this disease is 100 ml of a strong or 150 ml of a low-alcohol drink. Moreover, this dose is allowed to be taken once a month. To minimize the load on hemorrhoids, you need not only to know what kind of alcohol and in what quantity you can drink, but also to adhere to the following rules:
- 20 minutes before the feast, it is recommended to take 3 tablets of activated carbon, which will prevent the entry of toxins into the blood;
- preference should be given to white wine. It is better to avoid beer, champagne and cocktails;
- alcohol should be drunk slowly, in small sips, trying to stretch 100 ml throughout the evening;
- Drinks should be eaten with vegetable salads, fruits or lean meats.
In the evening, upon arriving home, be sure to drink 3-4 glasses of filtered water.
Is it possible to drink beer if you have hemorrhoids?
Beer is a low-alcohol drink, which is best avoided if you have hemorrhoids. Many foam lovers do not understand why they should not drink it if they are sick. And, indeed, a glass of beer will not provoke an exacerbation of the disease. But the problem lies in the fact that most people rarely limit themselves to 150-200 ml of beer and usually drink several bottles at once. That is why drinking foam often ends in exacerbation of hemorrhoids.
Is it possible to drink wine if you have hemorrhoids?
Wine, just like cognac, vodka and champagne, is an alcoholic drink, so if you have inflammation of the hemorrhoids or during remission, it is better to avoid it. If you ignore this rule, there is a possibility of worsening the course of the disease and developing further complications.
White wine
On a note! If it is difficult for a person to give up wine, preference should be given to a drink made from white grape varieties.
Strong alcohol
Medical practice confirms that strong alcohol causes heavy bleeding and complications with hemorrhoids. Therefore, such drinks are strictly prohibited. If you often drink vodka or cognac for hemorrhoids, the consequences of this practice can be quite dire. In this case, the symptoms of the pathology may be so strong that they cannot be eliminated with the help of medications. The only way out of the situation will be surgery.
Alcohol after lump removal
Surgical intervention, specifically in the case of this pathology, does not mean a complete and final solution to the problem. Hemorrhoids are a chronic disease. Cutting out an inflamed hemorrhoid does not mean a miraculous cure for this serious disease.
Therefore, any alcohol abuse can provoke a relapse, just as it provoked the primary development of the disease. After the operation, you should adhere to the same ascetic lifestyle (in terms of abuse and diet) as before.
What to do if hemorrhoids worsen after drinking alcohol?
If a person’s hemorrhoids worsen due to alcohol consumption, the following tips will help reduce the symptoms of the pathology:
- to alleviate the condition, it is recommended to take a lying position;
- if the burning and soreness become too severe, you can apply a cold compress to the anal area;
- if the exacerbation is a consequence of constipation, it is necessary to do a cleansing enema rather than try to defecate on your own.
Pharmacological companies offer a wide range of drugs that will also help cope with painful symptoms and reduce inflammation. Medicines should be prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the severity of symptoms. Most often, patients are prescribed:
- Candles with belladonna extract. An inexpensive remedy that reduces pain and relieves spasms of smooth muscles.
- Rectal suppositories Relief. They have proven themselves well for internal hemorrhoids. Relieves inflammation and itching, promotes healing of the mucous membrane.
- Natalsid candles. The drug has an anti-inflammatory effect, stops bleeding, and accelerates the healing process of cracks.
For external treatment, troxevasin or heparin ointment is used. Both drugs have anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory effects, and also normalize blood circulation at the site of application.
Heparin ointment
First symptoms
The first symptoms of the disease are:
- bleeding and bloody stools. Such symptoms can be a sign not only of hemorrhoids, but also of stomach ulcers and even cancer. Therefore, after their appearance, drinking alcohol should be stopped immediately. There is zero compatibility between strong drinks and illnesses;
- pain or severe burning and itching in the anus;
- false urge to defecate;
- an unpleasant feeling of incomplete emptying of the intestines from feces;
- pain during bowel movements;
- chronic constipation, which even enemas can hardly cope with.
Blood from the anus and other symptoms may be a sign of other diseases: colitis, intestinal polyps and ulcers. To determine exactly what the problem is, you need to go to an appointment with a proctologist, undergo examinations (ultrasound, x-ray) and undergo special tests.
Stages of hemorrhoids
Prevention of hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are a dangerous and insidious disease, which is much wiser to prevent rather than undergo subsequent treatment. To do this, you must adhere to the following rules:
- it is necessary to promptly treat constipation and diarrhea;
- The diet should include buckwheat and oatmeal, fresh vegetables and fruits, fermented milk products, bran bread;
- After defecation, it is better to wash yourself rather than use toilet paper;
- It is necessary to lead an active lifestyle - do gymnastics in the mornings, and take long walks in the evenings.
It is useful to take a course of phlebotonics twice a year.
How does alcohol absorption occur?
To figure out whether hemorrhoids occur from alcohol, or whether other reasons are to blame, let’s briefly consider the biochemical process of ethanol transformation in the body.
Its action begins when it enters the stomach. At this level, 25% of the ingested dose is converted into acetaldehyde, the gastric juice enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.
Important! Narcologists have found that women and people of Mongoloid origin have a significantly higher sensitivity to small amounts of alcoholic beverages due to a deficiency of this enzyme. Therefore, addiction develops faster in this category of people.
The remaining ¾ of the alcohol consumed goes into the small intestine. Here it is absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed to all body fluids (blood, urine, semen in men, cerebrospinal fluid). Ethanol, already modified by the liver, reaches the rectum and hemorrhoidal structures. The liver fraction of alcohol dehydrogenase converts the residues to acetaldehyde. Further neutralization is carried out by the oxidative systems of hepatocyte cells in the liver and the enzyme catalase. As a result, they form acetic acid.
In the pathogenesis of hemorrhoids, there are 2 mechanisms of destructive changes:
- vascular - stagnation and expansion of venous caverns in the lower third of the rectum, overflow due to increased inflow with impaired blood outflow;
- muscular - dystrophy of the muscles and ligaments that fix the cavities, a decrease in their tone allows enlarged hemorrhoids to crawl into the anus.
A mechanical obstacle is created by intestinal atony, constipation, and dried feces. An analysis of the effect on the components of the pathology will help to establish the relationship between the nature of the effect of alcohol and changes in hemorrhoidal cavities.
