Piles – or haemorrhoids – are varicose veins in your anus (back passage). People often make jokes about piles, but if you suffer from them they are not at all funny and can be very uncomfortable.

Under the influence of pregnancy hormones, the walls and valves of the veins around your anus relax and stretch. Blood flow is sluggish, and the effected veins swell and throb. Pressure from the growing uterus slows the flow of blood even more, whilst straining to open your bowels when constipated displaces the swollen veins and adds to the problem.

Piles tend to occur from around the middle of pregnancy. They may take several weeks to disappear after the birth, and often reoccur in subsequent pregnancies.

What can I do?

• Try to avoid constipation
  by eating a high fibre diet and drinking lot of fluids.
• When opening your bowels, try to relax and avoid straining.
• Regular pelvic floor exercises may help to boost the circulation of blood in the
  area.
• Wrap a small bag of frozen peas in a flannel and lie down with resting against your back passage. Alternatively, soak a sanitary pad in witch hazel.
• Ask your pharmacist, midwife or doctor to recommend a suitable haemorrhoid
  cream.

Dr Christian Jessen’s Health & Wellbeing Clinic

In our webTV show we look at the tricky subject of piles; why you get them, how you can treat them and what you can do to help prevent them occurring in the first place

When you become pregnant you know that your body is going to go through a number of changes, but many of us often overlook one of the most uncomfortable but common side effects of all – piles.

While it’s a very common condition for pregnant women or those who have recently given birth, for some people it’s not exactly a topic we feel comfortable discussing with others.

For that reason all too many women suffer in silence instead of asking for advice through fear of embarrassment. But while you may feel more comfortable keeping it to yourself, by doing so you could be missing out on crucial information that could help you not only recover quicker but help prevent you suffering in the first place.

So how do you know if you have piles and what can you do to treat them and help prevent them occurring in the first place?