Are piles and haemorrhoids the same thing, and can you really get them from sitting on wet grass, cold steps or hot radiators?
‘Haemorrhoids’ is the medical term, and ‘piles’ is an everyday expression for the same thing. Piles form when veins in the soft tissue around the anus and inside the rectum become swollen. ‘External’ haemorrhoids form in the outer anal area, while ‘internal’ haemorrhoids are located inside the body, in the inner section of the anus and the rectum. Sometimes internal piles may protrude out of the anus; these are called ‘prolapsed’ or ‘prolapsing’ haemorrhoids. Piles never turn into cancer. The old wives’ tale about getting piles by sitting on wet, cold or hot surfaces is false. This is good news if parking your backside on wet lawns or cold, concrete steps is your thing. So what can really cause piles? a) Constipation. Straining to pass a hard stool can lead to excessive pressure on the blood vessels in the rectum, which predisposes them towards developing into piles b) Pregnancy, where there is increasing and constant weight from a growing baby, can also cause piles to form. c) Standin
