圣诞谨防痔疮爆发 吃好睡饱是关键

　　Piles are caused by straining the lower bowel - they often appear during pregnancy because of increased pressure on the veins, or after childbirth because of the pressure caused when pushing the baby out - and they can stay put for many years。

　　However, a far more common cause is straining because one is constipated - and this is where bowel habits come into the equation because to prevent constipation, you have to address diet。

　　痔疮的成因是肠道末端紧张性而造成的，妇女在怀孕期间静脉曲张，或是在分娩时推送婴儿所造成，后遗症或延续数年。而另一更常见的诱因则是便秘，为保持排泄畅通，饮食方面则需多加注意。

　　Unfortunately, over the Christmas party season you are likely to be snacking endlessly on canapes rather than eating a balanced meal for lunch or dinner and most likely drinking more alcohol than normal。

　　Many of my patients go to a party thinking that they will tuck into canapes as a substitute for a proper dinner。

　　While canapes may be tasty and those mini-hamburgers and tiny cornets of fish and chips look appealing - virtually all canapes are highly calorific and contain few nutrients。

　　Unless they are homemade they are likely to be processed and high in saturated fats, salt and often sugar。

　　Few party foods are going to be good for bowel health and - because the fibre content will be low - are more likely to put you at risk of piles。

　　不幸的是，在节日期间保持均衡的膳食摄取则变得越发困难。尽管派对上常见的美食看起来都非常诱人，但其实都是无一例外的都属于高脂肪高盐和高糖的食物，而且它们的纤维含量较低，这增加了痔疮“爆发”的危险。

　　To offset this problem, try to make sure that you eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetable a day, preferably more, and fill up on some of these before you go to the party so you do not rely on canapes as the source of your main meal。

　　You should also eat high-fibre foods - for instance Weetabix or bran-based cereals - for breakfast as this will certainly help combat the negative effect of fingerfoods。

　　Most of us enjoy the flow of alcohol at Christmas but consume too much and you will become dehydrated and in turn constipated。

　　On the other hand, too much alcohol - binge-drinking in particular - can also lead to diarrhoea. I suggest to patients alternating a glass of wine, for example, with one of water or a soft drink。

　　This will help keep the faeces at the right consistency so as not to cause straining, which can lead to bleeding, itching or even an anal fissure (a small tear in the anus)。

　　It may be hard to believe, but lack of sleep from all that partying can also cause piles。