I’ve been writing this column for over eight years now, and there’s one topic I seem to have avoided. Perhaps it’s because merely the word, if spoken, was enough to empty the room when I was a boy. Today, let’s discuss…hemorrhoids.

There are many veins in and around the anus. An increase in pressure can cause these veins to stretch, bulge or swell, a hemorrhoid can result. Symptoms include itching, bleeding with bright red blood on the toilet tissue, painful bowel movements, and a hard lump near the anus.