Piles or haemorrhoids are swellings on the inside of the anal canal, the short, muscular tube that connects the rectum (back passage) with the anus, in areas known as the anal cushions. They are round swellings that can reach the size of a grape. Piles are not varicose veins.

If you have daily bowel movements that are solid but soft, and you don't need to strain, faeces will pass easily and will not put pressure on the blood vessels in your anal area.

To keep your bowel movements soft, you should:

• eat plenty of fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals (eg brown rice, wholemeal bread and wholemeal pasta)
• drink plenty of water

You shouldn't spend too much time on the toilet (reading, for example). Regular warm baths may relieve irritation and help to keep the area clean.

If you are still passing hard or infrequent faeces, you could try a fibre supplement such as ispaghula husk (eg Fybogel) or mild laxatives such as lactulose, which soften faeces. Don't use strong laxatives, such as the stimulant laxative senna, unless your doctor advises you to.