Hemochromatosis is a disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. Your body needs iron but too much of it is toxic. If you have hemochromatosis, you absorb more iron than you need. Your body has no natural way to get rid of the extra iron. It stores it in body tissues, especially the liver, heart, and pancreas. The extra iron can damage your organs. Without treatment, it can cause your organs to fail.

There are two types of hemochromatosis. Primary hemochromatosis is an inherited disease. Secondary hemochromatosis is usually the result of something else, such as anemia, thalassemia, liver disease, or blood transfusions.

Many symptoms of hemochromatosis are similar to those of other diseases. Not everyone has symptoms. If you do, you may have joint pain, fatigue, general weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain.

Your doctor will diagnose hemochromatosis based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and the results from tests and procedures. Treatments include removing blood (and iron) from your body, medicines, and changes in your diet.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Hemorrhoids are swollen, inflamed veins around your anus or the lower part of your rectum. There are two types:

• External hemorrhoids, which form under the skin around your anus
• Internal hemorrhoids, which form in the lining of your anus and lower rectum

Hemorrhoids happen when there is too much pressure on the veins around the anus. This can be caused by:

• Straining during bowel movements.
• Sitting on the toilet for long periods of time.
• Chronic constipation or diarrhea.
• A low-fiber diet.
• Weakening of the supporting tissues in your anus and rectum. This can happen with aging and pregnancy.
• Frequently lifting heavy objects.

The symptoms of hemorrhoids depend on which type you have:

With external hemorrhoids, you may have:

• Anal itching
• One or more hard, tender lumps near your anus
• Anal pain, especially when sitting

Too much straining, rubbing, or cleaning around your anus may make your symptoms worse. For many people, the symptoms of external hemorrhoids go away within a few days.

With internal hemorrhoids, you may have:

• Bleeding from your rectum - you would see bright red blood in your stool, on toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl after a bowel movement
• Prolapse, which is a hemorrhoid that has fallen through your anal opening

Internal hemorrhoids are usually not painful unless they are prolapsed. Prolapsed internal hemorrhoids may cause pain and discomfort.

You can most often treat your hemorrhoids at home by:

• Eating foods that are high in fiber.
• Taking a stool softener or a fiber supplement.
• Drinking enough fluids every day.
• Not straining during bowel movements.
• Not sitting on the toilet for long periods of time.
• Taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
• Taking warm baths several times a day to help relieve pain. This could be a regular bath or a sitz bath. With a sitz bath, you use a special plastic tub that allows you to sit in a few inches of warm water.
• Using over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams, ointments, or suppositories to relieve mild pain, swelling, and itching of external hemorrhoids.

You should see your health care provider if you:

• Still have symptoms after 1 week of at-home treatment.
• Have bleeding from your rectum. Hemorrhoids are a common cause of bleeding, but other conditions can also cause bleeding. They include Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, and anal cancer. So it's important to see your provider to find the cause of the bleeding.

To find out if you have hemorrhoids, your health care provider:

• Will ask about your medical history.
• Will do a physical exam. Often providers can diagnose external hemorrhoids by looking at the area around your anus.
• Will do a digital rectal exam to check for internal hemorrhoids. For this, the provider will insert a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for anything that is abnormal.
• May do procedures such as an anoscopy to check for internal hemorrhoids.

If at-home treatments for hemorrhoids don't help you, you may need a medical procedure. There are several different procedures that your provider can do in the office. These procedures use different techniques to cause scar tissue to form in the hemorrhoids. This cuts off the blood supply, which usually shrinks the hemorrhoids. In severe cases, you may need surgery.

You can help prevent hemorrhoids by:

• Eating foods that are high in fiber
• Taking a stool softener or a fiber supplement
• Drinking enough fluids every day
• Not straining during bowel movements
• Not sitting on the toilet for long periods of time

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the upper part of your stomach bulges through an opening in your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is the thin muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen. Your diaphragm helps keep acid from coming up into your esophagus. When you have a hiatal hernia, it's easier for the acid to come up. This leaking of acid from your stomach into your esophagus is called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GERD may cause symptoms such as :

• Heartburn
• Problems swallowing
• A dry cough
• Bad breath
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Breathing problems
• The wearing away of your teeth

Often, the cause of a hiatal hernia is unknown. It may have to do with weakness in the surrounding muscles. Sometimes the cause is an injury or a birth defect. Your risk of getting a hiatal hernia goes up as you age; they are common in people over age 50. You are also at higher risk if you have obesity or smoke.

People usually find out that they have a hiatal hernia when they are getting tests for GERD, heartburn, chest pain, or abdominal pain. The tests may be a chest x-ray, an x-ray with a barium swallow, or an upper endoscopy.

You don't need treatment if your hiatal hernia does not cause any symptoms or problems. If you do have symptoms, some lifestyle changes may help. They include eating small meals, avoiding certain foods, not smoking or drinking alcohol, and losing weight. Your health care provider may recommend antacids or other medicines. If these don't help, you may need surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases