O22: Venous complications and haemorrhoids in pregnancy

O22.4: Haemorrhoids in pregnancy

Veins are blood vessels that transport the blood back to the heart.

During a pregnancy, hormones can make the veins more elastic. As a result, the blood flows more slowly than usual through the veins. A slower blood flow can cause blood to back up in the veins.

Enlarged veins around the anus are called hemorrhoids. These enlarged veins can be seen as soft nodes in the anus. This can involve symptoms such as itching and burning shortly after defecation.