My friend just gave birth to her first baby, and she was told by her doctor that she has hemorrhoids from her vaginal delivery.
She was too embarrassed to ask her doctor about them (plus, she had questions about the baby, instead!), so I wanted to ask for her:
What exactly are hemorrhoids, and how long do they last (do they go away on their own, and is it possible for them to "stick around" if not treated?). How are they treated?