By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter

Neither influenza nor cancer caused most Korean people to be hospitalized this year. A recent report showed the disease that resulted in the biggest number of hospital stays nationwide was hemorrhoids, a painful swelling of veins inside the anus.

A total of 67,501 patients were hospitalized for a combined total of 235,461 days at hospitals for hemorrhoids treatment in the first quarter, the Health Insurance Review and Assessments Service (HIRA) said Friday.

Throughout last year, it was the second biggest cause for hospitalization with 213,395 patients, trailing natural childbirth with 226,649.

Coming next in the list for the first quarter were cataracts in the elderly, natural childbirth, pneumonia and gastroenteritis. These were the five biggest causes for the hospitalization of 265,000 patients in the January to March period.

The most frequent outpatient disease was acute bronchitis with 4.9 million patients, trailed by hypertension and acute tonsillitis at 3.5 million and 3.3 million, respectively.

Other than these, several diseases usually bundled up as ``colds'' took up most top spots on the list, including upper respiratory tract infections and pharyngitis.

Hemorrhoids has been among key ailments for Koreans since the turning of the decade. In the HIRA report back in 1990, it was ranked 20th.

Rapidly westernized dietary patterns in combination with heavy drinking habits are to blame, according to medical experts.

``A lot of people these days don't eat enough fiber-rich foods and stay seated at work for many hours, running the risk of hemorrhoids,'' said Hwang Jae-taek, a HIRA officer. ``And drinking habits also make human body more vulnerable to hemorrhoids because dysfunctions of the liver has a close connection to the disease.''

To avoid the troubling ailment, it helps to add more fiber-rich vegetables to everyday meals and avoid excessive drinking, Hwang said.

hckim@koreatimes.co.kr