Spend lots of time behind the wheel? Chained to your desk at work? A new addition to your family?  If so, there's a good chance your body is rebelling in one small, but very uncomfortable way.

"Just about every woman who has a baby will get hemorrhoids at some point in the process," said Dr. Benjamin Krevsky, Director of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy at Temple University Hospital.

They're embarrassing, but  they're very common in both men and women.  With hemorrhoids, the veins of the lower rectum become inflamed, swollen and painful. For patients with moderate pain, doctors are turning to this tool called an infrared coagulator.

"It uses infrared light, which is the same sort of light that fast food restaurants use to keep your food warm while you're waiting to buy it, only it's much more focused," said Dr. Krevsky.

The doctor applies infrared light for a little more than one second to seal off blood flow, so the tissue naturally shrinks back. An alternative is a procedure called rubber banding.

Tiny bands are wrapped around the hemorrhoid, cutting off the circulation. It works, but can be painful if the bands miss their mark, which is rare. With the infrared light, patients feel a mild warmth -- or nothing at all -- and they're back to normal activities within one day.

For mild cases, doctors say the best treatment is still cream or suppositories. For very severe hemorrhoids, surgery is sometimes the only option.

Most hemorrhoids disappear within a week or two.