ring of fire (medecine) (2024)

Bonsoir,

I can't find the meaning of this in the following context:
A doctor is waiting for his best friend at the E.R. She's in labour, coming in an ambulance. He goes:
"this is exciting; the labour, dilation, the ring of fire..."

I checked the urban dictionary and ended up with "a medical condition occurring around the anus after eating a spicy meal".
That would be "hémorroïdes", I guess.. (and it would definitely offer a new vision of the famous song!)
I hear that's something that can occur during pregnancy, but I find it strange that he would list it along labour and dilation.
To me, it doesn't just goes along with giving birth as it occurs during the process of pregnancy...

Would anyone concurr?
Thank you.

As the baby enters the vagin* your skin and muscles stretch. [...] The labia and perineum (the area between the vagin* and the rectum) eventually reach a point of maximum stretching. At this point, the skin may feel like it is burning. Some childbirth educators call this the ring of fire because of the burning sensation felt as the mother's tissues stretch around the baby's head.

Click to expand...

edharcourt said:

I checked the urban dictionary and ended up with "a

medical condition occurring around the anus after eating a spicy meal".
That would be "hémorroïdes", I guess.

Click to expand...

No not really. It's a slang term for the irritation caused to the anus by the capsaicin in chilli. It's a slightly less rude way of saying "a burning arsehole" but still you wouldn't talk about a ring of fire in that context in polite conversation.