Hemorrhoids Symptoms Explained

If you have never had hemorrhoids before you may be curious about hemorrhoids symptoms. If you are looking to learn how to self-identify and diagnose hemorrhoids, then you have come to the right place.

Are You Suffering With the Symptoms of Hemorrhoids - And You Don't Even Know It?

The first thing you have to realize is that since many hemorrhoid sufferers endure similar symptoms during hemorrhoid onset, there are some definitive symptoms you can look for. In order to understand the symptoms associated with a hemorrhoid flare-up however, it is first important to know a bit about the causes of hemorrhoids as well as how they can form.

Hemorrhoidal Flare-Ups: Causes

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that are caused by several different factors. About one third of all US citizens will develop hemorrhoidal conditions at one point or another during their lifetime. When strained, anorectal veins will become filled with blood, engorge, and swell. The swelling of veins in and around the anus is commonly caused by any of the following conditions:

• The Use of Certain Medications: some pain medications and narcotics can contribute to the onset of hemorrhoid formations as a secondary symptom caused by constipation.
• Straining During Bowel Evacuation: Excessive pressure on rectal muscles and veins during bowel evacuation leads to hemorrhoids.
• Inadequate Exercise: If living a sedentary lifestyle, a person is more likely to develop hemorrhoidal conditions.
• Prolonged Standing: When standing too long, the upper body puts too much pressure on the lower body and the anorectal area.
• Prolonged Sitting: When sitting in a chair or on the toilet for extended periods, the anorectal vessels are strained, leading to formations in some cases.
• Pregnancy: A developing child in the womb puts pressure on the pelvic and anorectal area, leading to hemorrhoid flare-ups.
• Obesity: Being overweight forces the body to carry an extra burden of excessive pounds. The burden placed on the musculoskeletal frame of the body transfers additional pressures to the back, anorectal region, and legs.
• Low Fiber, High Fat Diet: when eating a low fiber diet a person often has digestive irregularities leading to bowel movement abnormalities.
• Heavy Lifting or Improper Lifting: Using improper methods to lift heavy objects or excessively straining the body to lift things has been linked to the onset of hemorrhoids.
• Diarrhea/Constipation: Both conditions put undue stress on the anorectal region. These types of bowel irregularities not only cause hemorrhoids, they can perpetuate the condition.

Hemorrhoids: How They Form

Hemorrhoidal formations occur internally and externally. Internal formations are piles that form inside the lower rectum, and these formations are those that appear around or on the anus.

Internal formations can appear as external piles when they are forced through the anal opening. Individuals can have one or both types of hemorrhoids simultaneously, and these formations will vary in degrees of severity.

If the formation begins as an internal hemorrhoid and later becomes a prolapsed formation (piles forced out the anal opening), the hemorrhoid can become strangulated.

In some instances, the strangulated hemorrhoid can form a hardened blood clot inside the formation, leading to an extremely painful condition identified as a thrombosed hemorrhoid.

Internal Hemorrhoids Symptoms

Internal hemorrhoids usually remain inside the rectal area, so an individual might not experience significant symptoms. If the hemorrhoids have not prolapsed, there is usually no notable pain associated with internal formations.

One sign a person develops when he or she has internal hemorrhoids is bleeding from the rectal area. The condition is typically noticed after a person has evacuated his or her bowels; sometimes feces are blood streaked, and sometimes the individual will see spots of blood on the toilet tissue after cleansing the anorectal region.

This type of formation is common in females that are pregnant: the continuous pelvic pressure produced by the growing fetus instigate the formation of internal hemorrhoids. Usually, these formations will resolve on their own, but sometimes they require conservative treatment or medical attention.

External Hemorrhoid Symptoms

External hemorrhoid formations are among the easiest formations to identify. The individual that develops hemorrhoids externally will often experience pain and discomfort while sitting or standing, itchiness in the anorectal area and upon cleansing oneself following a bowel evacuation, or sometimes one might note bright red spots of blood on the toilet tissue.

In extreme cases, evacuating the bowels can prove painful, and external hemorrhoids can be felt as lumps that from near or around the anus. External hemorrhoids can be treated with conservative home treatments; a person can make dietary changes and use over the counter treatment options offered at the local pharmacy. On occasion, external formations require medical attention.

Prolapsed Hemorrhoid Symptoms

If an internal hemorrhoid has prolapsed, an individual can experience moderate to extreme pain, temperate rectal bleeding, and the hemorrhoid can become a significantly hard, swollen, and sore mass.

This type of hemorrhoid can make it very difficult to evacuate the bowels, or can lead to constipation or stool impaction. The anorectal area can prove so painful that it is difficult for the individual to sit, stand, walk, or to keep the anorectal region clean. Sometimes prolapsed hemorrhoids have to be repaired by a doctor using semi-invasive treatment options.

Thrombosed Hemorrhoid Symptoms

A thrombosed hemorrhoid is the most painful formation a person can develop. The affected vessels can become blue to purple in color, extremely painful and/or swollen, and the mass that forms will be hard. In extreme conditions, a person can develop an infection in the affected area.

Rare complications associated with thrombosed hemorrhoids include things like the development of anemia brought on by excessive blood loss, and tissue death later leading to gangrene if not remedied. On occasion, a thrombosed hemorrhoid has to be surgically removed.

The Facts About Hemorrhoids Symptoms

As we mentioned earlier, many people experience hemorrhoids at some point during their life time, especially if they are straining to go to the toilet. However, after reading this article you should now have a much better idea about how to spot hemorrhoids symptoms.

Most symptoms are easy to recognize but they can be unnerving when you first see them because in today’s society there are so many things we have been told to watch out for, especially where bleeding is concerned.

The most common symptoms that people experience are an itching or burning sensation in the anus after bowel movements, pain in the rectum or bleeding during bowel movements.

Usually the bleeding can be present when you wipe, in your underwear or in your stool or urine. Remember that from a hemorrhoid this normally happens after a bowel movement.

Some of the Main Signs of Piles

An individual may experience more symptoms when the hemorrhoids are internal. Internal symptoms may include:

Itching - This can be most annoying because it is not an itch that can immediately be taken care of because it is internal. Most people will experience this a few minutes after a bowel movement and may need to apply a special cream to get relief. The reason it itches is because the hemorrhoids will seep mucus which irritates the skin around the hemorrhoid.

Skin irritation - When the skin around the hemorrhoid becomes inflamed it will cause an irritation to the skin around it. If the hemorrhoids are large ones and protrude from the anus they can also cause irritation.

Discomfort - After a bowel movement you may feel like you are going to have another one right away. This can be caused by the protruding of the hemorrhoid at the end of the large intestine. Usually the larger the hemorrhoid the more discomfort you may feel.

Pain - The internal hemorrhoids will cause the most painful hemorrhoids symptoms because they swell and can be squeezed by the muscles that control the anus. This can be mild to extreme pain depending on the situation. If the pain is extreme it may mean that the blood supply to the anus is cut off and therefore in need of an emergency procedure.

Mucus - mucus in stools can also be an indication of hemorrhoids, but it can also indicate something more serious as well.

Now you know some of the pain causes of hemorhoids and you understand some of the hemorrhoid symptoms you need to look out for, you might want to look at the best treatments for hemorrhoids so that you can discover how to get rid of this problem for good.