Hemorrhoids. (pamphlet)

What Are Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins. Each of us has veins around the anus that tend to stretch under pressure, somewhat like varicose veins in the legs. When these veins swell, we call them "hemorrhoids." One set of veins is inside the rectum (internal), and another is under the skin around the anus (external). (See figure 1.)

Hemorrhoids are also known as "piles." As a rule, they do not cause pain or bleeding. Problems can occur, however, when these veins become swollen because pressure is raised in them. Increased pressure may result from straining to move your bowels, from sitting too long on the toilet, or from other factors such as pregnancy, obesity, or liver disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Hemorrhoids?

The only sign you may notice from internal hemorrhoids is bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Sometimes, however, these veins stretch, and may even fall down (prolapse) through the anus to outside the body (protruding hemorrhoids). (See figure 2.) When this happens, the vein may become irritated and painful.

The set of veins around the anus causes problems when blood clots form in them, and they become large and painful. (These are called thrombosed external…