Hemorrhoids are not a very pleasant thing to have, but fortunately, they aren’t often serious or a danger to your health. Thanks to many modern living conveniences, hemorrhoids have actually become less of an issue over the years. However, they still occur and they still are painful, even if we do have ways of making them less so. Hemorrhoids often occur due to stress, high blood pressure, and being unhygienic.
What are hemorrhoids? Basically, they are swollen, inflamed veins in the anus and the rectum. They often cause a person intense pain, itching, and redness, symptoms that may be made worse by sitting for extended periods of time. There are two different types of hemorrhoids. External hemorrhoids occur when the swollen veins actually protrude outside of the rectum. Internal hemorrhoids, however, occur when the swollen vein forms a lump or several lumps inside the anus. Internal hemorrhoids have several different causes in addition to the usual hemorrhoids issues, including pregnancy. They can also develop shortly after a woman gives birth.
There are a number of different symptoms of internal hemorrhoids. The standard symptoms include anal itching, pain, and aches in this sensitive area. You may also notice blood splatters on the toilet paper and in the toilet when going to the bathroom. There may also be incredible pain when having a bowel movement.
In addition to these common hemorrhoid symptoms, there are a number of other issues you may experience with internal hemorrhoids. While with internal and external hemorrhoids, blood spots may appear on toilet paper after wiping one’s anus. However, unlike with external hemorrhoids, you may experience bleeding and notice blood on toilet paper if you wipe your anus before a bowel movement. You may also have bloody stool with internal hemorrhoids. In serious cases, you may even notice blood leaking from the anus when you’re not having a bowel movement. This is because all of the bleeding is taking place internally.
You may also have some severe difficulty in passing stool because the swollen veins may be blocking the anus. In some cases, the swollen veins may become so engorged that they actually begin to hang out of the anus. This is called a prolapsed hemorrhoid, and it can be easy to mistake an interior prolapsed hemorrhoid as an external hemorrhoid because of this.
You may think that taking a laxative would be the best thing to do when it comes to hemorrhoids. This should make it easier to pass stool, shouldn’t it? Actually, no, taking a laxative is not a good idea with internal hemorrhoids. Many doctors recommend either not using them at all or using them in moderation because loose stool may actually cause your hemorrhoids to worsen. This is because loose stool can irritate the hemorrhoid tissues and can lead to other issues.
When it comes to dealing with internal hemorrhoids, you do have several treatment options. Because internal hemorrhoids can be caused by straining your bowels during a bowel movement, doctors recommend increasing your fiber intake. This is actually one way of preventing hemorrhoids from developing at all. Drinking more water can also help to soften your stool and reduce strain.
Note that blood in the stool may not necessarily mean that you have an internal hemorrhoid. It can also be a symptom of a number of other diseases and illnesses. The only way to truly know the cause of the bloody stool is to see a doctor and have an examination. The doctor will be able to let you know if you have an internal hemorrhoid or if you’re dealing with something else.
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