How do hemorrhoids affect the body?

Donna Hill Howes, RN

Family Practitioner

Hemorrhoids - swollen veins in your rectum and anus - can affect your body in different ways. The mucus discharge that occurs with some hemorrhoids may make you feel as if you haven't fully emptied your rectum after a bowel movement. In other cases, the hemorrhoids that form around your anus - external hemorrhoids - can collect excess blood, develop a clot, and cause intense pain.

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Hemorrhoids. Not a popular topic, unless you’re desperate for a way to get rid of them. How can you find relief from painful, itchy hemorrhoids that c...

If you have hemorrhoids, see your regular doctor first. Read more from our contributors.

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are very common, with half of the US population over 50 having at one time consulted a doctor about these painful, itchy, sometimes bleeding bumps along the anus. They are bunches of enlarged veins, external ones that you feel as bumps or internal ones that occasionally protrude through the rectum. If you strain frequently, perhaps due to constipation, or lift heavy weights you may cause them. Typical symptoms include bright red blood drops. They can make it hurt to clean properly after a bowel movement. Increasing fiber and fluid intake can help prevent hemorrhoids. Minor hemorrhoids may be treated with lubrication and use of stool softeners. Doctors may use an instrument to put rubber bands around them to make them clot or fall off, inject them with a clotting agent, use infrared light to heat clot, or surgery for removal.

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How do hemorrhoids affect the body?

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