Any discussion about bleeding hemorrhoids must first begin with a discussion about the two main types of hemorrhoids, internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids. These hemorrhoids are exactly what you might guess from the name alone, internal hemorrhoids are hemroids located within the anal cavity and external hemroids are ones that are located at the opening of the anal canal. Both of these types of hemorrhoids can become bleeding hemorrhoids and vary in their severity.

In the case of internal hemroids, bleeding may be the only symptom present. With a bleeding hemorrhoid, you may notice blood on your tissue paper, in the bowel, or covering the stool itself. Because internal hemorrhoids remain “protected” in the anal canal, they aren’t being subjected to the air, pressure from sitting and rubbing from clothes, so on the whole, they are a lot less painful than external hemorrhoids.

But, just because an internal hemorrhoid isn’t causing you problems doesn’t mean you should ignore it, because left untreated, an internal hemorrhoid can turn into a more serious condition such as a prolapsed or strangulated hemorrhoid. A prolapsed hemorrhoid is when an internal hemorrhoid becomes so inflamed it is forced out the anal opening and a strangulated hemorrhoid is when this prolapsed hemorrhoid then becomes trapped there due to the contracting of the sphincter muscles. Both of these conditions are more serious than a simple than a bleeding hemorrhoid so it’s best to start treating your hemorrhoids immediately.

External hemorrhoids are also prone to be bleeding hemorrhoids, but unlike with internal hemorrhoids if you have external hemorrhoids you’ll have a lot more than bleeding to contend with. External hemorrhoids are more painful and annoying. Common symptoms are bleeding, itching, and pain. In some cases, the external hemorrhoid can actually be seen and felt as a small swelling near the anal opening.

If you think you have bleeding hemorrhoids, it is very important to see a doctor immediately. Any sign of anal bleeding warrants a complete medical exam and this may even include colonoscopy. The reason for this is to rule out any other causes of the bleeding or discomfort, because some serious medical conditions like cancer can also cause these symptoms. It is tempting to just start treating your bleeding hemorrhoid on your and skip the doctor’s visit, but this is an important step that should not be avoided.

In the case of most bleeding hemorrhoids, they are mostly just embarrassing and annoying and not dangerous in any way. Most bleeding hemorrhoids don’t require surgery and are controllable with simple medications and lifestyle changes. So, start taking control of your health and schedule that doctor’s appointment today. The sooner you start treatment, the sooner you can start to feel better and avoid further complications.

A hemorrhoid is simply a vein in the anal region that becomes stressed and then swells up. Because it is then swollen and protruding, it can then become further irritated by passing stools or other daily activities. Think of it sort of like a varicose vein in the anal cavity.

Internal Hemorrhoids

Internal hemorrhoids are exactly what they sound like, hemorrhoids that are located within the anal cavity. Because these hemorrhoids are somewhat protected within the body, they usually don’t exhibit as many symptoms as external hemorrhoids which are a more painful condition. In a lot of cases, people with internal hemorrhoids may not even realize they a hemorrhoid. Internal hemorrhoids may become recognizable if a patient sees blood on tissue paper, in the bowl, or on stools after having a bowel movement. If blood is visible, it is always recommended that you immediately schedule an appointment with a doctor to rule out any other diseases or conditions that can mirror the symptoms of internal hemorrhoids.

It’s also important to treat internal hemorrhoids at the first recognition of symptoms because more serious problems may result if left untreated. When left untreated, internal hemorrhoids may become so swollen that they then protrude from the anal cavity, this can lead to two of the more serious types of hemorrhoids, the strangulated hemorrhoid and the prolapsed hemorrhoid. A prolapsed hemroid is an internal hemorrhoid that gets pushed outside the anal cavity and when this prolapsed hemorrhoid then becomes trapped outside of the anal cavity due to constriction of the anal muscles it is referred to as a strangulated hemorrhoid. Once the hemorrhoid is forced out of the protection provided by the anal cavity they will exhibit more symptoms including pain and discomfort. Still, in most cases surgery usually isn’t required and hemorrhoids are a manageable condition.

External Hemorrhoids

Recognizing external hemorrhoids is much easier than with internal hemorrhoids because you will have a lot more easily recognizable symptoms such as pain, itching, swelling and with external hemorrhoids the actual hemorrhoid can be visually seen or felt as a small bump located near the anal opening. When a blood clot forms in an external hemorrhoid, this is referred to as a thrombosed hemorrhoid and this is felt as a bump and can be extremely painful. In addition, a thrombosed hemorrhoid can turn dark in color and it may also bleed, but even though it looks and feels terrible, the condition usually clears up in 7 – 10 days. If the pain is too much, the thrombosed hemorrhoid can be removed by a doctor.

Regardless of which type of hemorrhoid condition you suffer from, a complete medical exam is always required. Because anal bleeding can be a sympom of some more serious conditions, it is imperative to have a complete exam and not self diagnose. Although potentially embarrassing and painful, hemorrhoids are usually an easily treated condition.