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What are the symptoms of hemorrhoids?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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Many people feel pain in the anus, but can not answer the question of what disease they suffer. What is it, hemorrhoids or, perhaps, a completely different disease? What are the symptoms of hemorrhoids?

If you notice any of the following symptoms, you probably may have hemorrhoids

  • Bleeding during defecation
  • Speech part of the rectum during defecation
  • Itching in the anal region
  • Pain in the anal region
  • Sensitive anus tissues

What are the most common symptoms of hemorrhoids?

There are two types of nerves in the anal canal area, visceral nerves (above the dentate line) and somatic nerves (below the dentate line). Somatic nerves qualify as the nerves of the skin and they are able to feel pain. Visceral nerves qualify as nerves of the intestine and they do not feel pain, but only pressure. Therefore, the nodes of the hemorrhoids that are above the dentate line, as a rule, are painless.

When anal pads (knots, cones) of internal hemorrhoids continue to expand, it looks like a swelling in the anal canal. This can even include part of the shell of the rectum above, which loses its fixation and protrudes from the anus. This condition is called the prolapsing of internal hemorrhoids.

In the anal canal area, hemorrhoids are injured due to stiff stools, in particular, hard stools associated with constipation. Trauma can cause bleeding, and sometimes pain, when the stool comes out of the anus.

Details about the symptoms of hemorrhoids

Rectal lining, which extends from the anus downwards, secrete mucus, moistening the anus and the skin around it. The chair can also go out to the anal skin area. The presence of stools and constant moisture can lead to anal itching, although itching is not a common symptom of hemorrhoids. In prolapse, hemorrhoids usually return to the anal canal or rectum, or can be pushed in by a finger, but this prolapse returns again with the next movement of the intestine.

Less often, hemorrhoids protrude from the anus and can not be pushed back into the rectum, a condition called imprisonment of hemorrhoid movements. In conclusion, hemorrhoids can have a blood supply that is removed with compression of the anal sphincter, and blood vessels and hemorrhoidal cushions that can collapse are a condition called gangrene. Gangrene requires medical treatment.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

System of gradation of hemorrhoids

System of gradation of hemorrhoids

For convenience in describing the severity of internal hemorrhoids, many doctors use a grading system

  1. Hemorrhoids of the first degree: hemorrhoids, which can be characterized by hemorrhage, but it is not detected.
  2. Hemorrhoids of the second degree: Hemorrhoids with prolapse of hemorrhoids (without bleeding or with it).
  3. The third degree of hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids with prolapse of cones, which can be pushed back inside with a finger.
  4. Hemorrhoids of the fourth degree: Hemorrhoids with prolapse of cones, which can not be pushed inside with a finger.

Hemorrhoids of the fourth degree can also include thrombi containing blood clots that fall out of the rectum through the anus.

It should be taken into account that the symptoms of external hemorrhoids look and manifest differently than the symptoms of internal hemorrhoids.

Differences in external and internal hemorrhoids

External hemorrhoids can be felt like blisters on the anus, but they usually cause some of the symptoms typical of internal hemorrhoids. This probably occurs because the cones of hemorrhoids are located low in the anal canal area and have little effect on the function of the anus, especially the anal sphincter.

External hemorrhoids can cause problems when blood clots are located inside the cones. This is called thrombosis. Thrombosis - the external causes of hemorrhoids - is a very painful condition, if a hard lump of fecal matter passes through the anus. The pain arises from the somatic nerves and often requires medical attention. In the case of thrombosis with hemorrhoids, it can be cured by cutting out areas of the skin protruding from the anus.

Sometimes, at most, what can be done to treat hemorrhoids is anal hygiene (anus cleaning), when it becomes difficult for hemorrhoids due to pain or irritation of the anus.

trusted-source[8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14]

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