What Are Internal Hemorrhoids?

The are two types of hemorrhoids, or piles; internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids. All hemorrhoids are basically the same thing: swollen blood vessels, veins to be exact, around the rectum or anus.

Basically if the swollen vein is located inside the rectum and can not be felt we call it an internal hemorrhoid. If the swollen are is outside the anal canal we refer to it as an external hemorrhoid.

Sometimes internal hemorrhoids become so swollen that they can actually “pop” outside the rectum and can be seen or felt. This usually occurs while straining to have a bowel movement. Sometimes this is the first indication that you have internal hemorrhoids.

Since the lining of your anal canal has very few nerve endings internal hemorrhoids can go undetected for a longer period of time than external hemorrhoids since there is normally not any pain associated with them.

For many people the first indication that there’s a problem is bright red blood on your stool or your toilet tissue caused by bleeding hemorrhoids.

Symptoms of hemorrhoids can also be a dull pain during bowel movements or constipation.

What Causes Internal Hemorrhoids?

The majority of hemorrhoids are caused by straining during a bowel movement. When you go to the bathroom the lining of your rectum fills with blood to help you by increasing the pressure in the wall or our rectum. Straining can cause to much pressure in these blood vessels and, voila, you develop hemorrhoids.

Dangers Of Internal Hemorrhoids

While the potential for uncontrolled bleeding does exist most times the bleeding is short term and stops on it’s own. The real danger of internal hemorrhoids is if you develop a “prolapsed hemorrhoid”.

A “prolapsed” hemorrhoids happens when the swollen blood vessel extends outside of the rectum. If the protusion is not pushed back they can become even more inflamed or worse yet: they may become entrapped and the blood supply to them cut off.

Besides being very painful this is a situation that requires medical attention. A simple treatment of hemorrhoids now becomes a trip to the doctor.

Interestingly enough the majority of hemorrhoid cases can be treated without any medical attention and usually the only hemorrhoid treatment required is that one makes some changes to their habits. The first of which is to stop straining during bowel movements.

Know that the only real cure for hemorrhoids is prevention therefore the next step is to figure out why you’re straining in the first place and fix that internal hemorrhoids problem.