Hemorrhoids Symptoms

The most common symptoms of hemorrhoids (also haemorrhoids or piles) are:

A feeling of itchiness or other discomfort, such as soreness, around the anus.
Bleeding from the anus during or after defecation. Bright red fresh blood appears on the feces, in the toilet pan, and on the toilet paper.
A need to strain excessively during defecation, to force the feces past the obstruction caused by the hemorrhoids.
A feeling of pain from the anal region, particularly during defecation.
A discharge or seepage of fecal matter or mucus from the anus for some time after defecation. This is caused by incomplete closure of the anus due to the swollen hemorrhoids, especially while prolapsed.
A continual or prolonged feeling that the bowels are still full and need emptying, even after they have just been emptied.
Lumps appear in or around the anus, particularly after defecation. These lumps are typically fairly soft and may disappear of their own accord after a while. Hard lumps are an indication that the hemorrhoids have become thrombosed.

Not all people with hemorrhoids experience all of these symptoms, and many do not have any symptoms at all, particularly during the earlier stages of development, or those with grade I internal hemorrhoids (those that do not prolapse).

However, other, potentially more serious conditions can produce similar symptoms. You should therefore always consult your doctor )or a similarly qualified medical professional) to confirm that you have hemorrhoids before starting to treat yourself.

In This Section:

Hemorrhoids Basics

Hemorrhoids Symptoms