By hemorrhoids the veins around the anus or in the lower rectum are swollen and inflamed.

Hemorrhoids are either inside the anus (internal) or under the skin around the anus (external).

Many anorectal problems, including fissures, fistulae, abscesses, or irritation and itching (pruritus ani), have similar symptoms and are incorrectly referred to as hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids are very seldom dangerous or life threatening. In many cases, hemorrhoidal symptoms will go away within a few days. but they may become persistent or often reappearing.

External and internal hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids inside the rectum and hemorrhoids at or around the rectal opening cause different symptoms:

• Symptoms of internal Hemorrhoids- Bright red blood in your stool and on the toilet paper. However, bleeding from the rectal opening may also be due to more serious diseases, and should be examined by a doctor.
   

• Symptoms of external Hemorrhoids- Itching and burning and sometimes even pain and swelling. 

Symptoms of hemorrhoids

An always present symptom of hemorrhoids is swelling of one or more blood vessels around the anal opening, in the opening, or in the rectal amupulla further inside.  The ampulla is the terminal part of the rectum.  The swelling can be a soft painless lump  or be hard and painfull.  If a person does not have other symptoms than soft swelling, he may not be avare of his hemorrhoids without examining his rectal area or anus with a finger or a mirror.

There may also be hard lumps in the anal region resulting from blood coagulated in the swollen vein, which is called a thrombosed hemorrhoid.

Hemorrhoids can get infected and thereby become inflamed. The inflammation will cause extra swelling.

Hemorrhoids often cause itching, especially when inflamed. But rectal or anal itching is not allways due to hemorrhoids.

The swollen hemorrhoids can rupture,  emptying its content and bleed.

The tears from a ruptured hemorrhoid can be bleeding for an extended time. Bleeding is therefore an important symptom of hemorrhoids. The blood is freshly red. If the blood comming out is not red, it can originate further up in the intestines and are caused by other diseases, sometimes cancer or inflammations.

When healing, the rupture may leave behind itself permanent scarrings or constrictions. The scars can often be felt as small permanent hard or sharp lumps or protrutions.

The most common symptom of internal hemorrhoids is bright red blood covering the stool, on toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl.

An internal hemorrhoid may protrude through the anus outside the body, becoming irritated and painful, which  is called as a protruding hemorrhoid.

What causes hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids may result from factors giving a over-pressure in the colon and rectum such as

Hemorrhoids are very common in both men and women. 33% have the problem before the age of 50, and about half of the population have hemorrhoids by age 50. Hemorrhoids are also common among pregnant women.

Natural prevention of hemhorroids

This is achieved by measures that give the bowel content a soft consistency, but not too soft, and measures to stimulate the vigour of the bowel so it empties regularly. Right stool consistency and necessary bowel vigour is achieved by a combination of measures:

A thorough evaluation by the doctor is important by bleeding from the rectum or blood in the stool. Bleeding may also be a symptom of other digestive diseases, including colorectal cancer.

The doctor will examine the anus and rectum to look for swollen blood vessels that indicate hemorrhoids and will also perform a digital rectal exam with a gloved, lubricated finger to feel for abnormalities.

The rectum may be examined closer with an anoscope, a hollow, lighted tube useful for viewing internal hemorrhoids, or an optical device, proctoscope, useful for more completely examining the entire rectum.

If other  causes of gastrointestinal bleeding is suspected, the doctor may examine the rectum and lower colon (sigmoid) with sigmoidoscopy or the entire colon with colonoscopy. Sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are diagnostic procedures by the use of lighted, flexible tubes inserted through the rectum, furnished with bundles of optical fiber to carry the internal picture to the doctors eye .

To cure hemorrhoids it is først necessary to stop the inflammation and infection and make swollen hemorrhoids shirink. The successful treatment of the infection and  the inflammation will itself help tho shrink the swallen hemorrhoids. Another necessary means to get the swallen tissue shrink is to alleviate the over-pressure in the stomach that makes an excessive pressure in the swalllen blood vessels. Regulating the stomach functions and the bowel movevents to normal patterns will take away the excessive pressure. Without these basic measures, the problem will not get away, even if a henorrhoid is taken away by for example surgery.

Then one mist bring back the tissue to normal structure. The best way to achieve this is by stimmulating the tissue in the blood vessels and the surroundings to heal by itself. When the infections, swellings and over-pressure have been taken care of, the tissue will also often by itself have a great capacity to heal, but the healing can also be stimulated by various means. If that is not successful, several surgicel techiques are available.

Treatment of hemorrhoids with dietary and lifestyle methods

Correct lifestyle habits will allways make it more easy to cure hemorrhoids, and it is sometimes possible to get rid of hemorrhoids only by changing lifestyle habits.

Furthermore, lifestyle regulations are allways necessary to avoid new hemorrhoids to occur, after the original onces have been cured. 

Preventing the recurrence of hemorrhoids will  require relieving excessive pressure in the bowel, avoiding the pressure from straining to get out hard stool, and avoiding the injury that hard stool can do to the rectal mucosa.

Relieving of these physical conditions is also important to prevent the hemorrhoids from getting worse and from protruding out of the rectal opening.

To achieve an even greater effect, doctors may suggest a bulk stool softener or a fiber supplement such as psyllium (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel).