Does hemorrhoids hurt?

Sitting for long periods of time, constipation, and frequent consumption of spicy and greasy foods are all lifestyle habits that may lead to a disease, namely hemorrhoids. There is a saying among the people in my country that "nine out of ten people have hemorrhoids", which shows the high incidence of hemorrhoids in my country. However, many people suffer from hemorrhoids but do not pay enough attention to them. This is mainly because its early symptoms are not obvious. When a patient starts to pay attention to hemorrhoids, it means he is already experiencing pain. So, do hemorrhoids hurt?

Hemorrhoids are a holistic concept, and we cannot simply judge hemorrhoids based on whether it hurts or not. Because hemorrhoids can be divided into three categories: internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids, and mixed hemorrhoids, and the symptoms of these three types of hemorrhoids are different. In addition, in clinical practice, the common symptoms of hemorrhoids are as follows!

1. Blood in stool: Painless, intermittent bleeding after defecation is its characteristic, and is also a common symptom of internal hemorrhoids or mixed hemorrhoids in the early stage. Patients often complain that "blood drips down from the anus after defecation" or "there is blood on the toilet paper."

2. Prolapse of hemorrhoids: This is often a late symptom, with blood in the stool occurring first, followed by prolapse. As the hemorrhoids increase in size, they are squeezed by feces during defecation, gradually separating from the muscle layer and protruding out of the anus.

Initially, it only comes out during defecation and then returns to its original position after defecation. For those with more severe symptoms, the prolapse must be pushed back by hand or rest in bed before it can be restored. For those with more severe symptoms, in addition to prolapse during defecation, it may also occur with any exertion, walking, coughing, sneezing, squatting, etc.

3. Pain: Simple internal hemorrhoids are generally painless, and sometimes only cause a feeling of heaviness in the anus or difficulty in defecation. If the hemorrhoids are inflamed and swollen, there may be thrombosis or incarceration inside, which will cause pain; if they are prolapsed and not repositioned in time, the pain will worsen; if incarceration occurs, there will be ulceration and necrosis, causing inflammation and edema of the skin around the anus, the pain will be severe and the patient will be restless.

4. Mucus outflow: The rectal mucosa is stimulated by hemorrhoids for a long time, causing increased secretions. In the late stage of internal hemorrhoids, secretions often flow out of the anus due to relaxation of the anal sphincter. In mild cases, it will flow out during bowel movements, and in severe cases, it will flow out naturally even without bowel movements. When internal hemorrhoids prolapse, there will be more discharge.

5. Itching: Due to the stimulation of secretions or prolapsed hemorrhoids, the skin around the anus is moist all day long, leading to eczema and itching.

In fact, it is not possible to generalize whether hemorrhoids are painful or not. If the patient is not suffering from an attack, he will not feel any pain. However, once an attack occurs, hemorrhoids can make the patient unable to sit or stand. Therefore, regardless of whether hemorrhoids are painful or not, early treatment is the key to getting rid of it. In addition, hemorrhoid patients must pay attention to avoid spicy and irritating foods.