What are the symptoms of hemorrhoids

symptom

About 40% of hemorrhoids have no symptoms.

The most common symptoms are bleeding, perianal itching, pain, and prolapse. These symptoms may occur occasionally or repeatedly.

The location, type and severity of hemorrhoids determine the type, severity and duration of the above symptoms.

Early symptoms

Patients often have no symptoms in the early stages.

Typical symptoms

Internal hemorrhoids

The main manifestations are bleeding and prolapse of hemorrhoids. Fresh blood is the most common after intermittent defecation, and generally no pain. The blood is bright red, covering the surface of the stool at the end of the bowel movement, sometimes dripping. In severe cases, it can be manifested as jet-like bleeding. Due to chronic blood loss, some patients will experience symptoms related to anemia, such as dizziness and fatigue.

Small internal hemorrhoids will not increase significantly in the short term;

Large internal hemorrhoids may protrude from the anus, and severely need to be manually pushed back from the anus after defecation;

Some hemorrhoids prolapse from the anus and do not retract in time and become stuck. The blood supply of the hemorrhoids is interrupted, which is called "strangulated hemorrhoids", causing tissue necrosis and even infection, accompanied by severe pain.

According to the clinical manifestations of internal hemorrhoids, the following classifications are made:

Classification

main performance 

Ⅰ degree

Bleeding, dripping or paper with blood during defecation, bleeding stopped after defecation; no prolapse of hemorrhoids.

Ⅱ degree

Hemorrhoids prolapse during defecation, and they can retract by themselves after defecation, which may be accompanied by bleeding.

Ⅲ degree

Hemorrhoids come out of the anus during defecation or standing for a long time, coughing, fatigue, or weight-bearing, and the hemorrhoids need to be pushed back into position with hand assistance, which may be accompanied by bleeding.

Ⅳ degree

Hemorrhoids prolapse can not be pushed back to position by hand, or prolapse after resetting, which may be accompanied by bleeding.

external hemorrhoids

The main manifestations are anal discomfort, persistent dampness and uncleanness, sometimes itching, and exposure of hemorrhoids. If it is accompanied by inflammation, the perianal pain is obvious. Sometimes blood pools under the skin to form painful masses called "thrombotic hemorrhoids" or "coagulated hemorrhoids". These hemorrhoids are prone to bleeding and are accompanied by severe pain.

Mixed hemorrhoids

Both internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids are present at the same time. Internal hemorrhoids are mostly mixed hemorrhoids when they develop to degree Ⅲ or higher. Mixed hemorrhoids gradually worsen and protrude outside the anus in a ring shape, which is called "circular hemorrhoids". If the prolapsed hemorrhoids cannot be restored to the anus in time, it can cause "strangulated hemorrhoids" or "incarcerated hemorrhoids", which may cause edema, blood stasis, and even necrosis, often accompanied by severe pain.

Accompanying symptoms

In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms directly caused by hemorrhoids, it may also be accompanied by perianal skin irritation, itching, discomfort, perianal fullness, and mild fecal incontinence.

Skin irritation and itching are caused by the mucous secretions of the hemorrhoids; discomfort, perianal fullness, and fecal incontinence are caused by the hemorrhoids of the anal canal, and may still have a bowel movement after defecation.