Symptoms and Signs*

Identify them!

-Rectal bleeding: Finding traces of bright red blood in your stools, toilet paper or toilet bowl.

-Thrombosis: Blood clots that can cause great pain and last for a week. It can heal, but leave a skin tag outside the anus. Requires immediate medical attention.

-Prolapse and protusion: The enlargement of an internal hemorrhoid brings a bulge out of the anus orifice.

-Seepage of feces and mucus: The anal sphincter is unable to stay close.

-Inflammation and swelling: Particularly painful in case of external hemorrhoids.

-Itchiness (pruritus ani): Produced by the moistening secretions of the rectal lining. The excess of rubbing and harsh cleaning may worsen this.

-Incarceration: The protrusion of the anus can not be pushed back inside

Exception: Internal hemorrhoids may be painless due to absence of visceral nerves, nerves of the intestines that do not sense pain.

(*) Itching, irritation, fissures, abscesses, and other symptoms not necessarily mean hemorrhoids; they may be symptoms of other anal complications.

How is the diagnosis?

In the section symptoms and signs we have mentioned one of the most conspicuous indicators of hemorrhoids: Anal bleeding after a bowel movement and the protrusion of a hemorrhoid.

The physician realizes the diagnosis through the brush up of your medical history to identify the precise symptoms of the disease; the examination of the anus and the anal canal. A rectal examination will help to exclude any type of cancer.

For internal hemorrhoids, doctors realize a deeper observation through anoscopy, a lubricated tube that is inserted in the anus. It is also use to diagnose fissures.

Anoscopy can be practiced indirectly through a mirror when the patient is sitting down on the toilet. This method helps find out if there is being produce a strain and what type it is.

A biopsy of the anal skin may be requested.

Whether if they are hemorrhoids or not, if you have presented bleeding, there may be required a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to examine the portion of the colon above the rectum to find the cause.