Symptoms

Bright red blood after you poo
Itchy anus
Pain around anus
Lumps around your anus
Pain
Discomfort
Bloody stools

What To Expect

The disease initially develops unnoticed. Complaints usually only appear in advanced stages. A distinction is made between four stages. Although many people have enlarged haemorrhoids, they are still completely free of complaints and symptoms. This is especially true in the early stages of the disease. If the haemorrhoids continue to grow, a burning pain or an unpleasant itching of the anus may occur. Sometimes they lead to a feeling of a foreign body or weeping spots on the irritated skin. Often, light red blood appears on the stool or toilet paper during bowel movement.

Made Worse By

There are now various theories about the factors that promote their development and the expansion of blood vessels in the rectum. One of these factors is repeated heavy pressing during bowel movements. Especially people with chronic constipation tend to do so. This is why they suffer particularly often from haemorrhoids. Constipation is usually caused by a low-fibre diet, lack of exercise and/or insufficient fluid intake. Just like heavy pressing during bowel movements, lifting heavy loads also causes increased pressure in the abdomen. Having to carry heavy loads on a regular basis can therefore also promote hemorrhoidal disease. Another possible cause of haemorrhoids is frequent diarrhoea: if you constantly only have thin stools, the sensitive closure system of the anus is not sufficiently trained. As a result, the arteries in the hemorrhoidal cushion can dilate. Circumstances that hinder the flow of blood from the erectile tissue can also contribute to the development of haemorrhoids. These include pregnancy, overweight and sitting jobs.

How Common

It is estimated that about half of all people over the age of 30 are affected by hemorrhoidal disease. Men are affected significantly more often than women, although pregnancy increases the risk of haemorrhoids.

Diagnosed By

The doctor will ask for a detailed description of the haemorrhoid complaints and the habits of those affected. During physical examination, haemorrhoids in an advanced stage are immediately recognizable from the outside because the bulges extend beyond the anus. Early stages, on the other hand, can only be detected with a reflection of the rectum (proctoscopy / rectoscopy). For this purpose, the intestine must have been thoroughly emptied beforehand. Palpation with the finger also gives the doctor an image of the condition of the region between the rectum and the sphincter muscle. Under certain circumstances, the family doctor may refer his patient to a specialist for a detailed examination. In this case, this is usually a gastroenterologist or a proctologist.