You go to the bathroom one day and do your business. When you wipe, however, you notice that there is a spot of bright red blood on the toilet paper. If you’re like most people, you immediately become extremely concerned that there is something seriously wrong with you. You start to wonder if you have cancer or some other incurable disease. Chances, however, are high that if you find a bright red blood spot on your toilet paper when you wipe, it is merely due to hemorrhoids.
What Are Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids occur when the blood vessels that are in the tissue that surrounds the anus fill with blood causing the area to swell and become painful. They can occur in anyone of any age and may be either internal or external. Internal hemorrhoids are occasionally hard to diagnose yourself, as there are no real physical symptoms of the condition unless the hemorrhoid has gotten so large that it pops out of the anus. External hemorrhoids, however, can be diagnosed by an individual very simply, although the hemorrhoid treatment options may vary.
External Hemorrhoids
Most people who have hemorrhoids suffer from external hemorrhoids. External hemorrhoids occur when the blood vessels that lie directly outside of the anus in the tissue that surrounds the muscle get swollen. The condition can be extremely painful, especially if the hemorrhoids are allowed to grow to a large size and are not treated properly.
Symptoms
There are a number of different symptoms that indicate that you may have external hemorrhoids. The first is, of course, bleeding from the rectum. It is always a good idea to get any bleeding from the rectum checked out by your physician, but in most instances the condition is caused by external hemorrhoids.
Itching is another common symptom of external hemorrhoids and the reason why people go out looking for hemorrhoid treatment. Some people believe that they get hemorrhoids, and itching, because they haven’t wiped well enough. This is definitely not the case. Hemorrhoids are most commonly caused by straining when you’re having a bowel movement. When you are having a hard time having a movement, you may tend to strain. Straining may cause the body to create hemorrhoids, which can be painful while you’re having a bowel movement, often causing the person to strain more and to cause the hemorrhoids to get even worse.
Treatments
There are a number of different types of hemorrhoid treatment that you can look into when you have the condition, and those who suffer from external hemorrhoids can often treat the condition on their own, at home, without having to seek a doctor’s advice; just make sure you take care of the problem as soon as you become aware of it.