Do You Really Have Hemorrhoids?
Here’s the thing: you feel a little (or not so little) lump around your anal opening; it hurts when you pass stool; and you see blood in the toilet bowl when you are done.
And you think that these are all signs that you have piles – and bleeding piles at that.
But do you really have hemorrhoids, or is your condition something else altogether? The truth is: hemorrhoids are a lot more common than you think. Almost 1 in every 5 Americans will suffer from one type of piles at least once in their lives. However, internal hemorrhoids are often painless and undetectable under ocular inspection. It would take more sophisticated and invasive diagnostic procedures to detect the onset of internal hemorrhoids.
When the internal hemorrhoid “slips” out of the anal opening (called protruding hemorrhoid) or when it forms outside the anal canal (called external hemorrhoid), then these become both painful and troublesome. These are actually the more commonly known forms of piles, simply because the person sees and feels the visible lump that accompanies each bowel movement.
But even then, you really need to ask, “Do you really have hemorrhoids?” We all know that having hemorrhoids is not a life-threatening condition, and there are some people who are embarrassed to go to the doctor for “inspection” regarding this area.
However, there really is a need to consult the doctor, especially when the problem is: recurring; does not heal or go away shortly after; or when it is accompanied by bleeding. Hemorrhoids may not be a “big” issue in terms of relativity, but cancer and sexually transmitted diseases are. So yes, the need to consult the doctor and ask, “Do you really have hemorrhoids?” is imperative.
Here are some indications of hemorrhoids that may also be indications for other medical (and even life-threatening) conditions.
Bleeding or any sign of blood and abnormal discharge when you do number 2 is a great indication that you need to go to the doctor ASAP. There are internal hemorrhoids that bleed, and some of them can heal in about 2 or 3 days time. Nonetheless, blood in the stool is also a good indicator of colorectal cancer, rectal injury or bleeding ulcers in any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Yellow or white watery discharges with the bloody stool are indicators of parasites in your system; or worse, the onset of one or more sexually transmitted diseases. Black or brown or any dark tar-like discharge is an indicator of possible cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases or other digestive disorders.
Chronic and persistent itching is sometimes associated with hemorrhoids. In fact, irritation of this kind in the rectum can cause the onset of external hemorrhoids. But itching can also be caused by allergies, diabetes, dry skin, parasites, stress or other forms of skin diseases.
Pain, especially prior, during and long after bowel movement may be experienced when a person has hemorrhoids. And this pain may either be spastic, throbbing or mere tenderness of the afflicted area. However, these are also indications for anal abscess, anal fissures, rectal fistulas or rectal infection due to a trapped foreign object.
Swellings, lumps, bulges or any kind of unusual protrusion especially around the anal opening are indicators too of hemorrhoids. However, these are also indicators for abnormal skin conditions, cancer, fistulas, rectal abscess, and sexually transmitted diseases.