Hemorrhoids

Facts about hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are veins that are located at the opening of the anus. These veins fill up with blood with bowel movements to help “cushion” the bowel movement. With time these veins dilate up and can begin to stick out from the anus. There are two different types of hemorrhoids. External (outside) hemorrhoids are covered with skin and develop blood clots. This leads to inflammation and pain. Internal (inside) hemorrhoids swell up and break, causing bleeding. Because these are located on the inside, they have no pain fibers and usually do not cause pain. Hemorrhoids do not lead to cancer.

Illustration showing normal veins and Hemorrhoids