What Is a Hemorrhoid?

Hemorrhoids are bundles of weakened vascular tissue that protrude through the skin of the wall of the rectum and anus, either inside or outside of the anus. Hemorrhoids can be very painful, irritating and embarrassing. They may also mask or mimic more potentially life-threatening illnesses, including Crohn's disease, colon cancer and colon polyps. If you find any blood in your stool, visit a doctor immediately to rule out more serious illness.
They can be either internal hemorrhoids, which occur on the inner wall of the rectum and are less painful, or external hemorrhoids, which protrude through the muscular ring of the anus.
Either of them can bleed, although internal hemorrhoids can become a protruding hemorrhoid when it begins inside the rectum, but bulges out so far and becomes so large as to protrude outside the anus. These protruding hemorrhoids can be more serious, causing a condition known as strangulation. This is when the vascular tissue twists, causing a cutoff of circulation to the tissue, eventually causing it to die.
Hemorrhoids are typically caused by a poor diet, which in turn causes constipation. Industrial nations have higher incidences of hemorrhoids because of the greater consumption of processed food relative to undeveloped nations, where both refined foods and hemorrhoids are rare.
Modern industrial diets are low in water and fiber, causing the stool to become hard, dense, dry and very irritating to the tissues around the anus. Poor bathroom habits can also contribute to hemorrhoid formation, including waiting too long to go to the bathroom after the urge, sitting too long on the toilet after defecating, and too much or too little washing in the area.
Liver problems caused by smoking, drinking and overuse of prescription and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can all contribute to the formation of hemorrhoids, as can parasites and dysbiosis, or the wrong bacterial living in the gut.
Hemorrhoids are more common in aging populations, with one study estimated that half of the population will experience hemorrhoids by age 50.
Hemorrhoids can also be caused or exacerbated by pregnancy. Hemorrhoids during pregnancy can create severe complications during childbirth, because the force of giving birth greatly increases the pressure on the hemorrhoids, potentially causing them to rupture and bleed or become much larger.
Treatment for hemorrhoids is often not necessary, and will resolve spontaneously when underlying causes are eliminated. Typically, eating a more nutritious, high-fiber and water-rich diet, eliminating parasites, smoking, alcohol and drugs will alleviate the problem. Some evidence, including numerous case studies, suggests some hemorrhoids can be treated with non-invasive methods, including over-the-counter creams as well as acupuncture. Chronic bleeding hemorrhoids with complications may require surgical intervention.