About Hemorrhoidal Discomfort

Hemorrhoidal discomfort happens when your hemorrhoids become swollen, dilated and inflamed. You may experience pain, itching, irritation, burning, and sometimes bleeding. If any of this sounds familiar, don’t worry, you’re not alone. About 80% of Canadians experience hemorrhoidal discomfort at some point in their lives³.

Internal Hemorrhoids originate inside the rectum and are typically mild. You may not even know they're there unless hemorrhoids start to bleed. Straining can push them out. This is called a prolapse, and may cause irritation and itching.

External Hemorrhoids are often more of a bummer. Usually, this condition presents itself as round, purple “soft swellings” that develop under the skin just outside the opening of the anus that are tender to the touch. Due to this location, it can be hard to keep the area clean which leads to itching. If a blood clot forms inside a hemorrhoid, the pain can be sudden and severe. They can be especially painful during a bowel movement.

The good news is, hemorrhoidal discomfort is a common and manageable condition with many treatment options.

Sources:

¹ https://www.fairview.org/patient-education/87071

² Schubert, MC; Sridhar, S; Schade, RR; Wexner, SD (July 2009). "What every gastroenterologist needs to know about common anorectal disorders". World J Gastroenterol. 15 (26): 3201–09. doi:10.3748/wjg.15.3201. ISSN 1007-9327. PMC 2710774. PMID 19598294.

³http://www.cdhf.ca/en/statistics