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Types of Hemorrhoids: An Overview

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Hemorrhoids occur when veins in your rectum dilate and become swollen. Blood pools in the swelling veins, making your veins stretch into your rectal and anal tissue membranes. Often times hemorrhoids can feel quite uncomfortable. While you can’t always see or feel a hemorrhoid, when they fill with blood and enlarge, they can look and feel like a small knob or lump.

Hemorrhoids are extremely common, affecting millions of people across the United States. In fact, the vast majority of people who have hemorrhoids do not even know they have them. While a small number of people have symptoms, an even smaller amount seeks out treatment. 

What Causes Hemorrhoids?

While doctors often do not know why certain people end up having hemorrhoids, many people end up with them following an increase in pressure on the veins in the rectum area. Things that may cause this type of pressure include:

  • Constipation followed by straining during bowel movements
  • Sitting on the toilet for extended periods of time
  • Diarrhea and overuse of laxatives
  • Pregnancy (when the baby puts pressure on your veins, or while pushing during childbirth), and 
  • Sitting for extended periods of time during long air flights, road trips, or in office work environments that are highly sedentary. 

Hemorrhoids tend to be more likely if you do not get enough fiber in your diet, and if you are overweight. They are also more common with age.

The majority of adults will experience a hemorrhoid at some point in life. While all hemorrhoids are similar, there are some variations. Follow along to learn more about the different kinds of hemorrhoids.

Common Types of Hemorrhoids

1. Internal Hemorrhoids are a type of hemorrhoid that is located inside your rectum. Oftentimes they are not visible, and frequently they disappear without any treatment. Some of the time, an internal hemorrhoid may swell up and when this happens, it may rise out of your anus. When this occurs it is referred to as a prolapsed hemorrhoid.

Many times you do not even know if you have an internal hemorrhoid because there aren’t nerves that identify pain in this part of your body. It may be something that comes to your attention when your physician makes note of it following a colonoscopy or childbirth. If hemorrhoids expand in size, you may experience more symptoms that are typical of larger hemorrhoids. This can include a protrusion that you can actually feel as a soft lump, along with burning, cutting or itching sensations and sometimes severe pain.

When you go to the bathroom, feces passing through your rectal area may agitate internal hemorrhoids which can cause some bleeding that you may see on toilet paper. Please note: Any kind of rectal bleeding can be a sign of other more serious health problems, so it is always advisable to discuss this symptom with your doctor.

2. Prolapsed Hemorrhoid is a term used to describe internal hemorrhoids that have swollen and may appear outside of your anus. This type of hemorrhoid, which appears like a swollen lump, may be visible with a mirror. Some people do not experience any symptoms with prolapsed hemorrhoids, while others 

Often physicians are able to assign a grade to a prolapsed hemorrhoid, depending on severity. 

  • Grade one hemorrhoids are not prolapsed in any way.
  • Grade two hemorrhoids are prolapsed but also retract on their own. They may protrude from your anus at certain times like if you are straining during a bowel movement.
  • Grade three prolapsed hemorrhoids stick out of your anus and require you to push them back in yourself. It is possible if you are experiencing this, you may want to consider some type of treatment to avoid possible infections and/or to limit discomfort.
  • Grade four hemorrhoids are large enough that you cannot easily manually push them back into your anus without a significant amount of pain and discomfort. In these cases, it is highly advisable that you consult with your physician to explore treatment options.

3. External Hemorrhoids appear on your anus. You can’t always see them, but if you are able, they tend to appear like lumps. External hemorrhoids are typically not a serious issue, unless they cause you discomfort that negatively affects your daily life. The symptoms of external hemorrhoids tend to be similar to other types, including pain while going to the bathroom – especially if straining, doing certain activities, and sitting (especially on hard surfaces) for prolonged periods.

4. Thrombosed Hemorrhoids can cause people a lot of discomfort. This type of hemorrhoid contains a thrombosis or a blood clot within the tissue of the hemorrhoid. They often look and feel like small lumps around your anus. Thrombosed hemorrhoids are complications associated with hemorrhoids where blood clots appear. They can happen with both external and internal hemorrhoids, though more commonly with external. If you are experiencing one, you may have difficulty sitting, walking or going to the bathroom without discomfort. You may also notice redness along with a blue color around the hemorrhoid area.

If you are experiencing discomfort from hemorrhoids, the experienced team of medical professionals at Gastroenterology Health Partners is here for you using the most advanced treatment options available. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Gastroenterology Health Partners today at a location near you. 

Hemorrhoid Banding: What to Expect

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Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower rectum or anus. They can cause bleeding, itching, and pain. While most hemorrhoids resolve with home treatment, some can be harder to get rid of. There are several non-invasive treatments for hemorrhoids. In cases of highly symptomatic hemorrhoids, banding is one approach that can help. Here’s what you need to know about hemorrhoid banding.

When Hemorrhoid Banding is used

As mentioned above, in cases of highly symptomatic hemorrhoids, hemorrhoid banding (sometimes called rubber band ligation) may be used. These symptoms include severe pain, severe bleeding, prolapsing (protrusion through the anus), and hemorrhoids with blood clots. Hemorrhoid banding is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that cuts off the hemorrhoid’s blood supply. Eventually, the hemorrhoid falls off as a loss of blood supply.

Before the Procedure

In the days leading up to the procedure, your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medications. These include ibuprofen, aspirin, or any other drug that makes it difficult for blood to clot. Your doctor may also perform some diagnostics prior to the procedure to identify the hemorrhoid and its state. This may include a physical examination, a rectal examination, a sigmoidoscopy, or an anoscopy.

During the Hemorrhoid Banding Procedure

The entire hemorrhoid banding procedure only takes about five minutes. During the procedure, your doctor will place a tube-like instrument in your anus so they can examine the hemorrhoid. They will then put a tight rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid. This cuts off the blood supply. You may experience some discomfort during the procedure.

After the procedure

After your doctor performs the hemorrhoid banding, your doctor will advise you regarding recovery and may schedule a checkup or another appointment. You may need multiple bandings to remove a hemorrhoid. Hemorrhoids may take around a week to fall off after a successful banding procedure.

In the days following your procedure, you may have some difficulty with controlling bowel movements and passing gas. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do at home to help with this. For one, make sure you move your bowels right when you feel the urge to do so. Do not sit on the toilet for long periods of time, and don’t strain during bowel movements. To avoid constipation and straining, eat lots of fiber, stay hydrated, and exercise. Additionally, you should avoid heavy lifting for two or three weeks.

While serious complications are rare with this procedure, there are a few signs to look out for after your hemorrhoid banding. These include any signs of infection (like fever or chills), passing a lot of blood, having uncontrollable pain, having trouble urinating, and developing an aching feeling between the rectum and genitals. Call your doctor if any of these symptoms develop.

Our experienced team at GHP has years of experience performing hemorrhoid banding. We can help establish the best plan of care for your situation. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and schedule an appointment today.

Hemorrhoid Banding

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Believe it or not, hemorrhoids are a common health concern. The condition affects 75% of people at some point in their lives. While home remedies or topical creams are popular go-to treatment options, they only provide temporary relief. It is typical for example, for a person to suffer from recurrent symptoms and fare-ups after the use of over the counter products. Many patients even avoid seeking further treatment due to fear, embarrassment or a general lack of awareness.

While there are a number of non-invasive methods for treating hemorrhoids, at Gastroenterology Health Partners, we believe in a patient-focused approach. Our clinical team of 21 fellowship-trained Gastroenterologists and 13 advanced practice clinicians are able to remove internal hemorrhoids in a comfortable environment by utilizing the most effective and proven method of hemorrhoid banding available.

What is Hemorrhoid Banding?

Hemorrhoid banding is a non-surgical, quick and painless treatment option. Also known as rubber band ligation, it works by treating the root of the hemorrhoid while eliminating any symptoms. As internal hemorrhoids are made up of swollen blood vessels inside the rectum, patients are often unaware that they have them until they present symptoms such as pain, itching or bleeding.

Our advanced non-surgical treatment option takes just under a minute to perform. It requires no sedation or pain medication, and is covered by most insurance plans. Most patients experience a low rate of hemorrhoid recurrence and return to work the same day as treatment.

How does it work?

A single use, gentle suction device places a specialized rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid where there are no pain-sensitive nerve endings. This band effectively cuts off the blood flow to the hemorrhoid, immediately relieving symptoms. Within a few days, both the band and the hemorrhoid shrink and fall off on their own accord. Often without the patient even noticing.

This particular method of hemorrhoid banding is safer and less invasive than other more traditional banding procedures that utilize larger instruments, or require fasting and sedation before treatment. When using our hemorrhoid banding procedure, less than 1% of patients report complications compared to other rubber band ligation methods where complications can occur in 20-50% of patients.

The signs and symptoms of hemorrhoids are similar to other more serious conditions. Therefore, it’s important that one consults with their doctor before seeking treatment. If not caught early on, hemorrhoids can worsen over time. In order to best prevent hemorrhoids in the future, avoid straining during bowel movements. Drinking plenty of water, getting the correct amount of daily fiber and not sitting for prolonged periods are also recommended.

If you are experiencing some of the signs and symptoms of hemorrhoids, contact Gastroenterology Health Partners today. Each of our five locations in the Louisville, Lexington and Southern Indiana area offer expert specialization in gastrointestinal care. Just visit our website to schedule an appointment at the location most convenient to you.