Internal Hemorrhoid

An internal hemorrhoid is the most common type of hemorrhoids. Internal hemorrhoids bulge inside the anal canal which does not have a lot of nerve endings but the tissue is quite delicate.

Hard bowel movements rip and tear the anal walls but you cannot feel this because of the lack of nerve endings. The internal swellings do bleed though and when the bright red blood appears after a bowel movement it is a real concern to people. They see the blood and wonder where it came from. They feel no pain and then begin wondering if there is something bleeding inside that will cause them extreme problems. They can become upset because they are not sure where the blood is coming from there.

Causes

Internal hemorrhoids are caused by the stress on the hemorrhoidal cushions lining at the rectum. These are big and stretchy veins and it is these cushions that trigger the message that it is time to have a bowel movements.

Part of the preparation for the bowel movement is that the anus expands and the elastic sphincter loosens so that when the bowel movement gets to the anus, it is not a problem for the rectum to stretch to accommodate thick stools without tearing the tissues. When the bowel movement is over, the cushions are supposed to return to their normal size.

If you are constipated, the hard stools can stay pressing against the swollen cushions and sometimes with enough straining, pass through. But in this process the elastic can stretch too much and not return to the normal position. Also, if this happens too often, the tissue can stretch like an overinflated balloon creating weak sections in the mucosa tissue. This stretched out area is thin and eventually it will fill up with blood. This is an internal hemorrhoid.

There is a certain dichotomy here as well because the opposite condition, diarrhea, can also cause internal hemorrhoids.

Diarrhea keeps a person sitting on the toilet for a lot of time – either for long periods of time or frequent short periods of time. The constant diarrhea keeps the cushions opening and closing which also puts pressure on the elasticity of the tissue. As well being on the toilet a lot takes away all the support of the area so your anal canal is only supported by tendons and there is no muscle support for the cushions which are busily keeping your anal area relaxed for the bowel movement.

How To Prevent?

Other things that exacerbate the problem is a lot of wiping after a bowel movement, wiping with dyed toilet paper, clothing that constricts the area, and sitting for hours on end. All these things conspire to create internal hemorrhoids. These are common as noted but also the harder ones to treat as most over the counter medications are for external hemorrhoids. The easiest way to deal with internal hemorrhoids is to avoid them by drinking lots of water – at least eight glasses a day -- and eating foods high in fiber to keep the anal canal from being overworked.

Explore More:

Best Hemorrhoid Removal 2012

Review Top 20 Hemorrhoid Product Reviews and Share Your Experience

Read more relevant post at our Articles page