Hemorrhoidal cushions are actually a natural part of the anal canal that helps in controlling the flow of stool. It is also responsible in telling our brain when bowel movement is imminent. Furthermore, it protects the sensitive nerves and tissues of the anal canal from damage from the abrasiveness of our daily expelling. It is actually soft and flexible, capable of contracting and expanding at a moment’s notice to accommodate the body’s needs. However, due to various factors, the hemorrhoidal cushion may be damaged and start swelling, which is when hemorrhoids occur.
There are various ways to detect whether or not you have this condition. The first and easiest indication is when you experience greater pain when you pass stool. Oftentimes, this is accompanied by blood mixing in with the stool or the water. The second indication is when you are uncomfortable or feel itchiness in your rectum from the swelling. The third, but not always occurring, is if you’re experiencing constipation or diarrhea. Since the cushions control your bowel movement, any damage that occurs within it would affect the manner you control the outflow of stool.
There are actually two types of hemorrhoids: the internal and the external. We’ll be focusing on the former rather than the latter.
Internal hemorrhoids are found inside the lining of the rectum and usually cannot be felt until you delve about ½ inch from the anus. These are actually painless since they are found in the rectal lining which lacks nerve endings. This disease, if left untreated, can actually extend into a prolapse. Prolapse is simply a medical term used to indicate that something has fallen out of place. In this case, it is the swollen rectal lining. Sometimes, if the prolapse is extended enough, the anus might spasm and cut off its blood supply in which it becomes strangulated and causes extreme pain. There are actually several grades of internal hemorrhoids depending on the severity and length of prolapse.
Different Grades of Internal Hemorrhoids
Grade One: You don’t even realize you have the disease considering that you feel no pain and there is no prolapse to indicate that you are afflicted with it unless there is some itching or blood in your stool. Normally the enlarged veins are not so distended that they are still just bumps along the rectal lining.
Grade Two: This is when the swollen veins start to become extended and a prolapse appears. The prolapse can be felt as a foreign object during bowel movement but it also retracts by itself once the act is finished.
Grade three: The prolapse, like in grade two, also extend outside the rectum when defecating however, it now needs to be manually pushed back to return to its proper place and will stay there when done so. They are more sensitive since they are more swollen so they would tend to cause pain or bleed more frequently.
Grade Four: The prolapse is already so severe that it is constantly outside the rectum and cannot anymore be manually reduced. This is more prone to becoming strangulated, developing a blood clot, or getting infected so if it reaches this grade, it is necessary for a doctor to intervene with treatment.
Despite the above, hemorrhoids are a generally non-threatening condition and should not be feared. It is also common as every person experiences it at some point in their lives so if you have it, you need not be afraid of a visit to the doctor’s to find a cure.
Share this:
