Indications of Piles
Symptoms can vary. Sometimes no symptoms may be present and a person may not realize that they have piles. The most common symptom experienced is bleeding after going to the toilet to pass stools (feces). The blood is usually bright red and you may notice it on the toilet tissue, in the toilet pan, or on coating the stools.
Hemorrhoids can hang down (prolapse) and once can fell outside the back passage (anus). Often, it can be pushed back up after passing stool. However, more severe piles remain permanently prolapsed and cannot be pushed back up inside.
Small internal piles are usually painless. Larger piles may cause a mucous discharge, some pain, irritation, and itch. The discharge may irritate the skin around the anus. the patient may have a sense of fullness in the anus or a feeling of not fully emptying their back passage when they go to the toilet.
A possible complication of piles that hang down is that they can ‘strangulate’ (the blood supply to hemorrhoid can be cut off). This can be intensely painful
Another possible complication is a blood clot (thrombosis) which can form within a hemorrhoid. This is uncommon but again causes intense pain if it occurs. The pain usually peaks after 48-72 hours and then gradually goes away over 7-10 days.
Symptoms of hemorrhoids include:
- Painless bleeding per rectum is the commonest symptom
- Irritation (itching) and pain around the anus
- An itchy or painful lump or swelling near the anus
- Fecal leakage
- Painful bowel movements
