About Internal Hemorrhoid

This article answers such questions as:

What is an internal hemorrhoid?
Where are they located?
What are the internal hemorrhoids treatments available currently?

Where to Find Internal Hemorrhoids

First, it is important to provide you with a brief overview of this little known portion of your anatomy since it will help develop an understanding of how an internal hemorrhoid develops.

The anus is a hole that is located on your posterior region that leads approximately two inches up to the anal canal. The anal canal leads to the rectum, a vertical cavity about 5 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide that ends at the opening to the colon. The rectum is responsible for storing feces until it is ready to be passed out of the body. When internal hemorrhoids develop inside the passageway of the anus, they can be found at the top of the anal canal. Click the thumbnail of the internal hemorrhoids picture to get a better understanding of their location.

Unlike external hemorrhoids, an internal hemorrhoid cannot be felt or seen due to their location. Because internal anal tissues lack pain-sensitive nerves, it is more than likely that you will not feel pain or discomfort as with most other cases of hemorrhoids. One of the few indications that you may have internal hemorrhoids is the sensation that your rectum still feels full even after having a bowel movement. Usually, you feel a bit lighter and empty after defecation.

Irritation may occur if the delicate surface of the internal hemorrhoid is injured due to straining or by having a hard stool (constipation). In this case, you may notice small droplets of blood on the toilet paper as you wipe the area or you may spot it in the toilet.

Internal hemorrhoids have a tendency to grow (or prolapse) to the point that they move outside of the anal sphincter (circular muscles that constrict to hold onto feces until defecation.). If so, you may be able to see pink areas that spread out into a darker shade of pink. These areas may feel like small, grape-like and damp bumps.

The internal hemorrhoids can move back into the rectum on their own or by carefully moving them back into their original position. However, pain can become even more intense if the internal hemorrhoids travel outside of the anus and form small bulbous masses.

Internal Hemorrhoids Diagnosis

Because of the location and feel of internal hemorrhoids, your physician may have to conduct a rectal examination with a rubber-gloved finger. This type of exam is not pleasant, can be embarrassing and may even be inconclusive. However, if an internal hemorrhoid moves outside of the sphincter, a doctor may have an easier job at diagnosing your condition.

Methods to Remove Internal Hemorrhoids

Many methods now are available to alleviate or reduce the size of your internal hemorrhoids. These methods include:

Rubber Band Ligation is a relatively painless procedure that involves placing a rubber band around the bottom of an internal hemorrhoid that is located inside the rectum. The rubber band effectively cuts off blood circulation, which causes the hemorrhoid to shrink and eventually disappear.
Natural over the counter treatment options have gained a lot of popularity.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a chemical solution into the blood vessels that connect to the hemorrhoid to reduce its size.
Infrared Photocoagulation uses an infrared light source to cut off circulation from the veins that go into the internal hemorrhoid usually over a period of treatments.
Hemorrhoidectomy is a more intrusive surgical method used on both internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids that do not respond to other treatments. The outpatient surgery involves local anesthetic combined with sedation, a spinal anesthetic, or general anesthetic. Depending on the severity, an overnight hospital stay may be required. There may be some discomfort, but new techniques that will be soon available are making recovery easier. Medications can be prescribed for the pain or a warm bath may also help to alleviate the pain.
Other methods include using either a laser, electrical current, or liquid nitrogen (also known as cryosurgery) to shrink or destroy internal hemorrhoids.

An Exciting Treatment for Internal Hemorrhoids

While we review many types of treatments for internal hemorrhoids, we have received an overwhelming response to Venapro, a non-surgical approach comprised of herbal extracts that has very impressive results. Venapro has proved to be very effective in healing tissue damaged by internal hemorrhoids, thereby providing instant relief from pain and discomfort without the embarrassment of doctor exams and the intrusive nature of surgery.

Find Out More

Beyond information on having an internal hemorrhoid or how to treat internal hemorrhoids, this website is packed with insightful hemorrhoid information.