Also Known As:
Piles
Common Misspellings:
Hemerrhoids, hemeroids
Related Resources:
What Are the Symptoms of Hemorrhoids?
What Is the Treatment? <Back to Last Page> <Full Glossary>
Definition:
Swollen blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum. Continual straining to have a bowel movement causes them to stretch and swell. They cause itching, pain, and sometimes bleeding.
Related Terms
• Anus
• Rectum
• Sitz Bath
What Are Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are swollen but normally present blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum that stretch under pressure, similar to varicose veins in the legs.
Hemorrhoids usually are not dangerous or life threatening. In most cases, hemorrhoidal symptoms will go away within a few days.
Medical treatment of hemorrhoids initially is aimed at relieving symptoms.
Hemorrhoids (HEM-roydz)
<Back to Last Page> <Full Glossary>
Explore Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
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