What are the stages and clinical manifestations of internal hemorrhoids?

Internal hemorrhoids are the most common and highly prevalent type of hemorrhoids. Understanding the stages of internal hemorrhoids and their clinical symptoms can help patients detect them early and receive timely treatment. So, how are internal hemorrhoids staged? What are the clinical manifestations?

Staging and clinical manifestations of internal hemorrhoids

Experts point out that according to the different pathological changes and development degrees of internal hemorrhoids, internal hemorrhoids are often divided into four stages clinically:

Stage I: Painless, with main symptoms being bloody stools, excessive secretions, and itching.

Stage II: There is blood in the stool, hemorrhoids, and hemorrhoids prolapse during defecation, but can return to their original position on their own.

Stage III: Internal hemorrhoids prolapse outside the anus, or fall out of the anus during each bowel movement and cannot be retracted on their own and must be pushed back in manually.

Stage IV: Internal hemorrhoids protrude from the anus and cannot be retracted into the anus. This is the most serious condition of internal hemorrhoids.

Is it dangerous if internal hemorrhoids are not treated?

1. Cause anemia: Long-term bloody stools due to internal hemorrhoids can easily cause anemia in patients. It usually develops slowly, with no symptoms or mild symptoms in the early stages. When anemia is severe or progresses rapidly, the patient will appear pale, fatigued, and have a poor appetite. Some patients may also become easily agitated, excited, and irritable.

2. Leading to constipation: Some patients are afraid of bleeding in the stool or repeated prolapse of hemorrhoids during defecation and dare not defecate, so they hold back on defecation for a long time, which leads to constipation.

3. Moist and itchy anus: In the middle and late stages of internal hemorrhoids, the anal sphincter becomes loose and hemorrhoids are easily prolapsed, which can stimulate the large intestine glands to secrete a large amount of mucus. The mucus flows out along the anal canal, making the anus moist and causing perianal eczema and itching discomfort.

4. Internal hemorrhoids: There is often severe pain, and secondary infection often causes fever.

5. Cause sepsis, toxemia, and septicemia: Long-term bloody stools caused by internal hemorrhoids can lead to anal abscesses and anal infections. Once anal fissures are formed, bacteria, toxins, and pus plugs can easily invade the blood and cause sepsis, toxemia, and septicemia.