Who is affected by constipation and hemorrhoids? A paragraph will tell you easily

Hemorrhoids are venous masses or nodules formed by the expansion, varicose veins, and congestion of the venous plexus under the mucosa of the lower rectum or the skin of the anal canal. What is the relationship between its formation and constipation?

The relationship between constipation and hemorrhoids

Constipation refers to stool that is too dry and hard, making defecation difficult, or bowel movements occurring several times a day with each bowel movement lasting more than 20 minutes or even more than an hour, and a feeling of incomplete bowel movement after defecation.

It can be said that constipation is one of the mechanical factors that cause hemorrhoids. First, dry feces compress the rectum, causing direct compression of the veins in the submucosal layer of the rectum, resulting in obstruction of blood return in the rectal and anal veins. Blood is easily congested, thus contributing to the formation of hemorrhoids. Secondly, prolonged bowel movement and straining can increase abdominal pressure, compress the anus and rectum, obstruct venous return from the anus and rectum, cause the submucosal veins to dilate and become varicose, and lead to hemorrhoids. Severe constipation can even cause the rectal mucosa and muscle layer to separate and prolapse, and the anal canal moves downward with the feces, which can easily lead to hemorrhoids over time. Dry feces passing through the anus over-stretches the anal skin, tears the skin folds, causes infection, edema and inflammation, and over time becomes connective tissue external hemorrhoids.

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are divided into three categories according to their location: internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids, and mixed hemorrhoids. Internal hemorrhoids are generally painless, with blood in the stool and prolapse of hemorrhoids as the main symptoms. External hemorrhoids are mainly manifested by redness, swelling, heat and pain around the anus. The pain worsens during defecation and there is a small amount of secretion. Mixed hemorrhoids have the clinical manifestations of the first two.

Common clinical manifestations of hemorrhoids

There are generally six common clinical manifestations of hemorrhoids, including bloody stool, painful defecation, rectal pain, prolapse of tumors, anal discharge, and anal itching.

1. Bleeding in stool: Painless and intermittent bleeding with bright red blood after defecation is its characteristic and is also a common symptom of internal hemorrhoids or mixed hemorrhoids in the early stage. Bleeding usually occurs before or after defecation. There may be simple blood in the stool, or it may be mixed with stool. The blood is bright red, and it bleeds in the form of spurts, drops, or blood when wiped.

2. Painful bowel movements: Bleeding and pain around the anus during bowel movements. Because the nervous system around the anus is more developed and sensitive, pain can easily occur when stimulated. It usually manifests as mild pain, tingling, burning pain, distension, etc.

3. Rectal pain: Anorectal pain is mainly a symptom of internal hemorrhoids. If internal hemorrhoids become infected, incarcerated, or have strangulated necrosis, this can cause severe pain. In mild cases, there is a feeling of fullness and heaviness, while in severe cases, there is a painful heaviness.

4. Prolapse of swelling: Swelling appears and prolapses inside the anus, which is mainly a symptom of middle and late stage internal hemorrhoids. As the internal hemorrhoids continue to grow, the mucosa and submucosa separate from the anal layer. During defecation, the internal hemorrhoid nodules can drop below the dentate line, float outside the anal canal, and prolapse through the anus. In mild cases, the anus will only protrude during defecation, while in severe cases, it may protrude during coughing, abdominal compression, or squatting.

5. Anal discharge: Anal discharge mainly overflows from the fistula, but can also be discharged from the anus or overflow from the skin around the anus. Long-term irritation of the rectal mucosa by hemorrhoids causes increased secretions; in the late stage of internal hemorrhoids, secretions often flow out of the anus due to relaxation of the anal sphincter. In mild cases, it will flow out during bowel movements, and in severe cases, it will flow out naturally even without bowel movements.

6. Anal itching: Itching symptoms appear in the anus and perianal skin. It is mainly due to the irritation of anal secretions, prolapsed hemorrhoids and surrounding skin, which makes the skin moist all day long, causing itching, leading to anal eczema and itching.