Hemorrhoids, or piles, are a condition in which the veins near the anus or lower rectum are swollen and painful. Literally thousands of people suffer from hemorrhoids, but not everyone will have the same symptoms. The most usual noticeable sign of hemroids is bright red blood on stools, in the toilet bowl and on used toilet paper. With internal hemorrhoids, bleeding may be the only symptom but with external hemorrhoids you may also have pain and itching.

Even though hemorrhoids may produce fresh rectal bleeding, if you experience bleeding, don’t always assume it is hemroids. Several other rectal diseases can also cause rectal bleeding, and, consequently, you will need to talk to your family health professional to remove serious disease as a cause. Many other kinds of conditions, including fissures, or cancer may show related symptoms and are regularly mistakenly self-diagnosed as hemroids. To eliminate other medical conditions, your doctor might advocate a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a test that permits your health professional to view the colon with a thin, flexible endoscope. A colonoscopy will help to see ulcers, together with patches of inflammation. During a colonoscopy, samples of any abnormal growths may be taken and screened for tumors and abnormalities.