Hemorrhoids are are swollen areas of skin and blood vessels around the anus. They are caused by over exerting yourself during a bowel movement. Hemorrhoids develop around the external opening of the anus. They are highly innervated and may feel very sensitive.

Internal hemorrhoids occur above the pectinate or dentate line in the anal canal. They are graded to assist with the selection of a hemorrhoid treatment plan. The grade of the hemorrhoid depends on the extent of its descent into the anal canal and out of the anus. The most common sign of internal hemorrhoids is rectal bleeding.

Both internal and external hemorrhoids can emit fresh red blood that you may see in the toilet bowl or in your stool. Bleeding hemorrhoids can develop from sources of anal pressure such as:

Extra straining during bowel movements Diarrhea or excessive bowel movements Sitting for prolonged periods Standing for prolonged periods Lifting very heavy objects Pregnancy and childbirth

What should you do if you think you have bleeding internal hemorrhoids?

If you have been suffering from bleeding internal hemorrhoids the first thing you should do is check with your doctor to make sure everything is OK. This is especially true if you notice large amounts of rectal bleeding along with dizziness or faintness. Once you have made certain that your problem is hemorrhoids and not something more serious there are some home treatments that are usually very effective. I describe three of these treatments below.

Use pre-moistened wipes

After a bowel movement, clean yourself with pre-moistened wipes. You can find these in any pharmacy or grocery store in the toilet paper section. There are also special wipes made with witch hazel that you can find in the hemorrhoid section of your pharmacy. These are inexpensive and work really well to stop the bleeding and keep the anal area clean.

Take a sitz bath

Take a warm sitz bath after each bowel movement to clean the area and reduce any swelling. Sitz baths are specially designed tubs that you can buy online or at your local pharmacy. This is a small tub that is specially designed to allow you to soak your hemorrhoids without taking an actual bath. When you take a sitz bath the rectal area is soaked in hot water for 15-20 minutes. You should do this about 3-4 times a day. Taking a sitz bath helps relieve hemorrhoid symptoms and it can also help shrink hemorrhoid tissue and heal more quickly.

Use a suppository
Use hemorrhoid suppositories after each bowel movement. Some suppositories contain active medication such as phenylephrine HCI (a vasoconstrictor), starch (a drying agent) or very low doses of  hydrocortisone. Hemorrhoid suppositories are made of substances such as cocoa butter that are firm at room temperature. Once unwrapped, the rounded part is inserted into the anal canal and gently pushed into place. Once inserted into the body they melt and the medication is absorbed through the the surrounding tissue.

If the bleeding does not stop with the treatments described above your doctor may recommend some more advanced treatments. One of these is rubber band ligation in which one or two tiny rubber bands are inserted around the base of an internal hemorrhoid to cut off its circulation so that the hemorrhoid falls off. Laser treatments in which a burst of infrared light is used to cut off circulation can be used to treat small, bleeding, internal hemorrhoids.

The last resort treatment is a hemorrhoidectomy. This surgery is done with either local anesthetic combined with sedation and requires an overnight hospital stay. Most people never have to have surgery because they are able to find a solution to the problem using some of the hemorrhoid treatments described above.