National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Hemorrhoids is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Hemorrhoids
Also called: Piles
Hemorrhoids are swollen, inflamed veins around the anus or lower rectum. They are either inside the anus or under the skin around the anus. They often result from straining to have a bowel movement. Other factors include pregnancy, aging and chronic constipation or diarrhea.
Hemorrhoids are very common in both men and women. About half of all people have hemorrhoids by age 50. The most common symptom of hemorrhoids inside the anus is bright red blood covering the stool, on toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Symptoms usually go away within a few days.
If you have rectal bleeding you should see a doctor. You need to make sure bleeding is not from a more serious condition such as colorectal or anal cancer. Treatment may include warm baths and a cream or other medicine. If you have large hemorrhoids, you may need surgery and other treatments.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
-
Start Here
- Hemorrhoids(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Hemorrhoids(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
-
Overviews
- Hemorrhoids(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
-
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Anal Itching(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Anoscopy(Harvard Medical School)
-
Bleeding in the Digestive Tract(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Treatment
-
Hemorrhoid Surgery
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Hemorrhoid surgery - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
-
Hemorrhoid Surgery
-
Alternative Therapy
-
Horse Chestnut(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- Return to top
-
Horse Chestnut
-
Related Issues
- Fiber: How to Increase the Amount in Your Diet(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Tutorials
- Hemorrhoid Surgery(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemorrhoids(National Institutes of Health)
- Return to top
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemorrhoids
-
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
-
Dictionaries/Glossaries
-
Digestive Diseases Dictionary
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Digestive Diseases Dictionary
-
Organizations
-
Women
- Hemorrhoids during Pregnancy(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Patient Handouts
- Anoscopy
- Also available in Spanish
- Hemorrhoid surgery
- Also available in Spanish
- Hemorrhoids
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Hemorrhoids - Multiple Languages
