What Do Hemorrhoids Feel Like?

Hemorrhoids feel itchy and painful. Some types of hemorrhoids feel so uncomfortable that you can’t even sit without feeling the hard lump protruding from your rectum. The inflammation makes it difficult to walk without pain. Seeing the blood in your stool or in the toilet after you go may make you feel scared about what it may mean to your health. Find relief by knowing what’s going on and getting the most effective treatment from Dr. Sergei Sobolevsky at the Downtown Vein & Vascular Center in Brooklyn. He moves quickly to find the fastest relief when hemorrhoids strike.

What Are Hemorrhoid Feelings?

Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, develop when veins in the lower rectum and anus swell. They cause general discomfort with itching, pain when you sit or move, and bleeding in some cases. They can also develop into a serious life-threatening problem if not treated properly. Unfortunately, many people don’t seek help early enough for this condition, which is quite manageable when caught in time.
If you’re experiencing uncomfortable symptoms related to hemorrhoids, help is available. Dr. Sergei Sobolevsky, a leading hemorrhoids specialist at the Downtown Vein & Vascular Center in Brooklyn, New York City, provides effective hemorrhoid treatment plans for piles. Dr. Sobolevsky has performed thousands of procedures in the field of endovascular medicine, vascular and interventional radiology, and he always prioritizes your safety and treatment goals.

How Do I Know if I Have Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids can develop inside the rectum, so these are called internal hemorrhoids. Often, you don’t feel anything until the inflamed veins begin to protrude through your anus and cause bleeding during bowel movements.
Hemorrhoids may also develop under the skin around the anus and become external hemorrhoids. External hemorrhoids cause itching, discomfort, swelling and sometimes bleeding. A thrombosed hemorrhoid may develop blood clots along with inflammation and pain.

Symptoms that point to hemorrhoids include:

• Bleeding during bowel movements
• A hard or soft lump pushing through the anal opening
• Itching or irritation in the anal region
• Pain or discomfort when you have a bowel movement and eventually all the time
• Swelling around the anus

What Are the First Physical Signs of Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids can manifest in different ways, but many people associate piles with rectal bleeding. You need to let your doctor diagnose the condition because rectal bleeding can also occur due to other conditions, including colorectal cancer and anal cancer.
Recognizing the early signs is crucial for timely intervention.
Some of the early signs of hemorrhoids include:

• Small amounts of bright red blood on toilet tissue
• Prolapsed hemorrhoid, in which the hemorrhoid pushes through the anal opening, causing discomfort
• Uncomfortable itching around the anal region
• Discomfort and inflammation near the anus

What Do OTC Hemorrhoid Remedies Feel Like?

While hemorrhoids often resolve on their own, your doctor may recommend several over-the-counter (OTC) treatments. They may be effective for uncomplicated hemorrhoids, but can only provide temporary relief if your hemorrhoids are advanced.
Some of the available OTC hemorrhoid remedies include:

• Epsom salts. Adding Epsom salts to your bath feels soothing to an itchy, painful bum, especially if you soak for 10 to 20 minutes following each bowel movement.
• Cold compresses. You feel the swelling go down as you apply ice packs or cold compresses to the anus for 15 minutes at a time.
• Witch hazel. Feel relief from itching and pain with the liquid form or as an ingredient in anti-itch wipes and soaps.
• Aloe vera gel. There isn’t clinical proof, but you may feel less irritation when you apply aloe gel topically.

Determining the effectiveness of OTC hemorrhoid remedies involves monitoring your symptoms and assessing their impact. Your doctor gauges the effectiveness of these remedies by visual inspection and by how you feel.
Ideally, he wants you to feel:

• Pain reduction after using OTC creams and ointments with ingredients like lidocaine
• Itch relief when applying products containing witch hazel
• Less inflammation from ingredients like phenylephrine that shrink enlarged veins

When Should I See a Doctor about My Hemorrhoids?

If you feel faint or dizzy after having a bowel movement and you’ve been suffering with the early signs of hemorrhoids, visit Dr. Sobolevsky, who may refer you for emergency care.
Other signs that you may need additional medical intervention include:

• Passing out after using the commode
• Finding no relief from over-the-counter remedies
• Worsening pain and extreme itching
• Seeing large clots of blood in the toilet

Your doctor at the Downtown Vein & Vascular Center has several minimally invasive treatment techniques at his disposal to remove hemorrhoids and reduce the amount of discomfort you feel. Once he performs an outpatient treatment procedure, you feel relief within a week to 10 days.

Will My Hemorrhoids Return?

If you have hemorrhoids once, you’re at a higher risk of getting them again, but you can reduce the risk of them returning through an embolization procedure, which is one of Dr. Sobolevsky’s specialties. The procedure prevents rectal trauma and incontinence while improving your symptoms almost immediately. Other possible treatment options include sclerotherapy, hemorrhoid ligation, and electrocoagulation.
Following any treatment, your doctor provides you with information about steps you can take to prevent them from returning, such as:

• Eating more fiber or taking fiber supplements
• Exercising regularly
• Refraining from straining on the toilet
• Never sitting on the toilet for more than five minutes at a time

Reduce and remove the uncomfortable, painful feelings associated with hemorrhoids by contacting Dr. Sergei Sobolevsky at the Downtown Vein & Vascular Center as soon as you feel unwelcomed itching or swelling around your anus or when you see blood on the tissue after you wipe. The earlier you seek help, the quicker you can get relief.

I am Dr. Sergei Sobolevsky, a leading specialist in endovascular medicine. Having performed over 25,000 procedures throughout my career, I bring decades of experience in vascular and interventional radiology to my practice. I obtained my Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1997 and completed my specialty clinical training in vascular and interventional radiology at Harvard University.

My dedication to excellence in patient care has been recognized through accolades such as being named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and inclusion in the Top Doctors New York Metro Area lists for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. With licenses in multiple states, I have also shared my expertise through presentations at various institutions in the US and abroad.

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