Symptoms of Diseases Often Mistaken for Hemorrhoids

See your doctor if you have:

• Persistent pain and sharp pain during bowel movement
• Throbbing pain and tenderness
• Spasm and spastic pain

Pain may be an indication of:

• Hemorrhoid
• Fissure
• Abscess
• Fistula
• Trapped foreign object

Temporary relief:

• Sitz bath
• Stool softener
• Over-the-counter pain killers

See your doctor if you have:

• Any amount of rectal bleeding
• Any amount of blood in your stool

Bleeding may be an indication of:

• Hemorrhoid
• Colorectal cancer
• Ulcer
• Rectal injury

Caution:

• Severe bleeding can cause a loss of blood or anemia.

See your doctor if you have:

• Chronic constipation and diarrhea
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea
• False urge to defecate
• Desire to defecate while passing only gas or mucous discharge

Change in bowel habit may be an indication of:

• Stress
• Poor diet
• Colorectal cancer
• Ulcerative colitis
• Other digestive diseases

See your doctor if you have:

• Blood discharge
• Yellowish or white watery discharge
• Discharge from the anal opening or surrounding area

Discharge may be an indication of:

• Abscess
• Fistula
• Cancer
• Parasite
• Sexually transmitted diseases

See your doctor if you have:

• Narrow, pencil-like stool
• Black, tar-like stool
• Blood on stool

Changes in feces characteristics may be an indication of:

• Cancer
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Other digestive disorders, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers
• Hemorrhoids

Note:

• Darker than usual stool can also be caused by a change of diet, taking iron supplements, or eating food rich in iron, such as spinach.
• Redder than usual stool can also be caused by eating beets and other food rich in red pigments.

See your doctor if you have:

• Swelling accompanied by pain, bleeding and discharge

Swelling may be an indication of:

• Hemorrhoid
• Abscess
• Fistula

Temporary Relief:

• Sitz bath
• Analgesic cream

See your doctor if you have:

• Persistent or chronic itching

Chronic itching may be an indication of:

• Allergy
• Parasite
• Dry skin
• Skin disease
• Hemorrhoid
• Diabetes
• Stress

See your doctor if you have:

• Any instance of protrusion or bulges

Bulges may be an indication of:

• Hemorrhoid
• Cancer
• Abscess
• Fistula
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Skin conditions

See your doctor if you have:

• Uncontrollable anal leakage

Soilage or anal leakage may be an indication of:

• Weakened sphincter muscle
• Cancer
• Impacted stool

Note:

• Sphincter muscle can be strenghtened by Kegel exercise