Do You REALLY Have Hemorrhoids?
There are many other diseases and medical conditions with
symptoms that are similar to hemorrhoids. Typically, these
belong to four broad categories:
- Anorectal conditions
- Inflammatory bowel diseases
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Polyps and cancers
Let's discuss these in more details:
Anorectal Conditions - Fissures, Abscesses, and Fistulas
There are three anorectal conditions with symptoms that are
often mistaken for hemorrhoids. These are fissures, abscesses,
and fistulas. Let's describe them in a little bit more detail:
Fissure
A fissure is a tear in the skin of the anal canal, usually
from the dentate line to the anal opening. Sometimes, a
deep fissure (called an anal ulcer) can even expose the
sphincter muscle.
Fissures can be caused as the result of forcing out a hard
stool or a s the result of a complication from an anal surgery.
The symptoms of this condition include pain or burning sensation
during and after bowel movements, blood in the stool, swollen
tissue and the presence of skin tags (which can be mistaken
for hemorrhoidal skin tags).
Like hemorrhoids, fissures respond well to temporary treatments
to relieve the painful symptoms, such as warm sitz bath
and analgesic creams.
Typically, fissures do not become infected and can heal
by themselves. In some cases where it does not self-heal
because of constant and spontaneous contraction fo the anal
muscle, a surgery can be performed to heal the tear.
 See
Anal Fissure: Frequently Asked
Questions
Abscesses
An abscess is a collection of pus that forms because of
the invasion of bacteria. When fecal materials become trapped
in glands located between the sphincter muscles in the anal
canal, a painful, tender, and swollen bulge called an anorectal
abscess can develop.
Abscesses cannot be treated by antibiotics - instead, it
needs to be located and drained.
Fistula
Abscesses that are never drained and left untreated (and
sometimes even drained abscesses) can develop fistulas.
Here, the infection in the abscess grows and "tunnels"
through internal tissue to create a painful external opening.
Pus often seeps out of these fistula openings.
The infected fistula needs immediate medical attention.
Typically, surgery is required to treat this condition.
See Fistula-in-Ano
While painful, anal fissure, abscess and fistula are not
life-threatening. Nevertheless, they require medical attention
by physician and should be treated as soon as possible.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
There are two serious inflammatory bowel diseases: ulcerative
colitis and Crohn's disease. These diseases are characterized
by inflammation of the digestive tissue and should not be
confused with irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.
Ulcerative Colitis
In this serious disease, the surface of the colon is so
inflamed that it bleeds, causing blood in the stool. Other
symptoms of ulcerative colitis include chronic diarrhea,
cramping, and weight loss.
Crohn's Disease
In Crohn's Disease (previously known as regional ileitis),
inflammation strikes the digestive organs, such as colon
and small intestine. Scar tissues sometimes develop to block
the digestive tract or cause intestinal blockage. Infection
can also develop and bore through the tissue into other
organs. Abscesses, fistulas, fissures, and skin tags that
are actually due to Crohn's Disease can sometimes be mistaken
for hemorrhoids.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
A number of sexually transmited diseases or STDs can have
symptoms similar to that of hemorrhoids. These diseases include:
Anal Warts
Caused by a viral infection, anal warts are often characterized
by itching, bleeding, pain, discharge, and fleshy growth
in the anal canal or near the anus.
Chlamydia
One of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in
the United States today is chlamydia. Its symptoms can include
rectal infection, pain, bleeding, and anal discharge.
Gonorrhea
One of the complications from gonorrhea, rectal infection,
can cause intense pain and yellow discharge.
Syphilis
A syphilis infection starts with a lesion or ulcer. If
the site of infection is in the anal canal, the pain can
be mistaken for the symptoms of hemorrhoids.
Herpes
The same virus that causes genital herpes can also cause
sexually transmitted anorectal herpes. Its symptoms include
itching, severe pain, and the development of anal sores
and blisters.
In addition to your doctor's examination, a laboratory testing
may be necessary in order to rule out sexually transmitted
diseases.
Polyps and Cancer
Polyp is an abnormal growth on the linings of the intestine
and rectum. Although they are quite common and are often benign,
they can develop into colorectal cancers.
Usually, polyps do not have any symptoms - instead, they
are discovered during manual medical examinations and colonoscopies.
Some polyps are flat, whereas others have stalks. In some
instances, polyps can cause rectal bleeding, mucus discharge,
and a change in bowel habit. In rare instances, it can also
cause pain.
About one third of people with polyps have multiple growths,
so once a polyp is discovered, a more thorough examination
should be done to discover if there are more growths. Also,
because there is no way to know whether they will develop
into a cancerous growth, all polyps are usually removed once
discovered.
Once removed, polyps usually do not grow back at the same
site. However, since there may be underlying conditions that
cause polyp growth (such as a genetic predisposition), about
one third of all patients eventually develop more polyps.
Colorectal cancer
Cancer of the colon and rectum is one of the most common
forms of cancer in the United States today. Indeed, it is
the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Because
of this fact, doctors often recommend an annual rectal examination
for everyone over the age of forty. Depending on the result,
a follow up sigmoidoscopy or blood test may be required.
Most colorectal cancer begin as benign colon or rectal polyps.
The change of these polyps into cancerous growths are often
accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding
- Persistent change in bowel habit
- Change in the shape of the stool (such as pencil-thin
feces, or presence of black tar-like stool)
- Pain in the abdomen or rectum
- Crampings
- A frequent feeling of fullness in the rectum
- Frequent false urges to defecate
- Persistent or alternating bouts of constipation or diarrhea
- Weakness and fatigue
- Weight loss and loss of appetite
- Soilage
- Protrusion from the anal opening
- Ulcer near the anus
The good news is that when detected early, colorectal cancer
is often completely curable. Research has also suggested that
it can be prevented by eating a high-fiber diet.
So, with all of these diseases and medical conditions with
symptoms very similar to that of hemorrhoids, how do you know
that the pain, bleeding, or swelling are really caused
by hemorrhoids? Only your physician can safely rule out the
diseases and conditions listed above - so if you suspect that
you have hemorrhoids, see your doctor to make sure.
See also: A List of
Symptoms of Diseases Often Mistaken for Hemorrhoids |
