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Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels around your anus or inside your rectum

	Hemorrhoids can be painful and may bleed, but they aren’t dangerous. Turn to ConsumerReportsHealth.org to learn more about dietary and lifestyle changes that can help with your hemorrhoids.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org to find out what the best treatments are for hemorrhoids, and what treatments you may want to avoid.

We’ve brought together the best research about hemorrhoids and weighed the evidence about how to treat them. You can use our information to talk with your doctor and decide which treatments are best for you.

Key points about hemorrhoids

• You may get hemorrhoids if you strain when you go to the bathroom (especially if you are constipated), or if you are pregnant. Sometimes, getting hemorrhoids runs in families, indicating a genetic link.
• There are first, second, third and fourth degree hemorrhoids, with first degree being the mildest and fourth degree being the most severe.
• First degree hemorrhoids are small swellings on the inside of your rectum that may not even be seen or felt from the outside.
• Fourth degree hemorrhoids become quite large and can be painful, and are permanently outside your anus.
• Mild creams, ointments, or suppositories can be used to treat very mild hemorrhoids.
• Banding, or rubber band ligation, is the most common method used to treat second degree hemorrhoids. Doctors use a rubber band to cut off the blood supply to your hemorrhoids.
• An operation to cut away your hemorrhoids is called a hemorrhoidectomy. Your doctor may recommend this operation if you have third or fourth degree hemorrhoids.

If you see bright red blood after going to the toilet, particularly if it’s on the toilet paper and separate from your stools, you probably have hemorrhoids. However, having blood mixed in with your stools can be a sign of several other conditions, including colon cancer. If you get bleeding and your doctor thinks it might not be hemorrhoids, other possible causes of bleeding need to be ruled out.

We encourage you to read our entire condition report and to consult with your doctor to learn more about hemorrhoids. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, you’ll have access to our expert research and recommendations, and you’ll be more confident and knowledgeable about which treatments are best for you.