Can internal hemorrhoids cause constipation?

Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
Updated on September 16, 2024
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When internal hemorrhoids flare up, if their size increases and obstructs the anal opening, it can prevent normal defecation or make it difficult, potentially causing symptoms of constipation such as difficulty in defecating or poor bowel movements. Prolonged and recurrent difficulty in defecating can also lead to overly dry stools within the intestinal lumen, further exacerbating symptoms of constipation. Therefore, constipation is one of the most common clinical complications of hemorrhoids. To treat constipation, one can initially choose oral medications that lubricate the intestines and facilitate bowel movements. At the same time, it is essential to actively treat hemorrhoids, reduce the size of the hemorrhoidal tissue, or directly remove both internal and external hemorrhoids, to enable normal expulsion of stool.

Other Voices

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
34sec home-news-image

Does bleeding after defecation followed by a feeling of discomfort in the anus indicate internal hemorrhoids?

Bleeding after bowel movements followed by discomfort in the anus may be due to internal hemorrhoids, but could also indicate ulcerative proctitis, rectal cancer, or infections around the anus. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination with a digital colonoscopy. Based on the results of the colonoscopy, appropriate treatment measures can be taken. If the symptoms are caused by internal hemorrhoids, surgical treatment may be considered. For diseases like ulcerative colitis, treatment with salicylate preparations may also be used.

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Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
1min 11sec home-news-image

How long does it take for internal hemorrhoids to reposition after being pushed back in?

This situation mainly depends on how much the internal hemorrhoids have prolapsed and the severity of the prolapse. If the internal hemorrhoids can be pushed back in after prolapsing, it generally takes half an hour to an hour to reposition them. However, if the patient overexerts themselves or strains during coughing or defecation, the internal hemorrhoids may prolapse again. For patients whose internal hemorrhoids repeatedly prolapse, it is advisable to consider surgical treatment as soon as possible. Because repeated prolapse of internal hemorrhoids can lead to further pathological hypertrophy and descent of the anal cushion, in such cases of organic lesions, simple repositioning cannot solve the problem. It may even cause the prolapse to become larger over time and lead to complications like incarcerated edema, resulting in local thrombosis, swelling, and anal pain. Therefore, for patients with repeated prolapse, it is recommended to visit the hospital's colorectal surgery department for surgical treatment as soon as possible, such as internal hemorrhoid ligation, TST, and other surgical methods.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
1min 5sec home-news-image

Can you drink alcohol if you have internal hemorrhoids bleeding?

If a patient experiences internal hemorrhoid bleeding, it is not advisable to drink alcohol during the bleeding period. Alcohol contains excessive amounts of irritating substances. Excessive drinking can cause excessive congestion of the mucous membrane of the internal hemorrhoids, and the already ruptured mucosa may increase the likelihood of further bleeding. Therefore, drinking alcohol during internal hemorrhoid bleeding can increase the amount of bleeding and might even lead to an increase in the size of the hemorrhoids, or the formation of acute edema and thrombosis, worsening the severity of the condition. During the bleeding period of internal hemorrhoids, patients are advised to follow a light diet and may need to further combine this with oral hemostatic medications, or use hemorrhoidal suppositories and hemorrhoid creams for symptomatic hemostasis and anti-swelling treatment. (The use of medications should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
56sec home-news-image

Can internal hemorrhoids cause constipation?

When internal hemorrhoids flare up, if their size increases and obstructs the anal opening, it can prevent normal defecation or make it difficult, potentially causing symptoms of constipation such as difficulty in defecating or poor bowel movements. Prolonged and recurrent difficulty in defecating can also lead to overly dry stools within the intestinal lumen, further exacerbating symptoms of constipation. Therefore, constipation is one of the most common clinical complications of hemorrhoids. To treat constipation, one can initially choose oral medications that lubricate the intestines and facilitate bowel movements. At the same time, it is essential to actively treat hemorrhoids, reduce the size of the hemorrhoidal tissue, or directly remove both internal and external hemorrhoids, to enable normal expulsion of stool.

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Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
21sec home-news-image

Will internal hemorrhoids affect menstruation?

Internal hemorrhoid bleeding can potentially affect menstruation. Although brief internal hemorrhoid bleeding does not affect menstruation, if the hemorrhoid bleeding is heavy, prolonged, frequent, and occurs daily or frequently, exceeding the body's ability to replace the lost blood, it can cause severe systemic anemia. In such cases, it might affect menstruation.