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Hemorrhoids (also known as "piles") are dilated or bulging veins of the rectum and anus, caused by increased pressure in the rectal veins. Fifty to seventy-five percent of all Americans develop hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids involve the blood vessels that line the anus. Pressure on the walls of the rectum weakens the muscles that support the hemorrhoidal vessels. They then become enlarged and lose their support and result in a sac-like protrusion inside the rectal canal (called internal hemorrhoids) or under the skin around the anus (called external hemorrhoids).
If the internal hemorrhoid pushes out of the anal opening, this hemorrhoid is called a prolapsed hemorrhoid. Sometimes, blood can pool in an external hemorrhoid, forming a clot (thrombus). This hemorrhoid is called a thrombosed external hemorrhoid. Hemorrhoids can occur at any time, but become more common with advancing age. Younger people, pregnant women and women who have had children are most apt to develop hemorrhoidal problems. The condition occurs more frequently in some families.
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