Hemorrhoids are normal cushions of tissue containing blood vessels in the lower rectum and around the anus.
They are a normal part of the ability to control defecation which helps prevent any leakage of feces. Hemorrhoids affect more than half of the population at some point in their lives.
They are one of the most common conditions that prompt people to visit their doctor. In order to understand hemorrhoids, you have to understand the structure of the rectum and anus. Doctors call the area where feces exit the digestive system the anal canal. There exists a complicated set of muscles known as anal sphincters that control the release of feces through the anal canal. The hemorrhoids are located adjacent to the anal canal and fill with blood to help close the anal canal and prevent leakage.
When the hemorrhoids become significantly enlarged, they protrude into the anal canal or appear on the outside of the anus. The position of the hemorrhoid determines the main classification described as either internal or external. Remember that the anus, or anal canal, is the opening, and the rectum is the final portion of the colon, or large intestine, that leads to this opening.
Hemorrhoids can occur both above the anal canal internal or below the anal canal in the skin around the anus external.
