Managing Pain After Hemorrhoidectomy: Sitz Baths, Anesthesia Choices and the First Week

The night before surgery, a woman in her forties sits on the edge of her bed with a phone in one hand and a stack of printed instructions in the other. The printout says “some discomfort.” The forums say something much louder. She is not afraid of the operation itself; she is afraid of the first trip to the bathroom afterward, and nobody has told her plainly what that will feel like.

Pain after hemorrhoidectomy is one of the most searched worries in colorectal surgery, and for a reason that has nothing to do with drama. The anal canal is lined, at its lower end, with skin that carries the same dense nerve supply as a fingertip. Cut there, and the body notices.

What follows is the honest version: why it hurts, what anesthesia and pain plans actually do, how sitz baths earn their reputation, and what a typical first week looks like when things are going as they should.

What actually happens during a hemorrhoidectomy, and why the area hurts afterward

A hemorrhoidectomy is an operation that removes enlarged hemorrhoid tissue, the swollen cushions of blood vessels inside or just outside the anal canal. Surgeons most often perform an excisional version, in which the cushions are cut away and the wound is either left open to heal or closed with dissolvable stitches. A stapled hemorrhoidopexy is different: a circular stapling device lifts slipping tissue back to its normal position higher in the canal rather than removing it from the skin.

The location explains the pain. The dentate line is the boundary where sensitive outer skin meets the far less sensitive inner lining of the bowel. Excisional wounds typically extend below that line into skin supplied by somatic nerves, the same kind that register a paper cut. Stapled procedures stay mostly above it, which is why they are generally described as less painful in the early days, though they carry their own trade-offs, including a higher chance that hemorrhoids return over time, as Mayo Clinic notes.

Two other mechanisms add to the ache. The internal anal sphincter, the ring of involuntary muscle that keeps the canal closed, tends to spasm when the area is injured, and muscle spasm is deeply uncomfortable. Then there is the plain fact that stool has to pass across a fresh wound several times a week. Skin elsewhere on the body gets to rest under a dressing; this wound does not.

None of this means the operation is a mistake. Excisional hemorrhoidectomy remains the most durable treatment for large, prolapsing hemorrhoids that have not responded to simpler office procedures. The surgeon and patient are trading a rough couple of weeks for a longer-term result, and the pain plan exists to make that trade tolerable.

How long are you in pain after hemorrhoid surgery?

The most useful answer is a shape rather than a single number. Pain after hemorrhoidectomy is usually at its most intense during the first two to three days, spikes sharply with each bowel movement and for a while afterward, then settles into a steady decline across the first and second weeks. Many people describe day three or four as the low point, partly because that is when the first substantial bowel movement often arrives and partly because the long-acting local anesthetic placed during surgery has fully worn off by then.

MedlinePlus describes hemorrhoid surgery recovery as taking a few weeks overall, with pain and soreness that gradually ease and wounds that finish healing well after you have returned to ordinary activities. NHS guidance on piles gives a similar picture for surgical treatment, noting that recovery generally takes longer than after banding or injection procedures. Those are ranges tied to typical experience, not guarantees, and an individual can land on either side of them.

A few things reliably shift someone toward the easier end. Keeping stool soft from the very first day matters more than any single medicine. Taking scheduled pain relief on time rather than waiting for pain to build keeps the nervous system from ramping up. Warm water applied to the area several times a day relaxes the sphincter. And people who understand in advance that a sharp flare during and after each bowel movement is normal tend to cope better than those who read every twinge as a complication.

By the end of week two, most people are working, walking and eating normally, with lingering tenderness rather than the raw pain of the first days. If pain is still climbing rather than falling at that point, it deserves a conversation with the surgical team.

Anesthesia choices: general, spinal, local blocks and what they mean for day one

Anesthesia for hemorrhoidectomy is not one decision but a bundle of them, and the anesthesiologist tailors the bundle to the person on the table. Three broad approaches are common, and they are frequently combined.

General anesthesia puts the patient fully asleep with medicines given by vein or through a breathing mask. It is straightforward, works for everyone regardless of anatomy, and is often chosen when the operation is expected to be longer or when a patient prefers to have no awareness at all.

Spinal anesthesia involves an injection of local anesthetic into the fluid around the lower spinal cord, numbing the body from roughly the waist down while the patient stays awake or lightly sedated. It gives excellent pain control for the first several hours. Its recognized downside is a higher chance of temporary difficulty urinating afterward, which matters because urinary retention is one of the more common reasons a same-day discharge turns into an overnight stay.

Local anesthesia with sedation numbs only the operative area. Surgeons commonly infiltrate the tissue around the anus with a local anesthetic, and some add a pudendal nerve block, an injection that quiets the nerves supplying the anal skin and sphincter. Whichever main technique is used, most surgeons also inject long-acting local anesthetic directly into the wounds at the end of the operation so that the patient wakes comfortable and stays that way into the evening.

What patients notice most is the timing of the first real pain. With spinal anesthesia or a good block, it often arrives late on the first night or on day two rather than in the recovery room. The choice among these options depends on health history, medications, anatomy and preference, and it belongs to the anesthesiologist and surgeon in discussion with the patient.

Pain after hemorrhoidectomy: what a multimodal plan usually includes

Multimodal analgesia means using several types of pain relief that work by different mechanisms so that no single one has to do all the work. For hemorrhoidectomy the layers are fairly standard, and the surgeon’s written plan will specify what applies to each patient.

The foundation is usually scheduled non-opioid medicine: acetaminophen, which dampens pain signaling in the central nervous system, and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, which reduces the local inflammatory chemicals that make a wound throb. Taken on a regular timetable during the first days, they blunt the baseline ache so that the peaks around bowel movements start from a lower level. People with kidney disease, stomach ulcers or certain heart conditions may be told to avoid anti-inflammatories, which is one reason the plan is individualized.

Opioid medicines may be prescribed for breakthrough pain in the first few days. They are effective, but they slow the bowel, and constipation after this operation is the fastest route to worse pain. Surgeons therefore pair any opioid prescription with instructions about stool softeners and fiber, and most aim to keep opioid use brief.

Topical agents that relax the internal sphincter, such as nitrate or calcium channel blocker ointments applied around the anus, have been studied in trials. The evidence suggests a modest reduction in early pain, with headache as a common side effect of nitrates; not every surgeon uses them. A short course of an oral antibiotic has also been tested for pain reduction with mixed results, and it is not universally recommended.

Stool softeners and gentle laxatives round out the plan, because a soft stool passing over a wound is a genuinely different experience from a hard one. Every element here is a decision for the prescribing clinician, including when to stop.

Does a sitz bath after hemorrhoid surgery really help, or is it just tradition?

A sitz bath is simply sitting in a few inches of warm water so that the hips and buttocks are submerged, either in an ordinary bathtub or in a shallow basin that fits over the toilet seat. The word comes from the German for “sit,” and the practice predates modern surgery by centuries. That history sometimes makes people suspicious that it is folklore. The mechanism, though, is real.

Warmth relaxes smooth muscle, and the internal anal sphincter is smooth muscle. When it stops clenching around a fresh wound, pain drops within minutes, which is why many people describe the bath as the single most reliable relief in the first week. Warm water also rinses away stool residue and wound discharge more gently than wiping, and clean wounds are more comfortable wounds. Some clinicians add that increased local blood flow may support healing, though that particular claim is harder to measure.

What does the evidence show? Randomized trials of sitz baths after anal surgery are small, and they mostly report improvements in comfort and hygiene rather than dramatic differences in healing speed. Mayo Clinic’s guidance for hemorrhoids recommends a warm bath or sitz bath for 10 to 15 minutes, two or three times a day, and most surgical discharge instructions echo that range, often adding “and after every bowel movement.”

A few practical points make the difference. The water should be warm, not hot, since numb or freshly operated skin can scald without warning. Plain water is standard; adding salts, oils or antiseptics is not necessary and should follow the surgeon’s advice. Afterward, pat dry or use a hair dryer on a cool setting rather than rubbing. And it is fine to stop when the baths no longer add anything, usually as the wounds close in the second or third week.

How to poop after hemorrhoid surgery without dreading it

Nearly everyone facing this operation has the same private question, and it deserves a direct answer. The first bowel movement after hemorrhoidectomy will hurt. The goal is not to make it painless but to make it brief, soft and free of straining, and then to recover from it quickly. Done that way, the fear fades within a few days.

Timing matters. Delaying the first movement out of anxiety allows stool to firm up and accumulate, which turns one uncomfortable episode into a harder, longer one. Surgeons generally want a bowel movement within the first two to three days and prescribe stool softeners or gentle laxatives to make that happen; if nothing has passed by day three, the discharge instructions usually say to call.

Position helps more than people expect. Raising the feet on a small stool so the knees sit above the hips straightens the angle of the rectum, and leaning forward with elbows on the knees lets gravity do part of the work. Breathing out slowly during the movement, rather than holding the breath and bearing down, keeps pressure on the wound lower. Straining is the enemy; a soft stool should leave with minimal effort.

Afterward, skip dry toilet paper. Rinse with a handheld shower, a peri bottle or the sitz bath itself, then pat dry. A small amount of bright red blood on the water or the pad is expected in the early days. A warm bath immediately after the movement often shortens the spasm that follows.

One more piece of honest advice: the second and third movements are typically easier than the first, not because the wound has healed but because the sphincter has learned it can let go. Each one builds a little confidence for the next.

What food not to eat after hemorrhoid surgery, and what to eat instead

Diet after hemorrhoidectomy has one job: produce a soft, formed stool every day or so without diarrhea. Anything that pushes toward constipation or, at the other extreme, toward frequent loose stools makes the wound work harder.

The foods most worth limiting in the first week are the low-fiber, binding ones that people reach for when they feel unwell: white bread, white rice, large amounts of cheese, processed meats and pastries. They are not dangerous, but a diet built on them tends to produce firm stool. Alcohol is worth avoiding while taking prescribed pain medicine because of interactions and because it dehydrates. Very spicy food is often mentioned in patient forums as a trigger for burning during bowel movements; the evidence for that is largely anecdotal, but there is no cost to leaving it out for a couple of weeks.

On the other side of the ledger, fiber and water are the workhorses. Harvard Health puts a reasonable daily fiber target for adults at around 25 to 30 grams from food, which is roughly double what many people eat. Oats, beans, lentils, pears, berries, cooked vegetables and whole grains all count. Increasing fiber quickly can cause gas and bloating, so a gradual climb over the first week is kinder. Fluids matter because fiber only softens stool when it can absorb water; a dry, high-fiber diet can make things worse.

Some surgeons recommend a fiber supplement in addition to food, and NIDDK lists fiber supplements among standard measures for hemorrhoids generally. Whether and how to use one is a decision for the care team, particularly for people on fluid restrictions or with other bowel conditions. Small, regular meals also help, since the bowel responds to eating with a natural urge to move.

Is swelling normal after hemorrhoidectomy? Bleeding, discharge and skin tags explained

Yes, swelling after hemorrhoidectomy is normal, and it is one of the things that alarms people most when they first look. The skin bridges left between excised hemorrhoids often puff up in the first few days as fluid collects in the tissue, a process called edema. The area can look lumpy, purple or shiny, and it may feel as though the hemorrhoids have come straight back. They have not. Edema is the tissue’s response to surgery and to the mechanical stress of bowel movements, and it typically settles over the first two to three weeks.

Discharge is also expected. Open wounds in the anal canal weep a mixture of serum, small amounts of blood and mucus, which can be yellowish and have an odor. Wearing a soft pad and rinsing rather than wiping keeps this manageable. Bright red streaks on the pad or in the toilet water after a bowel movement are common in the first week or two.

Bleeding follows a pattern worth knowing. Light bleeding is most frequent early on. A second, less common window opens roughly one to two weeks after surgery, when dissolvable stitches loosen or a scab separates from the wound. MedlinePlus lists bleeding among the recognized complications of hemorrhoid surgery, and heavier bleeding at any stage, especially with clots or dizziness, is a reason to seek care promptly rather than wait for a routine appointment.

Skin tags, small flaps of loose skin at the anal margin, sometimes remain after healing because surgeons deliberately leave skin bridges to prevent the canal from narrowing. They are harmless, though some people find them bothersome for hygiene. Whether anything should be done about them is a conversation for a follow-up visit once healing is complete, not a first-week concern.

Hemorrhoidectomy recovery time: what the first week usually looks like

Recovery rarely follows a script exactly, but there is a recognizable rhythm to the first seven days that most people can expect. The table below lays it out as typical ranges, drawn from the kind of guidance MedlinePlus and Mayo Clinic give for this operation. Treat it as a map, not a contract.

Day	What often happens	What usually helps
Day 0 (surgery)	Comfortable while local anesthetic and blocks last; grogginess; possible difficulty urinating	Fluids, scheduled pain relief started before the block wears off, first warm bath if cleared
Days 1–2	Pain becomes real; throbbing at rest; strong urge to avoid the bathroom	Sitz baths two to three times daily, stool softener as prescribed, short walks
Days 3–4	Often the hardest stretch; first substantial bowel movement; swelling and discharge peak	Footstool, no straining, bath immediately after each movement, call if no stool by day 3
Days 5–7	Pain plateaus then begins to fall; bowel movements shorter and less frightening; fatigue lifts	Gradual return to walking and light tasks, fiber climbing toward target, opioids tapering if used

Beyond day seven, the story is one of steady but unglamorous improvement. Many people return to desk work in the second week and to more physical work a week or two after that, with the wounds themselves continuing to close over several weeks. Long sitting, heavy lifting and vigorous exercise are usually the last things to come back, mainly because they press on the healing area.

Sleep tends to be poor for the first few nights and then improves as pain and spasm ease. Fatigue can be surprising after what is technically a small operation; anesthesia, disrupted sleep and the body’s healing effort all take energy. Most surgeons schedule a follow-up visit somewhere in the second to sixth week to check that healing is on track and to address any lingering concerns.

Who is usually offered a hemorrhoidectomy, and who is asked to wait

Surgery is not the first move for most hemorrhoids, and understanding where it sits in the sequence helps explain why a surgeon may recommend it for one person and steer another toward waiting or a different option.

Excisional hemorrhoidectomy is generally reserved for large internal hemorrhoids that prolapse, meaning they slide out of the anal canal and either need to be pushed back or stay out, and for combined internal and external hemorrhoids that cause persistent bleeding, pain or hygiene problems. It is also considered when office procedures such as rubber band ligation, in which a tiny band cuts off blood supply to the hemorrhoid, or sclerotherapy, an injection that shrinks it, have been tried without lasting benefit. A painful thrombosed external hemorrhoid, a clot in a hemorrhoid under the skin, may be treated surgically if it is seen within the first couple of days, as Mayo Clinic describes.

Several groups are commonly asked to wait or to consider alternatives. Pregnant patients are usually managed with conservative measures, since hemorrhoids often improve after delivery. People with an active flare of inflammatory bowel disease are typically treated for the flare first, because anal wounds heal poorly in inflamed tissue. Anyone taking blood-thinning medicine needs a plan for managing it around surgery, made by the prescribing clinician, before an operation is booked. Patients with weakened immunity, uncontrolled diabetes or an unclear diagnosis, where bleeding might have another cause, are generally evaluated further before proceeding.

Alternatives include the stapled procedure described earlier and hemorrhoidal artery ligation, in which the feeding blood vessels are tied off using ultrasound guidance. Each has a different profile of pain, durability and complications. Which, if any, is appropriate is the treating surgeon’s judgment, informed by examination and by the patient’s own priorities.

What people often get wrong about pain after hemorrhoidectomy

The internet is generous with hemorrhoidectomy stories, and the loudest ones tend to be the hardest. A few recurring misunderstandings are worth correcting, because they shape how people behave in the first week.

The first is that the pain means something has gone wrong. In most cases it means the wound is exactly where it is supposed to be, in nerve-rich skin, and that the sphincter is doing what injured muscle does. Pain that follows the expected arc, worst early and easing over one to two weeks, is a sign of ordinary healing, not failure.

The second is that holding off on bowel movements protects the wound. It does the opposite. Stool that waits becomes harder, and hard stool over a fresh wound is the most common cause of a bad day three. Going when the urge arrives, with soft stool and no straining, is protective.

The third is that opioids are the strongest tool and therefore the best one. They have a role for breakthrough pain, but they slow the bowel and can trigger the constipation that worsens everything else. Scheduled non-opioid medicine, warm water and soft stool carry most of the load in evidence-based plans, with opioids as a short supplement decided by the surgeon.

The fourth is that swelling means the hemorrhoids have returned. Early swelling is edema of the skin bridges and settles over weeks. Recurrence, when it happens, is a matter of months or years and is assessed at follow-up, not on day five in a hand mirror.

The last is that stapled surgery is painless. It is generally less painful early on, but it is not pain-free, and it carries its own considerations, including a higher likelihood of prolapse returning. Every method involves a trade, and the surgeon’s job is to explain which trade fits.

Still hurting at two weeks or three months? When pain after hemorrhoidectomy stops following the script

Most recovery stories flatten out into mild tenderness by the end of week two. A minority do not, and the people living those stories are often the ones posting at midnight asking whether something is wrong. The honest answer is that persistent or worsening pain has a short list of recognizable causes, most of them treatable, and all of them worth an examination rather than guesswork.

An anal fissure is a small tear in the lining of the canal, and it can develop at a wound edge if a hard stool passes early. It produces sharp pain during bowel movements followed by a burning ache that can last an hour or more, and it tends to stall healing because each movement reopens it. Sphincter spasm can persist beyond the usual window in some people, keeping the canal tight and painful even between movements; topical muscle-relaxing ointments are sometimes used here, at the surgeon’s discretion.

Anal stenosis, a narrowing of the canal as scar tissue contracts, is uncommon but important. It shows up as stool that becomes thinner, harder to pass and painful over weeks rather than days. Surgeons guard against it by preserving skin bridges during the operation, and it is one reason follow-up examinations matter. Infection is rare in this well-vascularized area but presents as increasing pain with fever, spreading redness or foul discharge. Fecal impaction, a mass of hard stool that cannot pass, causes cramping, a feeling of fullness and sometimes leakage of liquid around the blockage.

Pain that persists at three months is unusual and should prompt a thorough review, sometimes including an examination under anesthesia, to look for an unhealed wound, a fissure or narrowing. None of these should be self-diagnosed from a description. The pattern is the clue; the surgeon’s examination is the answer.

Questions to ask your care team before and after hemorrhoidectomy

A ten-minute conversation before surgery often prevents a week of uncertainty afterward. These are the questions patients most often wish they had asked, grouped by the moment when they matter.

Before the operation, it helps to understand the plan itself. Which technique is being proposed, excisional or stapled, and why that one for this situation? What anesthesia is recommended, and what does that mean for the first evening at home? Will long-acting local anesthetic be placed in the wounds? What is the written pain plan, and which of the medicines on it should be taken on a schedule rather than only when needed? Are there any current medicines, particularly blood thinners or anti-inflammatories, that need to change before surgery, and who will direct that change?

For the first week, the practical questions matter most. When should the first bowel movement happen, and what is the threshold for calling if it has not? How many sitz baths a day, at what temperature, and should anything be added to the water? Is a fiber supplement recommended alongside food, and how quickly should intake increase? What amount of bleeding is expected, and what amount is not? Can the wounds be showered directly, and how should they be dried?

Looking further out, ask when driving, desk work, physical work and exercise are usually reasonable, and what the plan is if pain is not improving by the end of the second week. Ask when the follow-up visit will be and who to contact between visits, including after hours. Finally, ask what lasting changes to expect, such as skin tags, and what the surgeon’s own experience suggests about the likelihood of recurrence. Write the answers down; the first days after anesthesia are not a reliable time to remember details.

When to call your doctor after hemorrhoidectomy: red-flag signs

Ordinary recovery includes pain, some bleeding, swelling and discharge. The signs below fall outside that range and warrant a call to the surgical team the same day, or emergency care if the team cannot be reached.

• Bleeding that soaks a pad within an hour, involves clots, or comes with lightheadedness, fainting or a racing heartbeat
• Inability to urinate for more than several hours after returning home, or a painfully full bladder
• No bowel movement by the third day despite prescribed stool softeners, or a sensation of blockage with cramping and leakage of liquid stool
• Fever, chills, or pain that is increasing rather than easing after the first few days
• Spreading redness, warmth or hardness in the skin around the anus, or discharge that becomes thick, gray or foul-smelling
• Severe pain that is not controlled by the prescribed plan, or pain that suddenly worsens after a period of improvement
• Vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, or signs of dehydration such as very dark urine
• Any allergic reaction to medicines, such as rash, swelling of the face or difficulty breathing

Bleeding deserves special mention because of its two windows: early on, and again roughly one to two weeks later when stitches dissolve or scabs separate. Light streaking is expected in both windows; steady flow, clots or dizziness are not.

A short word on urgency. Heavy bleeding, fainting, difficulty breathing, or fever with rapidly worsening pain are emergency situations. Everything else on the list is a same-day call. Discharge instructions almost always include a number to reach the on-call team, and using it is exactly what it is there for. The surgical team would far rather hear about a concern that turns out to be nothing than learn about a problem at the two-week visit that could have been addressed on day four.

Frequently asked questions

How long are you in pain after hemorrhoid surgery?

Most people experience the sharpest pain during the first two to three days, with flares around bowel movements, followed by steady improvement over one to two weeks. MedlinePlus describes overall recovery as taking a few weeks, and tenderness can linger while wounds finish closing. Pain that is still rising rather than falling at the end of week two should be discussed with the surgical team.

How do I poop after hemorrhoid surgery?

Go when the urge arrives, keep stool soft with fiber, fluids and any prescribed softener, and avoid straining. Place your feet on a low stool so knees sit above hips, lean forward, and breathe out slowly instead of bearing down. Rinse with water rather than wiping, then take a warm sitz bath to ease the spasm that follows. The first movement is usually the hardest.

What food should I not eat after hemorrhoid surgery?

Limit foods that firm up stool, such as white bread, white rice, large amounts of cheese, processed meats and pastries, and avoid alcohol while taking prescribed pain medicine. Very spicy food is often reported to sting during bowel movements, though evidence is anecdotal. Build meals around fiber-rich choices like oats, beans, fruit and cooked vegetables, and drink enough fluid for the fiber to soften stool.

Is swelling normal after hemorrhoidectomy?

Yes. Swelling of the skin bridges between wounds is a normal response called edema and can make the area look lumpy or as though hemorrhoids have returned. It usually settles over two to three weeks. Swelling accompanied by fever, spreading redness, hard warm skin or foul discharge is different and should be reported to the surgical team the same day.

How often should I take a sitz bath after hemorrhoid surgery?

Mayo Clinic’s hemorrhoid guidance suggests 10 to 15 minutes in warm water two or three times a day, and most surgical instructions add a bath after each bowel movement. Use warm, not hot, plain water unless your surgeon advises otherwise, and pat the area dry afterward. Baths can stop once they no longer add comfort, often in the second or third week.

What is the typical hemorrhoidectomy recovery time before returning to work?

Many people return to desk work during the second week and to physically demanding work a week or two later, though MedlinePlus notes that complete healing takes several weeks. Prolonged sitting, heavy lifting and vigorous exercise are usually the last activities to resume comfortably. Your surgeon’s advice will depend on the extent of surgery, your job and how healing is progressing at follow-up.

When should the first bowel movement after hemorrhoidectomy happen?

Surgeons generally want a bowel movement within the first two to three days and prescribe stool softeners or gentle laxatives to make that likely. Waiting longer allows stool to harden, which makes the eventual movement more painful. Most discharge instructions ask patients to call if nothing has passed by the third day, since the team may want to adjust the plan.

Which anesthesia is best for hemorrhoidectomy?

There is no single best choice. General anesthesia, spinal anesthesia and local anesthesia with sedation are all used, often combined with long-acting local anesthetic injected into the wounds. Spinal anesthesia offers strong early pain relief but a higher chance of temporary urinary retention. The anesthesiologist chooses based on your health history, medications, anatomy and preference, in discussion with you and the surgeon.

Why is there bleeding two weeks after hemorrhoid surgery?

Light bleeding one to two weeks after surgery often occurs when dissolvable stitches loosen or a scab separates from the healing wound, and MedlinePlus lists bleeding among recognized complications of hemorrhoid surgery. Streaks on a pad or in the toilet are expected. Steady flow, clots, or bleeding with dizziness or a racing heartbeat require prompt contact with the surgical team or emergency care.

Is it normal to still have pain three months after hemorrhoidectomy?

Pain at three months is unusual and should prompt a review by the surgeon. Possible causes include an anal fissure at a wound edge, ongoing sphincter spasm, an unhealed wound or scar-related narrowing of the canal. Each is identified by examination, sometimes under anesthesia, and most have specific treatments. Persistent pain should not be managed by guesswork at home.

References

• MedlinePlus: Hemorrhoid surgery
• NHS: Piles (haemorrhoids)
• Cleveland Clinic: Hemorrhoids
• NIDDK (NIH): Treatment for hemorrhoids

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.