🩹 Piles (Haemorrhoids)
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
| In brief | Commonly known as haemorrhoids, these swollen veins around the lower rectum and anus can bleed, itch and hurt. |
|---|---|
| Category | Digestive |
🔍 What causes it
Everyone has small cushions of blood vessels in the anal canal; piles develop when these swell, stretch and become irritated. Pressure is the main culprit — straining on the toilet, chronic constipation, sitting for long hours, pregnancy, obesity, coughing and heavy lifting. A low-fibre diet and inherited weak vein walls raise the risk. Piles can appear at any age but become more common after 45.
⚠️ Key symptoms
- Bright red blood on the toilet paper or streaking the stool
- An itchy, sore or burning feeling around the anus
- A tender lump or swelling at the edge of the anus
- Pain or discomfort during and right after bowel movements
- A damp feeling, mucus discharge or incomplete emptying after passing stool
💊 Treatment
Mild piles often settle on their own with more fibre, plenty of water and no straining. Warm sitz baths, cold packs and soothing creams ease pain and swelling, and keeping the area clean helps. Persistent internal piles may need small procedures that shrink them, such as banding, while severe or external piles sometimes need surgery. Any bleeding from the back passage should be checked by a doctor, since it can mimic more serious conditions.
🛡️ Prevention
Keep stools soft with fibre from fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, and drink enough water every day. Go when you feel the urge rather than delaying, avoid long toilet sessions and straining, stay active and manage your weight. Piles linked to pregnancy often settle after the baby is born.
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