Hi, Welcome to the AMD forum. There are several reasons for anal swelling but the most likely in your case it
is hemorrhoid. Hemorrhoids are simply swollen blood vessel or blood filled cavities similar to varicose vein
and they may appear due to unknown cause, constipation, hypertension and anal sex. The good thing is they are
not quite dangerous but can cause a lot of discomfort while defecating. In hemorrhoids, there could be
possible symptoms of appearance of a swelling at the rim of the anus that might only appear with straining at
the toilet then disappear again subsequently or you may experience pain/discomfort while going to the toilet
and sometimes they bleed and seems like bright red blood on the toilet paper. The only way to know the exact
diagnosis is evaluation through a doctor. In the investigations, the examining doctor would like to perform
complete examination to find out if there are any other possible causes of the bleeding such as an abscess
(infection), anal fissure, fistula & inflammation of other parts. The doctor will inspect the membrane of
the rectum (Per-rectal examination) and lower part of the intestine using an examination tube sigmoidoscope/
proctoscope and then finally make a diagnosis. For the treatment part, if doctor confirms that it is
hemorrhoid and they can get better without medical treatment if they are appeared by constipation. He /She may
recommend addition of more fibre in diet and eating more green vegetables, fresh fruit and bran. Drinking a
lot of water (usually 8-10 glasses daily) is advisable. You must be recommended to avoid straining when
passing a bowel motion. In addition, it will be also recommended to completely avoid anal sex to prevent this
condition aggravating further. In the case, if it appears protruded from the anus and sometimes become swollen
and painful, bed rest with an ice pack/topical anesthetic cream applied to the affected area should be
helpful. Also, sitting in a bath tub of hot water for about 15-20 minutes several times a day, will surely
reduce the pain. In extreme cases when situation is not controllable by any measure, specialist may suggest
surgical options like band ligation, hemorroidectomy and sclerotherapy. Hope this information proves helpful
to you. Please do keep us informed about your health status. Take Care & stay healthy.
