There are two kinds of hemorrhoids: internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids are those which can only be examined by a doctor. Internal hemorrhoids are caused when the tissue supporting the veins in the anal canal weakens, and the swollen veins and tissue can bulge into the anal canal. Symptoms of internal hemorrhoids include bleeding during or after bowel movements, itching or a burning sensation in the anus and rectal pain before, during or after bowel movements.

In summary, the symptoms of internal hemorrhoids include the following: Rectal bleeding. Like external hemorrhoids, bright red spots of blood may appear on toilet paper after a bowel movement. Unlike, external hemorrhoids, blood spots may appear on toilet paper if one wipes the anus before a bowel movement and in addition, blood may appear on individual pieces of stool. Because the bleeding takes place internally, small amounts of blood may leak from the anus even in the absence of a bowel movement and there is the possibility that the stool will pick up small amounts of blood on its way out of the large intestine.

An itching sensation inside the anal canal. This is a different form of itching commonly associated with hemorrhoids. Because these hemorrhoids are internal, they sometimes leak mucus as the body attempts to heal them. It is the leaking mucus which causes the itching sensation, not the small ruptures in the walls of the veins. Should this mucus leak through the anus, it may cause irritation on the outside of the body as well as the inside. A constant feeling of needing a bowel movement even after completing one. The reason you go to the bathroom is because you have the feeling in your anus that stool is ready to come out. This feeling is caused, in part, by the swelling of the anal cushions that help the stool emerge from the large intestine. If you have bulging internal hemorrhoids that intrude into the end portion of the large intestine, this will mimic the feeling of needing to eliminate and will not disappear. The larger the internal hemorrhoid, the more intense the feeling of needing to eliminate.

A painful feeling in the anal canal. In most cases, internal hemorrhoids are not painful. As described above, they exhibit other symptoms. However, if the hemorrhoids are large enough and begin to protrude through the anus, they can become quite painful if they are squeezed during bowel movements by the sphincter muscles in the anus during the course of elimination. If this pain should become unbearable, it may indicate that the blood supply to the hemorrhoid is being severely restricted by the sphincter muscles in which case the hemorrhoid is literally being strangled. Should this be the case, emergency treatment is highly recommended.