Abdominal adhesions Piles, or haemorrhoids, are areas in the anal canal where the tissue, which contains lots of blood vessels, has become swollen. They are common in all age groups from mid-teens onwards and particularly common in pregnant women. Blood from the anus, which you may notice on toilet paper, coating the stool or in the toilet after you have opened your bowels itchiness around your anal area pain and discomfort after you have opened your bowels a slimy discharge of mucus a feeling that your bowels have not completely emptied There are conditions other than piles that can cause bleeding from the anus. If you notice bleeding for more than six weeks then you should get medical advice. The exact way piles form is controversial but it may be linked to excess pressure in the anus and lower rectum. The rectum is at the end of your colon and is where faeces collect before they are expelled through your anus as a bowel movement. |