We’ve noticed that some people have been searching for information on vaginal hemorrhoids, and this article is for them particularly.
Going on the comments made in forums and the like, it is clear that vaginal hemorrhoids – or hemorrides as some say – is a case of mistaken identity, that many young female teenagers and adults have concerns about.
Vaginal hemorrhoids are not hemorrhoids as such
Hemorrhoids are pretty specifically a condition that arises in and around the rectum.
They occur because of the nature of the blood supply to that area – there’s a big cushion of veins around the rectum that is supposed to help push feces out during defecation, but due to their nature, they are rather prone to getting swollen out of shape with blood, especially if there is something going on (like pregnancy or constipation) that increases the pressure they are under.
This is what causes hemorrhoids, and hemorrhoids, like varicose veins, are simply veins that have become distended and stretched over a long period of time.
They can happen around the rectum because the connective tissue that surrounds them is quite spongy and soft.
Vaginal Hemorrhoids are a case of mistaken identity
Veins in the vagina are very unlikely to have the room to swell and get bloated, as the connective tissue there is quite tough and elastic – it would push the veins back into shape.
Because of this, it would be extremely unusual to find hemorrhoids in the vagina.
I’m not saying impossible, as you never know what may occur in the body, but it’s telling that I can’t find any mention of them in any medical textbook I own or have read!
Because hemorrhoids can appear externally around the anus, it is possible that they may appear near enough to the vagina to look like that’s where they are from, and why some non medically trained people may refer to them as vaginal hemorrhoids.
There are conditions that give rise to lumps or skin tags around the vagina that may be confused with hemorrhoids by their appearance, such as vaginal warts, which are well documented on www.wartsandgenitalwarts.com – if you have found such wart type growths or other growths in the vagina or around it, it is important to ask a for help from a medical practitioner in identifying them, as it can be quite hard to work out exactly what they are.
Also, in some cases, if you leave the condition that you thought were vaginal hemorrhoids untreated, you could be putting your life and your sex partners in danger, as well as your ability to have children and so on.
Internal hemorrhoids can sometimes prolapse, which means they get stuck outside the body, sometimes causing a prolapse of the rectum as well.
It is possible for the vagina to prolapse, although that’s only common in older patients, and is not connected to hemorrhoids.
Vaginal hemorrhoids in summary
In short, vaginal hemorrhoids don’t really occur.
If you have found something that you thought was a hemorrhoid in the vagina, it is almost certainly something else, and you need to have a check-up to find out what, especially if it is itchy, painful or bleeding.
Although many of these symptoms are found in hemorrhoids, they should not affect the vagina in this way and would not explain these symptoms, so it’s important you get a medical opinion to determine their cause.
Main write by Dr. James D. Hogg, (BSc Oxon, MBBS & BA Hons), medical doctor, and minor rewrite by D S Urquhart.
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