Ruptured Hemorrhoid Guide – What Happens When a Hemorrhoid Ruptures?

If the words "ruptured" and "hemorrhoid" together in the same sentence make you cringe, you aren't the only one.  Yes, a ruptured hemorrhoid does sound incredibly painful, but in our guide, you will come to find out that perhaps a ruptured hemorrhoid is a blessing in disguise. 

Ruptured hemorrhoids are not uncommon.  There are only two types of hemorrhoids, internal and external, and with hemorrhoids being a widely experienced anorectal disorder about half of adults are bound to encounter one type or both at some point in their lives. 

Hemorrhoids shouldn’t go ignored and unreported.  By not addressing the rectal situation in a hemorrhoid’s early and milder stages, you could experience some complications.  A ruptured hemorrhoid can present an opening for infection to move in, and in the sensitive anal area, this is not something you want to happen.

You might also question how a hemorrhoid can get to the state of bursting.  The last thing you want is to sit down and feel a hemorrhoid burst, seemingly out of nowhere.

Here, you’ll learn the answers to all of the pressing questions concerning ruptured hemorrhoids.  By taking precautions and exercising proper treatments for ruptured hemorrhoids, you can avoid the potential complications.

Can a Hemorrhoid Rupture?

Hemorrhoids can, in fact, rupture.  Before you worry too much, think about how hemorrhoids occur in the first place to get a better grasp on why one would burst.

Everyone has hemorrhoids, and this is a fact that is lost on most people.  Your hemorrhoids, as science has hypothesized, can aid in keeping the anal sphincter closed while at rest to prevent the leakage of any fecal matter.  Most of us have three columns of hemorrhoidal tissue.

When hemorrhoids become inflamed for a variety of reasons, the reaction produces physical symptoms, and concerning ruptured hemorrhoids, these symptoms are often in the form of masses near the exterior of the anus.

If you have hemorrhoids, the masses might vary in size and shape, but they will be centrally located near the anus.  These lumps will be sore, achy, and cause pain when moving around, especially when sitting.

When a hemorrhoid ruptures, it is because one of these masses has become engorged with blood and gives in to the pressure.  Several of these lumps have the potential to burst.  The anal bumps can burst from sitting, walking, and even just from standing. 

Ruptured External Hemorrhoid 

External hemorrhoids alone tend not to rupture because they are not filled with blood.  Your external hemorrhoids are more of a reflection of inflammation of the veins coursing through the lower rectum.  External hemorrhoids do ache and cause pain, but there isn't enough pressure placed on them for a rupture to occur.

You are probably happy to hear that there is a low possibility of bursting from a regular external hemorrhoid protrusion.  On the flip side, an external hemorrhoid lump still hurts. 

External hemorrhoids can also produce or occur with these other hemorrhoid symptoms:

• Itchy anal area
• Anorectal burning sensation
• Pain
• Discomfort, especially when sitting
• Trouble passing stools
• Rectal discharge
• Bleeding

Getting by with external hemorrhoids is painful and not an easy task in general, but because of the commonality of hemorrhoids, there are hundreds of creams and ointments available for treating them. 

Your external hemorrhoids probably won't burst, but you can lubricate them to make sitting and moving around more comfortable and less painful.  Many of these products are available with anti-itch and pain relieving ingredients to target more than one symptom with application.

You should find that your regular external hemorrhoids slowly disappear within a few days.  They will go away without treating them, but by applying creams and using medicated wipes, you can make your life much more bearable in the meantime.

Ruptured Thrombosed Hemorrhoid

What kind of hemorrhoid does rupture?  When discussing ruptured hemorrhoids, a thrombosed hemorrhoid becomes the main point of interest. 

If you are unfamiliar with a thrombosed hemorrhoid, the first thing to know is that anything that is thrombotic indicates coagulation or blood clot within your circulatory system, and for hemorrhoids, the blood clot is within an external hemorrhoid.

The masses we discussed earlier play a major role in hemorrhoid rupture and thrombosed hemorrhoids.  These lumps of inflamed veins and blood vessels are vulnerable to clotting. 

Blood in the lower rectum trespassing through the veins can become trapped in these painful anal lumps, turning an external hemorrhoid into a thrombosed hemorrhoid. 

Where external hemorrhoids look like flesh-colored bulges, thrombosed hemorrhoids become bluish or purple because of the blood trapped within the skin.  Before a thrombosed hemorrhoid ruptures, they often produce sharp pains that make sitting and moving about an excruciating chore.

Thrombosed hemorrhoids are in danger of rupturing.  Once they rupture, however, the sharp pain you once felt with your thrombosed hemorrhoids goes away.  Now that the pressure is no longer there, your ruptured hemorrhoid acts similarly to an open cut, slowly working to healing itself.

Ruptured Hemorrhoid Symptoms

When a hemorrhoid ruptures, it will expel blood and other fluids that are trapped within the pocket of the skin.  You will see bleeding, and this flow of bright red blood is much like any other wound. 

The bleeding should subside within a matter of minutes.  If for whatever reason, you experience ruptured hemorrhoid bleeding for longer, you should then contact your doctor.  Your anorectal is more sensitive than other parts of your body, but a ruptured hemorrhoid acts similar to normal open cuts.

A ruptured hemorrhoid can display these symptoms:

• Bleeding (bright red blood)
• Discharge of pus or mucus
• Irritation
• Pain
• Open sore
• The potential risk of infection

 Of course, with an open wound, you will want to clean the area right away.  The anorectal area is exposed to fecal matter, and a ruptured hemorrhoid could bring on an infection.  Gently cleanse the area if you happen to experience a ruptured hemorrhoid.

Because of the potential risk of infection, it is recommended that you see your doctor for thrombosed hemorrhoids.  Your doctor can lance and drain thrombosed hemorrhoids in an in-office procedure, which will also prevent the hemorrhoids from rupturing on their own.

Can Hemorrhoids Rupture During Labor

Pregnancy and labor are two risk factors high on the list of hemorrhoid causes.  As you can imagine, carrying a fetus places excessive pressure and stress on the lower rectal veins, inciting inflammation and resulting in hemorrhoids.  Pregnancies in the third trimester are especially prone to hemorrhoid development.

This stage of the pregnancy means peak weight and stress on the lower rectum, with the added pregnancy symptoms of increased immobility and constipation to contribute to hemorrhoid inflammation.

Labor, too, is responsible for severe hemorrhoids, even to the point of rupture.  During delivery, much is happening in the anorectal area, and on top of that, the amount of straining and pushing, which severely worsens existing hemorrhoids and causes new ones to form.

External hemorrhoids during labor can easily become thrombosed of the circulation of blood.  Thrombosed hemorrhoids can just as quickly become ruptured due to the amount of stress and strain that happens during labor.

After labor can be a difficult time with hemorrhoids, but if a rupture does occur during labor, there will be considerably less sharp pain than if there were thrombosed hemorrhoids.

Ruptured Hemorrhoid Bleeding Treatment

The best action you can take is to visually inspect your hemorrhoids to ensure that they have not become thrombosed.  By examining their color and the amount of pain you feel, you can determine if this is the case.

If you notice that your external hemorrhoid has become thrombosed, you should then consider having your doctor lance and drain it.  Not only will this prevent infection, but also when your doctor performs this safely and efficiently, you will experience much less pain than if it was to burst on its own.

You can visit your doctor about ruptured or thrombosed hemorrhoids.  Lancing and draining procedures take under an hour to complete.

You can also:

• Cleanse the area with anti-bacterial gentle soap or ointments
• Use medicated wipes to relieve pain
• Take pain medication for relief
• Soak the area in a warm sitz bath

With ruptured hemorrhoids, it is essential that you care for your anorectal area gently and daily.  By keeping an eye on ruptured hemorrhoids, you can resolve the issue quickly.