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If you suffer from haemorrhoids or piles (and we do mean suffer in the highest degree known to humankind), misery loves company because one in three people in Singapore understands your predicament. Painful haemorrhoids are one of the most common issues here,\u00a0<\/span>especially in those above 30. According to HealthXchange, about half the people over the age of 50 exhibit symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Interestingly, everyone is born with haemorrhoids. \u201c<\/span>They are natural anal cushions that help to fully close the anus to prevent leakage while you\u2019re at rest,\u201d said Professor Emile John Tan, the head and senior consultant of Singapore General Hospital\u2019s Department of Colorectal Surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most people are only intimately aware of these \u201ccushions\u201d of blood vessels when they become swollen and cause problems, said Adjunct Assistant Professor Lee Kai Yin, a consultant with National University Hospital\u2019s Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n You may know haemorrhoids as a pain in the butt but \u201cthe m<\/span>ajority of haemorrhoids are actually painless\u201d, said Adj Asst Prof Lee. You may not even know you have them as they are typically the internal ones inside your rectum.\u00a0<\/p>\n But \u201cout of sight\u201d shouldn\u2019t be \u201cout of mind\u201d as these internal piles can enlarge to the extent of prolapsing or protruding out of the anus, and cause swelling and bleeding, said Prof Tan. In fact, one of the signs of internal haemorrhoids is painless bleeding during bowel movements (you might spot blood on the toilet paper after wiping). You may also experience a sense of incomplete defecation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nDO DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAEMORRHOIDS HURT DIFFERENTLY?<\/span><\/h2>\n