Can internal hemorrhoids heal by themselves?

Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
Updated on May 20, 2025
00:00
00:00

The vast majority of internal hemorrhoid bleeding is not self-healing. Only a small amount of mucosal bleeding or if the patient actively takes care of themselves after bleeding, there might be a tendency to self-heal. Internal hemorrhoid bleeding is mainly caused by excessive local congestion pressure or hard stools piercing the local mucosal skin, leading to bleeding, generally related to poor dietary habits and defecation habits of the patient. Therefore, to achieve self-healing from internal hemorrhoid bleeding, the patient firstly needs to adjust their diet and defecation habits to avoid repeated occurrences of bleeding during bowel movements. If the bleeding is significant or lasts for a long time and cannot heal on its own, it is recommended that the patient seek treatment as soon as possible to avoid long-term internal hemorrhoid bleeding which could lead to anemia.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
1min 8sec home-news-image

What color is a prolapsed internal hemorrhoid?

If internal hemorrhoids prolapse, it indicates that the hemorrhoidal venous plexus is severely varicose and congested, and the anal cushion has pathologically enlarged and descended, leading to the prolapse of the internal hemorrhoids. The color of prolapsed internal hemorrhoids at the anal opening commonly appears as purple lumps or swellings. If the prolapsed hemorrhoids cannot retract back into the anus, even with manual assistance, this condition may lead to necrosis of the internal hemorrhoids. If necrosis occurs and results in localized thrombosis, the hemorrhoids may turn black. In such cases, prompt surgical treatment is required to prevent necrosis and worsening infection of the hemorrhoids. Surgical options include internal hemorrhoid ligation, PPH (procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids), or TST (transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization), as well as the traditional excision and ligation. Postoperatively, consistent wound dressing changes are necessary to promote healing.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yu Xu Chao
Colorectal Surgery
1min 25sec home-news-image

Can internal hemorrhoids be treated by prolapse and bloodletting?

Bleeding should not be used for prolapsed internal hemorrhoids, as this condition is primarily caused by improper defecation habits leading to pathological enlargement and descent of the anal cushion, which results in the prolapse of internal hemorrhoids. In the early stage, prolapsed internal hemorrhoids can retract back into the anus after defecation, and under such circumstances, it is only required for the patient to develop good bowel habits. For example, avoid spending too much time on defecation, don't exert excessive force, perform sphincter exercises after defecation, and maintain smooth bowel movements. Attention should also be paid to perianal hygiene; it is advised to wash the area with warm saline water after defecation to avoid worsening the prolapse or causing incarcerated edema. However, for cases where incarcerated edema occurs, it is generally recommended to consider prompt surgical intervention, such as hemorrhoidal ligation, PPH (Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids), or TST (Transanal Stapling Technique). The use of bleeding as a treatment does not have significant therapeutic effects for prolapsed internal hemorrhoids, and thus is not recommended in clinical practice. Furthermore, patients should pay attention to a light diet and avoid spicy, stimulating, and dry-hot foods as much as possible.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
56sec home-news-image

How is internal hemorrhoids treated? Is there a way?

There are many treatment methods for internal hemorrhoids, the most common being medication. If the internal hemorrhoids repeatedly prolapse or bleed significantly, direct surgical removal can also be considered. Conservative treatments primarily involve the local use of hemorrhoid suppositories, combined with oral hemostatic and anti-swelling traditional Chinese medicine. If surgical criteria are met, direct surgical removal can be performed. Surgical methods mainly include injection of sclerosing agents into the mucosa of internal hemorrhoids, internal hemorrhoid banding, and internal hemorrhoid ligation and excision. To prevent recurrence after surgery, patients should maintain good dietary and bowel habits postoperatively, avoid overly spicy and stimulating foods, and try to keep bowel movements under ten minutes without straining excessively.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
56sec home-news-image

How long does it take to recover from internal hemorrhoidectomy surgery?

The recovery time after internal hemorrhoidectomy mainly depends on the severity of the condition before the surgery. Most internal hemorrhoidectomies, specifically referring to internal hemorrhoid ligation surgeries combined with sclerotherapy injections, generally require a recovery period of about 2-3 weeks. If the internal hemorrhoids were significantly prolapsed before the surgery or if there were multiple prolapsed hemorrhoids, the recovery time might be relatively longer. If the procedure involved only localized ligation or sclerotherapy injections and there are no external wounds around the anus, the recovery time is approximately one week. During the recovery period, patients need to maintain a light diet, avoid dry stools and excessive straining during bowel movements, which could lead to pain or bleeding at the surgical site.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
1min 1sec home-news-image

What to do if internal hemorrhoids bleed severely but there is no pain or itching?

If there is severe bleeding from internal hemorrhoids, it is recommended to promptly conduct an anoscopy to determine the exact locations and amount of bleeding. Generally, bleeding from internal hemorrhoids is painless, so it is often underestimated by patients. If the bleeding is heavy or persists for a long time, it is advised that patients undergo surgery as soon as possible to ligate and stop the bleeding, or combine this with oral hemostatic drugs for symptomatic treatment to avoid exacerbation of the bleeding and resulting anemia. Repeated bleeding from internal hemorrhoids can likely lead to varying degrees of anemia. If repeated bleeding occurs, or if the anemia worsens and leads to severe anemia, further treatment with blood transfusions may be necessary to correct the anemia.