If you find yourself asking the question “what are piles,” you’ve obviously come across the term in your search for a hemorrhoid treatment. In some circles, the more common term for the condition you’re experiencing is piles, while in others you might hear hemorrhoids more often. Regardless, you’re still a little foggy on what the term refers to, so if you are asking yourself the question “what are piles,” you’ve come to the right place.
If you were looking for a complicated answer to the above-mentioned question, you’re out of luck, as the answer to the question “what are piles” is relatively simple.
Everyone has hemorrhoids. You have hemorrhoids. Your boss has hemorrhoids. Your grandma has hemorrhoids. Your mailman has hemorrhoids.
How do we know, you ask? Well because everyone has hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are vascular structures that reside in the anus. The tissue assists our ability to have bowel movements by expanding and contracting. Hemorrhoids are a part of the body, just like hair, nails, heart, tongue, and veins.
Now, the term “piles” refers to the condition in which hemorrhoids have become swollen or inflamed—the condition you’re probably experiencing right now. Sometimes, for any number of reasons, a person might end up straining to pass a hard stool. In the event that happens, sometimes after a single instance but often after multiple instances, the hemorrhoidal tissue can become swollen or inflamed from the increased strain. They may begin to itch, hurt, or bleed. When the tissue has become inflamed, this is a condition referred to as piles.
So there you have it. “Piles” is just another word for “hemorrhoids,” or at least another word for the condition, which most people refer to as hemorrhoids. Sometimes one is used, sometimes another. Both will be effective in communicating your condition to a hemorrhoid doctor should you go see one.
