"Anytime you have bleeding, feel a lump in the anus, or have rectal pain, you should see a doctor to make sure you don't have a more serious cause of the symptoms," says Aline J. Charabaty-Pishvaian, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the center for inflammatory bowel disease at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. read more
If you're having some of the characteristic symptoms of hemorrhoids - swelling, bleeding, or pain - you may want to visit your regular doctor first. Often, hemorrhoids are mild and can be treated with certain lifestyle changes. read more
When to Call Your Doctor. Even if you think it's from hemorrhoids, you should call your doctor about any rectal bleeding. It's also a symptom of colon polyps, colitis, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, and colorectal cancer. Anal fissures can also cause pain and bleeding. So you'll want to make sure you get the right diagnosis and treatment. read more