Medical Dictionary: Piles

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Piles: Another name for Hemorrhoids.
Piles (condition): Swollen blood vessels around the anus.
Piles (condition): Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels around the anus. They commonly occur after 50, with millions of people afflicted, and are also common in pregnancy. Hemorrhoids may protrude externally or be internal to the body. Although hemorrhoids are definitely irritating and sometimes debilitating, they are almost never life-threatening or a symptom of something worse. Hemorrhoids can often be prevented by healthy diets, avoiding toilet straining, and other lifestyle changes.

Piles: Hemorrhoids are swollen but normally present blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum that stretch under pressure, similar to varicose veins in the legs.

The increased pressure and swelling may result from straining to move the bowel. Other contributing factors include pregnancy, heredity, aging, and chronic constipation or diarrhea.

Hemorrhoids are either inside the anus (internal) or under the skin around the anus (external). ¹

More information on medical condition: Hemorrhoids:

Piles (symptom): Type of Anal symptoms.

More information on symptom: Anal symptoms:

Anal symptoms

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Hemorrhoids: NIDDK

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