Hemorrhoids are a normal condition that may be associated with bowel movements and upright posture, and can affect both men and women of all ages, with adults over 20 years of age making up the majority. The generally accepted textbook definition is that hemorrhoids are soft venous masses formed by enlargement and varicosity of the rectal plexus under the mucous membrane at the end of the rectum and under the skin of the anal canal. The most recent definition of hemorrhoids by the Chinese Medical Association is that they are localized masses formed by pathological hypertrophy and displacement of the anal cushion and stagnation of blood flow in the perianal subcutaneous plexus. The anal cushion is part of the normal anatomy of the rectum and anus and is commonly found in people of all ages, genders and ethnic groups. Everyone can have hemorrhoids as they age. Hemorrhoids cannot be considered a disease; they can only be called hemorrhoids or hemorrhoidal disease if they are combined with symptoms such as bleeding, prolapse, pain, or impaction, and some people call them symptomatic hemorrhoids. The hemorrhoids that are generally referred to today are those that already have clinical symptoms, i.e. hemorrhoids.