Are prolapsed rectum and prolapsed hemorrhoids the same thing? What is the difference between rectal prolapse and prolapse? Let’s find out how to identify the difference between the two together and read on. Many patients in outpatient clinics often mistake hemorrhoid prolapse for rectal prolapse and say they are suffering from “prolapse”. The actual prolapse is a rectal prolapse, but Chinese medicine is called prolapse, Western medicine is called rectal prolapse, the name is different. In fact, there is a big difference between rectal prolapse and hemorrhoid prolapse. 1, hemorrhoid prolapse due to the nucleus of each hemorrhoid between the obvious boundary, the nucleus of hemorrhoid mucosa is often congested, and because the nucleus of hemorrhoid area mucosa for migrating epithelium (rectal mucosa columnar epithelium and anal canal skin squamous epithelium between the transition area), the color more purple-red. The surface of the prolapsed hemorrhoid is sometimes mulberry-shaped because of the varicose blood vessels in the nucleus. In contrast, rectal prolapse in the early stage is mostly rectal mucosa prolapse, or half ring or full circumference, the swelling is not obvious boundaries, the surface is pink, sometimes appear ring-like folds. At a later stage, if the whole rectum (including the muscle layer) is prolapsed, it is difficult to see the swelling appearing as a fold, but a cone-shaped or columnar swelling is prolapsed. 2, hemorrhoid prolapse volume is relatively small, sometimes only a part of the hemorrhoid nucleus prolapse, even when the nucleus of the hemorrhoid all prolapse, its volume is not as big as rectal prolapse, especially the latter with muscle layer prolapse, the volume of the prolapse is relatively larger, sometimes the length of the prolapse up to 400px, or even longer. 3, an interesting phenomenon is that hemorrhoid prolapse often leads to anal tightness or narrowing, rectal prolapse repeatedly prolapse but anal relaxation. The hemorrhoid prolapse is only a rupture of the submucosal tendons, not accompanied by muscle prolapse. Repeated hemorrhoid prolapse due to chronic inflammatory stimulation, the original hemorrhoid nucleus tissue fibrosis, and perennial hemorrhoid prolapse, edema, inflammatory stimulation, can lead to anal pain, repeated spasm of the anal sphincter, and eventually in the sphincter surface layer of the fibrotic hyperplasia, the anus becomes smaller, defecation is difficult, once the patient struggle, more likely to lead to the outward prolapse of the hemorrhoid nucleus, forming a vicious circle. This is the reason why it is common to see mild anal stenosis even without surgery. The opposite is true for rectal prolapse, as the entire rectum prolapses over the years, eventually the entire anal sphincter group is completely “stretched loose”, which is like a spring repeatedly stretched, and one day the elasticity will be greatly weakened. Of course, rectal prolapse also has a vicious circle, that is, rectal prolapse leads to anal sphincter relaxation, and anal sphincter relaxation, tension weakened, the anal canal pressure significantly reduced, can not fight the vertical pressure from the rectum, and led to the inertia of rectal prolapse out, so the surgery should restore the anorectal pressure balance, in order to cure the disease.