You should take the following credo to heart: Any irregularity you detect in or on or coming out of your body that does not go away for good, pretty much by itself and fairly quickly, should be checked out by a doctor.

The symptoms of hemorrhoids can very easily be mistaken for other, much more serious illnesses such as colon or rectal cancer, which if left untreated can be fatal. That being said here’s what to watch out for in the case of hemorrhoids:

Any bleeding from the rectum before, during or after a bowel movement and especially any bleeding in the absence of a bowel movement.

Any noticeable change in the size, shape or color of your stools especially thin stools no wider than a pencil which would indicate a blockage or a forming block in the large intestine, or stools that are unusually dark and claylike.

Anything oozing out of your anus that shouldn’t be - which is pretty much anything other than fecal matter.

Any fever combined with any gastrointestinal or other bowel movement irregularity.

Recurring diarrhea or constipation with abdominal bloating which cannot be controlled easily and quickly by a diet change or over the counter medicines.

Any lumps, bulges, rashes or sore spots in the area of the anus that do not completely disappear in a few days.

Any pain or swelling from the rectal area that does not disappear quickly and easily and can not be attributed to a physical injury.

Any tissue that bulges from the anus and does not return to its normal size and its normal place after a few days.

Any mysterious lump in the rectal area that you detect that does not disappear quickly and completely in a few days.