Hemorrhoids feel differently depending on whether they are internal or external, but common sensations include:

• External hemorrhoids often cause pain or discomfort, especially when sitting, wiping, or during bowel movements. You may feel pressure, sharp pain, or tenderness around the anus. They can appear as hard, tender lumps or swollen bumps under the skin around the anus. If thrombosed (clotted), they can be very painful and feel like a hard, swollen lump that may look purple or blue

• Internal hemorrhoids usually do not cause pain because they lack nerve endings, but they may cause a feeling of fullness or pressure in the rectum, sometimes described as a sensation that bowel movements are "stuck" or urgent. They may prolapse (protrude) outside the anus, causing discomfort, itching, or mucous discharge. Internal hemorrhoids often cause painless bright red rectal bleeding during bowel movements

• Other common symptoms include anal itching, irritation, swelling around the anus, and difficulty cleaning after bowel movements

In severe cases, hemorrhoids can cause intense pain that interferes with sitting, sleeping, or daily activities

. In summary, hemorrhoids can feel like painful or tender lumps, pressure or fullness in the rectum, itching, burning, or discomfort around the anus, and may be accompanied by bleeding during bowel movements