Popping a hemorrhoid creates an open wound in a area rich with bacteria, which can lead to infection, prolonged bleeding, and more pain than you started with. Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels, not pimples, so puncturing one doesn’t resolve the underlying problem and often makes things worse. Here’s what actually happens, what to do if one bursts on its own, and safer ways to get relief.
What Happens Immediately
When a hemorrhoid is punctured or bursts, the first thing you’ll notice is bright red blood. It can show up on toilet paper, in the toilet bowl, or on your stool. The amount of blood can look alarming, but in most cases a burst hemorrhoid is not a medical emergency on its own.
If the hemorrhoid was thrombosed (meaning it had a blood clot inside), bursting actually releases that trapped clot along with the blood. Many people feel an instant drop in pressure and pain relief once a thrombosed hemorrhoid ruptures, because the swollen, taut tissue finally deflates. The severe, throbbing pain that builds before a rupture tends to gradually ease afterward.
That said, deliberately popping a hemorrhoid yourself skips the relief and adds risk. Without sterile instruments, you’re introducing bacteria directly into an open wound in one of the most bacteria-dense areas of your body. The wound bleeds more than you’d expect from something so small, and the tissue is difficult to keep clean during healing.
Why Self-Popping Is Risky
The core problem is simple: hemorrhoids are blood vessels, not blisters. Puncturing one creates a wound that won’t address the swelling, weakened vein walls, or straining habits that caused it in the first place. The hemorrhoid will likely refill or the wound will heal poorly.
Infection is the most common complication. The anal area is home to large amounts of bacteria, and an open wound there is hard to keep sterile. A localized infection can progress to a perianal abscess, which is a pus-filled pocket near the anus that causes extreme, constant pain and often requires surgical drainage. About 50% of people who develop a perianal abscess go on to develop an anal fistula, an abnormal tunnel between the anal canal and the skin that typically needs additional surgery to repair.
In rare but documented cases, infections following hemorrhoid procedures (even professional ones) have progressed to life-threatening sepsis. A systematic review found 38 patients who developed severe sepsis after hemorrhoid treatments, with symptoms including fever, severe pain, and septic shock. Ten of those patients died. While these cases involved clinical procedures rather than self-popping, they illustrate how quickly infections in this area can escalate.
It Might Not Be a Hemorrhoid
Not every lump near the anus is a hemorrhoid. A perianal abscess looks like a swollen, tender boil near the edge of the anus, often red and constantly throbbing. Sitting, coughing, and bowel movements make it hurt worse. Popping an abscess yourself can spread the infection deeper into surrounding tissue.
Anal skin tags, which are harmless folds of skin left behind after a previous hemorrhoid heals, can also be mistaken for an active hemorrhoid. These have no fluid inside and don’t benefit from being squeezed or cut. If you’re unsure what you’re dealing with, getting it checked is the fastest way to appropriate treatment.
Internal vs. External Hemorrhoids
External hemorrhoids sit under the skin around the anus, where you can see and feel them. These are the ones most likely to become thrombosed, forming a hard, discolored lump that people are tempted to pop. When a thrombosed external hemorrhoid bursts, the blood clot leaks out through the skin covering, and bleeding can continue intermittently as the wound heals.
Internal hemorrhoids are inside the rectum and usually can’t be seen or felt. They tend to cause painless bleeding, typically small amounts of bright red blood on toilet tissue. You wouldn’t be able to “pop” an internal hemorrhoid yourself. When an internal hemorrhoid prolapses (pushes through the anal opening), it can become painful, but it requires different management than an external one.
What to Do if One Already Burst
If a hemorrhoid has already ruptured on its own, the priority is keeping the area clean and managing bleeding. A sitz bath is one of the most effective tools: sit in a few inches of warm water for about 15 minutes, several times a day, especially after bowel movements. You can buy a small sitz bath basin that fits over your toilet at most pharmacies, or simply use your bathtub.
After soaking, gently pat the area dry and apply an over-the-counter cream or ointment containing lidocaine or hydrocortisone. These help with swelling, burning, itching, and pain. Applying them right after a sitz bath gives the best results, since the tissue is clean and the pores are open. Medicated wipes are another option for keeping the area clean between baths.
Avoid straining during bowel movements while the wound heals. Eating high-fiber foods and drinking plenty of water keeps stools soft so they pass without putting pressure on the healing tissue. Sitting on a donut-shaped cushion can reduce direct pressure on the area.
How Long Healing Takes
Bleeding from a burst hemorrhoid is typically brief, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Some people experience intermittent spotting for several days afterward, especially during bowel movements. The pain that preceded the rupture usually improves noticeably within the first day or two, though soreness around the wound site can linger as it closes.
Most burst hemorrhoids heal within one to two weeks with consistent home care. If bleeding doesn’t slow after the first few days, or if you develop new symptoms like fever, increasing redness, worsening pain, or foul-smelling drainage, an infection may be developing and needs prompt attention.
What a Doctor Can Do Instead
If a thrombosed hemorrhoid is causing severe pain, a doctor can perform an incision and drainage in their office using sterile technique and local anesthesia. This is the controlled version of what people try to do at home, but with far less risk of infection or excessive bleeding.
For hemorrhoids that keep coming back, several office procedures can address the root problem. Rubber band ligation involves placing a tiny band around the base of the hemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply, causing it to shrink and fall off within a week or so. Injection therapy uses medication to shrink the hemorrhoid directly. Both are quick, usually done without general anesthesia, and have short recovery times compared to surgical removal.
Large amounts of rectal bleeding, lightheadedness, dizziness, or faintness after a hemorrhoid rupture warrant emergency care. These signs suggest blood loss significant enough to affect circulation.