Hello, after lurking on this site for a little while, I finally decided to sign up and ask my own question!
For about 5 weeks, I had what I thought were external hemorrhoids. They were constantly there (2 slightly larger than a pea-sized lumps and 3 smaller ones). They never caused me any pain, and the only time I had any discomfort was when I first felt them and worried myself.
I thought that the cause of them was most likely to have been because I do strain to have a bowel movement. Not always because I need to - it has just turned into a bit of a habit (really bad I know!). Anyway, after reading lots of information online, and a lot of posts on here (thanks for all the info), I took a few warm baths, tried to include more fibre in my pretty poor diet, drank more water and cut out fizzy drinks.
I believed this helped a little as roughly 3 weeks later the lumps went down slightly and I started to have easy to pass bowel movements.
However, I suffer slightly from parcopresis, and sometimes find it very difficult to go. This so delightfully happened just after things were improving. I was constipated for about 3 days. Once I finally had a bowel movement, it wasn't a very good one, but I was glad I had one!
The lumps came back, but for the past 2 weeks they have been shrinking after bowel movements. I had a peek today after getting up, and it looked like they had almost completely disppeared, with only a tiny lump being visable. They only seem to buldge back to the original size after passing gas or during/after a bowel movement.
My bowel movements since the constipation haven't been regular (I go once or twice a day, but varying amounts and strain etc) but I haven't kept up very well with the fibre, which I am starting to now - and hoping that I'll be regular again.
I'm wondering if I still have external hems that are healing by shrinking, and my bowel movements are just causing them to flare up again, or whether I actually have internal hems? From pictures, I did beleive I had external hems but now I am not so sure.
I don't really want to go to a doctor, as they are not causing me any pain and no bleeding. I don't really have any symptoms apart from the ones I've already explained.
If anyone could offer me some advice or information, I'd be very grateful!
Hemorrhoids - internal/external or both? 
