Do hemorrhoids typically cause pain during defecation?

Hemorrhoids usually do not cause pain during defecation. This is particularly true for internal hemorrhoids, which are located higher up in the rectum and are generally not sensitive to pain. Internal hemorrhoids may cause discomfort or a sense of fullness, but they are not typically painful during bowel movements unless they become prolapsed or thrombosed.

While hemorrhoids can become inflamed, which might lead to pain, this situation is not the norm. The common experience of individuals with hemorrhoids is that they may notice bleeding or sensation but not a significant pain, especially during defecation.

Options suggesting that hemorrhoids always cause pain or only cause pain under specific conditions do not align with the general characteristics of hemorrhoids as experienced by many people. Thus, the assertion that hemorrhoids typically do not cause pain, as the correct answer states, reflects the most accepted understanding of their nature and symptoms.