Which doshic type of hemorrhoids are deep, have a foul smell, and are shiny and white?

• A. kapha
• B. vata
• C. pitta
• D. rakta

Answer: (A)

In Ayurveda, hemorrhoids are described by dosha types, each with its own characteristic signs. The kapha type is tied to qualities of heaviness, moisture, and tissue with a mucus-like feel. So these hemorrhoids tend to be deep in the anal canal, form large protrusions, and appear pale or white with a shiny surface because the tissue is moist and thick rather than dry or inflamed.

The foul odor fits with kapha’s association with stagnation and dampness, where mucus-rich material can accumulate and develop an off smell. This combination—deep-seated, large, pale white and shiny, with a moist, mucus-like quality and odor—points to kapha-type hemorrhoids rather than the dry, small, painful pattern of vata, the inflamed, red pattern of pitta, or the red, bleeding pattern associated with rakta (blood).