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Health

Pain in the anus

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 29.11.2021
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We all have ever heard or used the phrase "pain in the anus." Someone who has not experienced this pain may chuckle at this phrase, but in reality rectal pain is a very real health problem, especially with the health of men. Although it is not only a male problem. It can also be a problem for women living with these pains, as well as for those who suffer from hemorrhoids or fissures in the anus or diseases of the reproductive system. What causes rectal pain and what should be done if the pain in the anus bothers you?

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Causes of the pain in the anus

The cause of rectal pain can be simple health problems that are easy to fix. But it can also be a disease with a very serious and sometimes fatal outcome (for example, rectal cancer).

There are many causes of pain in the anus. Some of them are unpleasant, but not very serious. Others signal digestive problems that need to be eliminated for a long time. The task of the doctor (and ours) is to find out what is the cause of pain in the anus. Let's find out information about some of the many causes of rectal pain and anal pain.

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Anal fissure

anal fissure is a fissure in the skin, tissue, or mucous membrane of the anus. An anal fissure in or around the anus or in the rectum can cause severe pain in the anus.

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Symptoms for anal fissures

  • pain in the anus;
  • bleeding;
  • blood in the stool, in the toilet or on toilet paper.

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Causes of anal fissures

  • hard stools due to constipation;
  • too large stools;
  • stress during bowel movements;
  • injuries and damages during anal sex.

Anal fissure treatment

  • stool softeners and laxatives;
  • need to drink plenty of water;
  • sessile baths in warm water should be taken to reduce pain and accelerate the healing of anal fissures;
  • oral medications and injections, as well as enemas.

In severe cases, surgery may be necessary, as a result of which doctors sew up a crack

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Rectal abscess

rectal abscess is an abscess in the area of the anus, rectum, or accumulation of pus that results from an infection in the tissues. Localized infections often develop in and around the rectum.

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Symptoms of rectal abscess

  • pain and swelling in the anus or buttocks;
  • fever and night sweats;
  • painful lump of feces in the anus or rectum;
  • painful feces;
  • abdominal pain;
  • pain in the anus.

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Causes of rectal abscess

Abscesses are associated with diseases of the glands in the tissue around the anus and rectum. They can be provoked by acne or clogged pores, with the result that the glands in the anus and rectum often become clogged, which leads to inflammation and accumulation of pus in the tissues of the anus. When these tissues burst, pus as a result of an abscess penetrates the tissues surrounding the rectum and anus. People with weak immune systems, including HIV-positive people, are at great risk because of this type of infection.

Pain in the anus

Anal fissures can allow bacteria to fill the rectal area, which often leads to a rectal abscess.

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Rectal abscess treatment

Antibiotics are most often used to treat the infection that caused the abscess. The selection of specific antibiotics depends on the infection that led to the abscess. Antibiotics, moreover, are always used to treat major body infections.

A long needle can be used to remove infectious fluids during an abscess — for pumping fluids. This method can be applied to superficial abscesses, the result can be achieved by using shorter and thinner needles and syringes.

For those who have a needle that cannot penetrate an abscess site, surgical drainage can be used. Then the affected skin area is opened surgically and the infectious fluid is drained. Thus, people cope with abscess and pain in the anus.

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Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are blood-filled, thickened veins inside or around the rectum, called hemorrhoidal pillows or hemorrhoidal bumps.

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Symptoms of hemorrhoids

  • pain in the anus and itching;
  • blood on the surface of the stool or on paper after rubbing the anal surface;
  • impossibility of normal soft stools;
  • pieces of tissue (veins) protruding from the anus.

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Causes of Hemorrhoids

  • stress during bowel movements;
  • severe coughing, sneezing, or vomiting;
  • pregnancy;
  • cirrhosis of the liver;
  • anal sex;
  • anal fissures or infections.

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Hemorrhoid treatment - non-invasive methods

  • use of sedentary baths that capture the anus area - several times a day;
  • ice packs for 15 minutes several times a day to reduce swelling;
  • Healing prescription and non-prescription creams can be used to reduce the size of the hemorrhoids, or to relieve pain and itching in the anus. You need to keep the anus area clean by applying wet wipes to reduce irritation and itching;
  • for pain in the anus, loose clothing and underwear should be worn to reduce irritation of the anal area.

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Hemorrhoid treatment - invasive therapy

Ligation - using an elastic band or a seam hemorrhoids overtighten. About a week later, hemorrhoidal bumps dry up and fall off.

Sclerotherapy - chemicals are injected into the tissue surrounding the hemorrhoidal bumps, which significantly reduces the blood supply to the hemorrhoidal veins, causing the hemorrhoidal bumps to contract

Hemorrhoidectomy - surgical removal of hemorrhoids

The reasons for the pain in the anus are too many to list them all. But there are also specific reasons for which a person may suffer from pain in the anus.

Colitis (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease)

Colitis is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Ulcerative colitis is limited only by the colon. In Crohn's disease, the inflammatory process can affect the entire digestive system. Both of these diseases cause inflammation, which provokes rectal pain.

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Symptoms of colitis

  • pain in the anus;
  • bowel disorder;
  • nausea;
  • bloody diarrhea;
  • fatigue;
  • weight loss;
  • mucus and pus in the stool.

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Causes of Ulcerative Colitis

The causes of ulcerative colitis are not always known to doctors. Most doctors believe that ulcerative colitis is not a characteristic autoimmune response of the body — a reaction of the large intestine, possibly associated with fatty or too spicy food or the gastrointestinal bacteria of Escherichia coli.

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Causes of Crohn's Disease

A blockage in the intestinal mucosa causes swelling, inflammation, ulceration and abscesses that are characteristic of Crohn's disease. Like the causes of ulcerative colitis, the causes of Crohn's disease are not always known, but are considered an autoimmune reaction of the body.

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Crohn's disease treatment

Treatment of ulcerative colitis and disease is aimed at minimizing the inflammation that causes common symptoms for both of these diseases. Treatment may include steroids that slow down the inflammation process. Medicines can be taken orally or in some cases in the form of an enema - in order to use the drug directly in the region of the gastrointestinal tract. In extreme cases, when the intestinal tract is damaged, surgical intervention can be applied to reduce symptoms and eliminate serious bowel damage.

Injuries related to anal sex

When a man and a woman practice anal sex, and these manipulations are wrong or inept, there is a risk of serious physical injury. The most common injuries are associated with anal sex. Although most of these injuries are minor, a small medical intervention can correct the situation.

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Types of injuries of the anus

  • anal fissure or rupture;
  • rectal perforation (more often if foreign objects are used during anal sex);
  • fissures around the rectum and anus;
  • sphincter injuries (this may be due to foreign objects or aggressive anal sex);
  • prolapse of the rectum (part of the rectum protrudes from the anus).

Symptoms of anus injury

  • rectal pain during and after sex;
  • bleeding during and after sex;
  • pain when moving thighs.

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Treatment of injuries of the anus

  • It is necessary to refrain from anal sexual activity up to complete healing;
  • Use emollients to reduce potential hard bowel movement;
  • You can not strain or do hard work during treatment;
  • In extreme cases, surgery may be required.

Genital warts (condylomas)

Lesions or growths in the anus or around it can lead to pain in the anus. Two types of the most common lesions of the anal area are genital warts and herpes of the anal passage.

Genital warts (warts) are smooth, flesh-colored round growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Genital warts are sexually transmitted and are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV can also cause cancer of the anal area.

Genital (anal) herpes is one of many types of herpes. It is caused by the herpes simplex virus. These are painful, fluid-filled blisters around the anus. These lesions form ulcers of the rectum and anus.

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Symptoms of genital warts

  • flesh-colored growths that resemble cauliflower;
  • the warts themselves are painless, but often affect the body’s functions, such as bowel movements during bowel movements, which makes this process painful.

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Genital herpes

  • painful, fluid-filled formations that burst and cause pain;
  • flu-like symptoms;
  • heat;
  • swollen glands;
  • pain in the anus.

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Treatment of herpes

Treatment can take place in the form of applying creams or surgical removal of warts. A virus that causes genital warts cannot be removed, even if the warts are removed or treated.

Topical medications such as Zovirax cream and oral medications such as acyclovir and valtrex can reduce herpes outbreaks and reduce their frequency.

Pathogenesis

The term "rectum" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term "anus." When people think of rectal pain, they usually mean pain in the anus, as well as in the rectum. But in fact, the rectum and anus are two different things.

The rectum is a hollow tube organ that connects the large intestine to the anus. The anus is a ring of dense tissue through which the feces come out. When the stools or gases enter the rectum, the nerve endings in the rectum send an instant message to the brain that it is full and that it needs to be evacuated.

When it is time to defecate (at this time you are in the toilet), the rectum pushes through the anus a chair through the contractions, which is removed from the body. If the time for bowel movements is not appropriate (for example, you drive home from work to the car), the rectum holds the stool until you reach the toilet.

The anus is a ring of dense elastic tissue, which is located at the very end of the gastrointestinal tract. Waste of our vital activity is pushed out of the rectum through the anal canal and excreted from the body through the anus.

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Who to contact?

Diagnostics of the pain in the anus

It is important to remember that pain in the anus indicates a serious health problem. The problem can be easily corrected, such as with hemorrhoids, or it can be something very serious and potentially fatal, such as anal cancer.

If you have symptoms of anal or rectal pain, which is called one general concept - pain in the anus - regardless of their severity, you should make an appointment with the proctologist and get an accurate diagnosis from it. This diagnosis can save your life.

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