Sharp pain in anus could be Anal Fissures
Have you ever experienced a random sharp pain in anus? This pain could be near the anus in both male and female. The pain may spread to the lower abdomen and pelvic area. In women, the pain can be felt during period. In some cases, you may feel the pain when passing stool or pooping.
Here is an insight into some of the causes, their symptoms, treatment and how you can get rid of sharp pain in and around the anus.
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Sharp pain in anus, around anus or near anus can occur in both men and women. The pain can be very distressing but it is often a sign of something treatable in most of the cases. This pain is medically known as proctalgia.
An anorectal fistula is one of the common causes of the pain. An anal fistula can be described as a narrow tunnel with its internal opening in the anal canal and its external opening in the skin near the anus. This condition is common in people with a history of anal abscesses.
Perianal abscess also called anorectal abscess is an abscess adjacent to the anus. This bumps often arises from an infection at one of the anal sinuses that leads to inflammation and formation of an abscess.
Pain in the perianal area is the most common symptom of an anorectal abscess. The pain may be dull, aching or throbbing. The pain is worst when sitting or during bowel movement.
When accompanied by other symptoms such as chills or fever, it can be a sign of an infection. To minimize a risk of complications you may need to have it checked out as soon as possible.
Anal pain in and around the anus is a common complaint for both male and females. Thought most causes of the pain are benign, the pain itself can be severe due to the many nerve endings in the perianal region.
Some of the common causes of the sharp pain would include the following:
Hemorrhoids also called piles are swelling of the blood vessels around the anus. Though they occur in both men and women, hemorrhoids are more common in women, they are often caused by straining on the toilet as a result of prolonged constipation.
Hemorrhoids often have no symptoms, but when they occur they will include:
An anal fissure is a small tear in the skin around the anus. The tears can be caused by chronic constipation characterized by passing a large or a hard poo. When this is the cause of the pain, you will expect the following symptoms:
An anal fissure is very painful but will often heal on their own. At home, treatment may include taking a laxative, over the counter painkillers and increasing your consumption of fiber diet. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to help heal the anal fissure.
An anal fistula is a small tunnel that develops between the end of the bowel and the skin near the anus. Anal fistula result from an infection near the anus resulting in a collection of pus which forms an abscess or a boil.
An anal fistula can be shown by the following symptoms:
Normally, oral or topical antibiotics may be used in cases of bacterial infections. For serious cases and large abscess, a surgical procedure may be required to get rid of the abscess.
Proctalgia fugax has no specific cause. According to mayo clinic, the pain can be caused by intense muscle spasms in and around the canal of the anus. Though similar to levator ani syndrome, proctalgia fugax may last days instead of minutes.
Anybody can experience this pain but sometimes it’s more common in women than in women. Common symptoms of proctalgia fugax are muscles spasms in or around the lower rectum area or in or around the canal of the anus. The pain or spasm happen suddenly and usually without warning.
IBD involves chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Common IBD are ulcerative colitis (a condition characterized by long-lasting inflammation and sores in the innermost lining of the colon or large intestine)
The other common condition is Crohn’s disease, a condition characterized by inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract. The infection often spreads deep into affected tissues.
Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis usually involve severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.
Coccydynia is a medical term meaning pain in the coccyx or tailbone area. The pain can be brought on by sitting too abruptly. The pain can be caused by both surgical and non-surgical methods. If non-surgical treatments fail to relieve the pain, surgery may be performed to remove the coccyx.
Anal cancer is an uncommon type of cancer that occurs in the anal canal. Your anal canal is a short tube at the end of your rectum through which stool leaves your body. Rectal bleeding and anal pain are the common symptoms of anal cancer.
Treatment for anal cancer will often involve a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Though the combination of treatment increases the risk of cure, it can also increase the risk side effects.
In female, the sharp pain in anus and lower abdomen might be signs of any of the following:
Commonly known as a posterior vaginal prolapse, rectocele occurs when the wall of the fibrous tissue that separates the rectum from the vagina weakens. When this happens, the tissues just behind the vagina wall can bulge into the vagina.
According to mayo clinic, Childbirth and other processes that put pressure on pelvic tissue can lead to posterior vaginal prolapse.
A small prolapse may cause no signs or symptoms. For a large posterior vaginal prolapse, however, it may create a noticeable bulge of tissue through the vaginal opening. Though noticeable, it’s rarely uncomfortable.
Obstipation is a type of severe form of constipation that results from an obstruction in the intestines. With this condition the intestines are not fully emptied, there is a failure to pass out stool or gas that will lead to intestinal obstruction.
Levator ani syndrome is common in women than it is in men. This condition is characterized by apparent spasms in the group of muscles that surround and support the anus. The actual causes of the condition are unknown.
Levator ani syndrome can be very painful and often last up to 20 minutes. The pain is often worse when sitting and can be felt high up inside the rectum. Soaking in a hot tub and massaging the levator ani muscles can help stop the spasm. Over the counter, anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen can also help ease the symptoms.
In men, sharp pain in anus and lower abdomen can be a sign of any of the following conditions:
Prostatitis is a swelling and inflammation of the prostate glands. Prostatitis often causes painful or difficult urination. Other symptoms will include pain in the groin, pelvic area or genitals sometimes flu-like symptoms.
This condition affects men of all ages but tends to be more common in men over 50 years. The condition has a number of causes, but in most cases, the causes often aren’t identified. When caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics are used to treat the symptoms.
Renal calculi or renal stones are extraordinarily painful accretions of urate or phosphate crystals in the kidney. Pain can occur almost anywhere in the abdomen, not only in the perineum but in the lower back.
In rare cases, kidney stones may pass on their own while in other cases a procedure known as lithotripsy is required to dissolve them.
Though common in women, men to can also be affected with UTIs. UTIs in men are common in elderly people. This infection can affect any of the following parts. The kidney, ureters, bladder and the urethra. Antibiotics are used as the first line of treatment in most cases of UTIs.
The pelvic floor is comprised of muscles that work to support the organs like the intestines, the bladder and the uterus in female. In most of the cases, pelvic floor pains and anal pain are often the results of an underlying condition that can either be mild or temporary. In rare cases, it can be a sign of a more serious condition.
Studies show that pelvic floor pain is more common in women than in men. When diagnosing the underlying cause, your doctor may require additional test that would include the following:
In women, sharp pain in anus during period can be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS. This is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Those with this condition may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods.
With PCOS, the ovaries may develop numerous small collection of fluids and fail to regularly release eggs. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may reduce the risk of long-term complication such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Look out for the following symptoms:
Rectal prolapse often used to a complete rectal prolapse is a condition where the rectal walls have prolapsed to a degree where they protrude out the anus and can be visible outside the body. Rectal prolapse may occur without any symptoms but depending on the nature of the prolapse there may be:
An anal fissure is the other possible cause of a sharp pain in anus when pooping. As said, an anal fissure is a small tear in the thin, moist mucosa lining that lines the anus. The tears can be caused by passing hard or large stool during a bowel movement.
A Proper medical examination may be required to establish the actual cause of the pain for proper medical treatment. Call your doctor if you notice the following symptoms:
Most cases of anal pain can easily be diagnosed. The pain can often be treated with simple over the counter pain relievers among other options.
Over the counter pain relievers, oral and topical antibiotics may be used in cases of bacterial infection causing the sharp pain in anus.
In other cases such as those involving hemorrhoids, anal fissures and chronic constipation laxatives may be used to soften the stool and soothe the pain during bowel movements.
Getting rid of a sharp pain in anus will often vary depending on what the underlying cause of the pain is. Treating the underlying cause of the pain is the best way to get rid and relieve the pain.
There are also some effective remedies you can use to soothe the pain and speed up the healing process especial in cases such as anal fissures, hemorrhoids among others
You can try the following home remedies:
An Epsom salt sitz bath can will help alleviate the discomfort and promote healing. A sitz bath help increases blood flow to the anal area. This can be a great way to aid healing of anal tears, soothe pain and reduce inflammation.
Olive is a natural remedy rich in healthy fast that will lubricate your bowel system. For those with chronic constipation or hemorrhoids, this can allow the stool to pass easily. The oil is also rich in anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce pain caused by anal fissures.
Aloe Vera gel is the other great remedy you can use to relieve the pain, soothe the swelling and get rid of the irritation around the anus and around the groin. Aloe Vera gel is also said to contain healing properties that can speed up the healing of anal fissures.
References:
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