Perhaps accounting for the popularity of a related phrase, almost 12% of women and men in the United States suffer from anal pain, including hemorrhoids. If you have anal pain, you probably first turned to DIY remedies, with a little help from the internet.
While sitz baths (i.e., sitting in warm water) and over-the-counter topical painkillers such as hydrocortisone and lidocaine can help with anal pain, they may not be of much use long term. Trying to figure out the cause of and treatment for anal pain with Google and bot searches could leave you even more frustrated and may even cause you to miss an important root cause.
At Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford, our colorectal experts first conduct a thorough examination to diagnose all causes of your anal pain. Once they diagnose your condition, they recommend a treatment plan at our offices in Bloomfield and South Windsor, Connecticut.
What kinds of minimally invasive treatments could help relieve your anal pain? It all depends on the cause.
Local causes of anal pain are usually visible on physical examination. However, even if we identify a local cause for your pain, that may not be the only cause. That’s why it’s important to seek medical care for chronic anal pain, rather than try to treat it on your own.
Behaviors such as having anal sex and conditions such as pregnancy and obesity may increase your risk for local causes of anal pain. Anything that stretches or irritates your anus — including chronic constipation — can cause pain, itching, and discomfort.
One of the most common types of a local condition that causes anal pain is hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels that block your anal canal, press on nerves, and may poke out through your anus.
In addition to lifestyle changes, we may recommend rubber band ligation, which causes the hemorrhoid to clot and fall off. We can also offer surgical interventions like a simple procedure called transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization, or full hemorrhoidectomy.
An anal fissure is a tear in the mucosal tissue that lines your anus. An abscess is an infection, which may result from an untreated fissure or other causes. A fistula is a complication of an abscess in which the infection creates a hole in your skin.
Some fissures respond to lifestyle adjustments and medications to resolve constipation. An abscess may require a course of antibiotics or in-office drainage. Your colorectal expert may treat a fistula with immunomodulators or surgery.
Anal pain is one possible sign of anal cancer. If you have anal pain and anal bleeding, please call us right away. Another localized cause of anal pain could be impacted stool, which we would remove with stool softeners, enemas, or via manual extraction.
Genital warts and other physical manifestations of an STI can cause anal pain and itching. We may recommend a course of antibiotics to kill the pathogens and resolve the discomfort.
Sometimes, you could have a functional problem that causes anal pain. Functional causes can exist on their own or in conjunction with a local cause. In fact, some functional issues lead to local irritation. Examples of functional causes of anorectal pain include:
Functional anorectal pain may respond to biofeedback. Medications, massage, and electrogalvanic therapy may also help. Botox® injections can calm muscle tension, spasms, and cramping.
Nerve disorders may contribute to anal pain and sometimes arise from functional abnormalities. Examples include:
Nerve stimulation and medications may help with neuropathic anal pain.
Don’t tolerate anal pain that persists and doesn’t respond to over-the-counter measures. Find out what’s causing your anal pain and get a treatment plan that helps you feel better today. You can reach the office nearest you by phone or online form.
