Anus or rectum is the area through which feces are expelled from your body. Having rectal pain occasionally is not a matter of concern since it would resolve within few minutes. Many factors like anal fissure, fistulas and chronic constipation can cause rectal pain. If there is rectal bleeding accompanied with severe pain you need to get medical advice. Rectal pain can be managed by effective therapy or medical treatment depending on the cause.
Causes :
Number of factors given below can cause rectal pain :
- Development of fissure on the anal canal can trigger rectal pain. It can tear off the soft lining of the anal canal causing pain. Having anal sex or having frequent constipation can weaken the area inducing pain.
- Fistulae can develop on the anal region triggering pain.
- Some serious medical conditions like rectal cancer, colon cancer, Crohn’s disease, and rectal ulcer can cause pain with other symptoms also.
- Hemorrhoids can cause inflammation of veins in the anus region causing rectal pain. If the nerve endings of the rectum gets damaged it causes severe pain.
- Perianal hematoma and perianal abscess and itching can cause rectal pain.
- Sometimes, the sphincter muscles of the anal region can develop spasms causing fleeting pain on the bottom.
Symptoms :
Rectal or anal pain can range from mild to severe. Getting spasm on the anal sphincter muscles can cause sudden fleeting pain. The pain would last for few minutes only but it can be stabbing pain on the rectum. Some people would feel tight pressure building up on the rectal region. This can be due to levator ani syndrome. The pain is felt while you are sitting and it improves while standing.
Hemorrhoids can cause mild pain and discomfort on the rectum. But if there is hemorrhoid thrombosis (blood clot) it can cause throbbing pain. Developing anal fissure can cause acute intense pain as though someone is tearing your bottom with knife. The pain may range from mild to severe. It is often accompanied with bleeding from the rectum. The pain would be more intense while passing stool since the bowel would have to tear off the skin for coming out of the rectum. If you have rectal pain with other symptoms like bleeding you can seek medical advice.
Tests :
Your doctor will listen to the symptoms and perform rectal examination using special instrument. Anal fissure or hemorrhoids can become evident during physical exam. If required, he may order for imaging tests.
Treatment :
If you have mild recta pain it can be due to spasm of anal sphincter muscle. You can wait for few minutes to check if the pain has reduced. You can try home remedies like sitting in hot water bath for few minutes. Gently massage the anal muscles so that the muscle spasm gets reduced. Over the counter painkillers like Advil or Ibuprofen can provide immediate relief.
For pain due to hemorrhoids, you can apply creams that contain hydrocortisone. Eat soft foods and include lot of fiber content so that your stool gets soft and passes quickly. Drink plenty of water. Sitting in lukewarm water for 20 minutes can reduce the pain and discomfort caused by hemorrhoids. Your doctor would prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and medications for relaxing the muscle to manage rectal pain caused by Levator Ani syndrome.
For severe cases of hemorrhoids on the rectum, your doctor may surgically remove it after giving a shot of anesthetic on the rectal region. For treating severe cases of anal fissure, sphincterectomy is done. This would reduce the muscle tone thereby decreasing the spasms.
Prevention :
Most of the rectal pain are mild and can be managed by taking plenty of fiber and water in your diet. By eating soft foods your bowel movement becomes easy causing no trauma to the rectum. Avoid constipation by eating more fiber foods and drinking water. If you have constant constipation you need to consult your doctor.