Anal Itch

Anal Itch

An itchy rectum (Pruritus ani) is a common problem characterized by an intense urge to scratch around the anal area for relief. Itching can be just an annoyance, or can be so severe and chronic that it dominates your life. It is usually made worse by warmth and is often most troublesome at night.

What Are the Causes of Anal Itch?

Most irritation in the rectal area is due to poor health practices: lack of exercise, an unbalanced diet of highly refined foods, poor hygiene, passing gas (water droplets), constant tension (butt puckering) and failure to thoroughly clean after a bowel movement, particularly after diarrhea. The skin around the anus easily becomes itchy and inflamed making treatment a challenge because it is difficult to keep the anus clean and dry. The skin is crinkly and traps tiny fecal particles. The rectum is also sweaty and airless and it may be moist from a rectal or vaginal discharge.

Causes include persistent moisture around the anus from excessive sweating, sensitivity to various foods and beverages, fungal infection and itchy skin diseases such as eczema or psoriasis. Lack of treatment exacerbates the condition. In many cases, the cause of the problem cannot be identified and home treatments are unsuccessful. More on anal itching relief.

Rectal Pain and Itching

Rectal pain and blood are often a symptom of more serious health problems and if often a symptom of hemorrhoids. Itching, burning and bleeding in combination with a pain in the butt might spur one to seek treatment and relief but should also encourage one to seek medical attention. Nature was wise to put the butt out of sight but itchy butt pain shouldn't be taken lightly as some of these symptoms are indicative of rectum cancer.

Stop Anal Itch

When the anus becomes irritated, scratching is a natural reaction, but this damages the skin further – the itch/scratch cycle. Redness, rash and irritation are prompts to relieve the infection and may be indications of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) like warts, chlamydia and herpes.

Rectum Treatment and Cures

When hemorrhoids (a "fissure" or a tear in the external anul canal) or anal itch and burn become annoying or painful, a cure of correcting underlying problem habits is as important as treating symptoms. For many people, occasional use of one or more medications remedy and changes in personal habits may be all you need.

Ointments and rectal creams can cause further problems by keeping the anel area damp. This is true more for a cream (creme) than an ointment. A good over-the-counter treatment is Hydrocortisone Cream, 1%, not .5%. Some itchy treatments like PreparationH provide less relief. More on rectal itch home remedies.

Yeast Infection and Itching

Yeast infections (vaginitis) are most common in women and can cause butt itching. Yeast is a fungus called Candida. The culprit that causes infection is Candida albicans. About 1 woman is five carries yeast in the vaginal area. It's normal to find it on human skin in moist areas.