What causes pimple like bumps on anus?
Bumps near the anus can appear like small pimples or lumps, depending on the cause. While some may be itchy, others may be painless. Here are the possible causes of bumps around the anus.
Yeast infection
The anal area is very sensitive to infections. The most common cause of anal bumps is yeast infection. Poor hygienic levels are the major cause of most yeast infections. Once you have a yeast infection around the anal area, you are likely to have a pimple like bump that maybe or maybe not itchy.
If you wipe the anal area well after emptying your bowels, you then stand lower chances of getting bumps around your anus. In addition to that, yeast infections occur when a dump environment is created around the anal area.
Acne and pimples
Sweat that accumulates around the anus is likely to cause a cluster of pimples. The pimples around the anus may be small yet very irritating. This causes a lot of discomfort. Like facial acne, you could also experience acne around the anus area. While pimples around the anal area have been suspected to be a sign of herpes, this is not always the case.
At times, it is a result of the following:
- too much sweating around that area
- sitting down for so long
- Tight clothing is also a factor contributing to pimples forming around the anal area
This is because it enhances accumulation of sweat around that area.
Women who wear tight leggings and sweat a lot have a high probability of getting bumps on their anus. Pimples around the anus when scratched tend to spread to a wider area around the anus.
Is bump on anus an STD or cancer symptom?
We cannot conclude that a bump on the anus is because you have cancer. However, research shows that there is a relationship between bump on anus and anal cancer. That is why it is necessary to see the doctor when you get the bump so that you can clearly tell the difference.
Among the symptoms of anal cancer is a bump around the anus. The doctor will examine you carefully so that you are sure of whether the bumps on the anal area are a normal occurrence or they are a symptom of cancer. When diagnosed with cancer, you have to maintain constant treatment since home remedies will not work for you.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases or Infections are those infections associated with having sex with an infected person. Anal sex is no exception and it could be one way sexually transmitted diseases are spread.
If you have anal sex with a person who has an STD, you could almost be certain that the bumps appearing on your anus are a symptom of sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases have very irritating symptoms. For instance the bumps appearing around the anus due to STD cause extreme discomfort. However, you should not make conclusions unless you seek medical attention.
Hemorrhoids in females and males
The walls of anus have smooth muscles which have blood vessels commonly referred to as hemorrhoids. Research concerning the likelihood of getting hemorrhoid in women and men suggests that men are likely to get hemorrhoids at a higher rate.
However, men are seen to seek medical attention pertaining hemorrhoids more often than women do. Women live in hope that the hemorrhoid will disappear in its own. Most women get hemorrhoids on their days of pregnancy. Adults have a higher probability of getting hemorrhoids. More research is still being done.
Hemorrhoids are known to be a major problem when they cause swellings engorged with blood. You can tell the presence of hemorrhoids by presence of a lump at the anus. Since not all lumps appearing on the anus show the presence of hemorrhoids, it is important to know what is specific to the lumps associated with hemorrhoids.
At the verge of the anus, a lump may protrude. If it is dark blue in color then we can conclude that it shows the presence of a thrombosed hemorrhoid. You could have more than just one lump in the case of hemorrhoid. It is also possible to get a non thrombosed lump which appears as a rubbery lump.
- Hemorrhoids can be caused by a number of factors which include;
- Pregnancy in the case of hemorrhoids in women.
- People who suffer from obesity have a very strenuous life. Their body has difficulties in the way they function. Straining of the area around the anus causes formation of bumps.
- For people who suffer constipation frequently, they may get hemorrhoids as they strain with bowel movements.
Patients who have hemorrhoid suffer from discomfort due to the lump swellings around the anal area. These lumps make it even difficult to clean the anal area after bowel movements. Since cleaning up after going to the toilet is a must, then you have to suffer the pain of rubbing against painful lumps.
More specifically, men have some special causes of hemorrhoids. They all revolve around straining the anal muscles. Dr. Sheth explains that some men get hemorrhoids due to lifting heavy weights.
Usually, lifting heavy weights involves starting with a position near ground then way up. This is not any different from sitting for long in the toilet. Just like staying for long in the toilet leads to emergence of lumps around the anus, lifting heavy weights leads to such swellings too. This is because the muscles below the waist are strained. The anal muscles more specifically are strained leading to formation of lumps.
Symptoms
The symptoms that could help you to point out that you have a bump on the anus include:
- There is pain that is mostly throbbing and gets worse when you sit down.
- There is skin irritation around the anus that includes swelling, redness and tenderness
- There is a likelihood of pus
- Constipation is likely to come by and followed by pain from bowel movements. Always see a medical officer for a checkup in case of the symptoms.
Small itchy bumps around anus
Presence of itchy bumps around the anal area is a reason for you to worry. The irritation at the opening of the anus may at times imply a chemical reaction of the skin around the anus and stool. However, you should be careful since in other cases, it is inflammation of the anus.
There are several reasons as to why you have itchy lumps around the anus. It could be a symptom that you have;
- hemorrhoids
- local growth of the anal skin
- pinworms
- presence of fissures
Causes of these small itchy bumps around the anus are;
Continuous moisture at the anal region is one reason you have irritating bumps at the anus. This happens especially for people experiencing diarrhea or generally watery stool. Sometimes, diarrhea escapes in small amounts without you noticing and this leaves the anal area wet. To avoid the discomfort of these itchy bumps, it is important to keep the anal area dry so as to avoid occurrence of any infection.
Use of antibiotics is another cause of itchiness at the anal area. Irritation of the anus is associated in some cases with yeast infections which come about as a result of prolonged use of antibiotics. The small itchy bumps become unbearable when scratched.
Red, sore lump on anus
Skin colored lump near anal region: In the case where you have lumps that appear to be red in color, it may be Perianal hematomas commonly confused for hemorrhoids. Perianal hematomas can be explained as the bursting of the blood vessels around the anal region.
When these blood vessels burst, formation of a pool of blood occurs under the skin. Trauma or straining of the area around the anus is why Perianal hematomas occur. It is usually very painful. A red lump therefore shows the bursting of blood vessels. This bursting may be due to straining when making bowel movements, heavy lifting, sitting for a very long time, obesity, liver disease or pregnancy in the case of women.
Painful bump on anus in females
Sore bumps: A bump may be painful or painless. When painful, we can associate it with anal abscess. Usually, a lump is painful due to collection of pus. A swelling on the anus may occur due to anal glands infection. Perianal abscess occurs as a painful boil around the anal area.
Reasons as to why you may have anal abscess include; sexually transmitted infections, especially in the case where you have anal sex, anal fistula, which is basically a tear on the anal canal and blocking of the anal glands.
Pain caused by anal abscess is too much that you sometimes cannot sit down comfortably. Tenderness, swelling and redness of the skin around the anus are another sign of anal abscess. As mentioned earlier, the lump in the case of anal abscess has pus which makes it very painful. Constipation is also associated with anal abscess. The pain of the lumps pushes you to seek medical care since staying at home to wait may mean more and more pains.
Painless bump near anus
Bump no pain: You may have a bump that is not painful at all but you get interested to know what exactly that bump shows. A bump that is not painful may just be external hemorrhoids mainly due to increase in pressure around the anal region.
In the case where it is not hemorrhoids, a painless bump is usually a sign of a skin tag. You may not even notice the lump due to skin tag. This is because; it is not painful at all. The painless lump is usually brown in color or flesh colored. Since the painless bump is in most cases harmless, you may not have to seek medical attention. However, an examination is necessary so that you are sure the bump is not a sign of cancer or any other serious medical condition.
Hard lump
Sometimes, hemorrhoids lead to formation of a hard lump around the anal region. The hard lump occurs when the internal hemorrhoids clot under the skin due to irritation. A thrombosed hemorrhoid appears as a hard lump.
Although it may go unnoticed, a painless hard lump around the anus is another sign that you have hemorrhoids. When you feel the lump, it is simply hard and not as protruding as the ordinary lumps. You may choose to treat it or not since anyway, it causes you no harm.
Treatment for bump on anus
Since some of the lumps occurring around the anal region cause discomfort, you may choose to treat them. There are various ways to treat the lumps and each of them will depend more specifically on the cause.
- In the case where the bump on the anus is caused by strenuous bowel movements, you may be required to take foods rich in fiber. Scientifically, fiber is known to ease digestion and hence loosen the stool. With ease to get rid of stool, any lump that continues to grow due to difficulty in bowel movements is eliminated.
- You may also be advised to use an appropriate gel to carry out treatment of the lump. Aloe Vera has over time been used to cure various skin conditions or rather infections. Applying aloe Vera gel around the anal region helps in getting rid of the lump. Alternatively, you could decide to acquire hemorrhoid preparation over the counter. The hemorrhoid preparation should contain; hydrocortisone or lidocaine. Petroleum jelly could also be used in place of Aloe Vera.
- Where the hemorrhoid is causing discomfort, you should try warm baths. For the best results, you should sit on a tub of plain warm water. You should sit for up to twenty minutes at least three times a day. Medical stores and large pharmacies sell plastic sitz bath that fit into your toilet.
- There are two things that aid your healing. First of all the water keeps the anal region clean and hence it is free from infections. Secondly, the warmth reduces discomfort as well as inflammation.
- It is important to dry the anal region after each bath tub sitting. This is so as to avoid any other likely complications. This method is appropriate for each one. Even if you are busy at work, you could still do it twice a day and it will still work for you; in the morning before work and in the evening after work.
Knowing what to use to wipe the anus after each bowel movement is a sure way to getting healed as well as preventing future occurrence of such lumps. You could use a witch hazel pad or a baby wipes to clean up the anal area. A cotton cloth can also be used for the cleanup.
However, the cotton cloth must be soaked into warm water before use. It is advisable that you wipe the anal area gently. You should even that be very thorough in your wiping. Rough or aggressive wiping of the anal area is only likely to irritate the already existing lump hence worsening its condition.
You should also be careful on what soaps you use to clean the anal area. In fact, it is advisable that you do not use any soap at all. Other topical treatments such as vinegar can also be used. As mentioned earlier, some lumps are very itchy and therefore causing discomfort. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can both be used to relieve the irritation around the anal region.
A cotton ball is soaked into the vinegar and applied on the anal area. You should apply the vinegar at least three times a day. The reason a cotton ball is preferred is because, any rough material used on the bump makes it worse.
If the lumps you have are due to internal hemorrhoids, and the hemorrhoids are as a result of difficult bowel movements, it is advisable that you take plenty of water to loosen your stool. If you are constipating, take breaks between times you go to the toilet. Stay in the toilet for long strains the anal muscles and you end up worsening the condition of the lump and giving chances to getting many more such lumps.
You could also treat the lump by applying cold press commonly referred to as an ice pack on the affected area. The ice pack should be put in the anal area for about ten minutes. Three times a day is what is recommended for fast and long lasting results.
In case the hemorrhoid condition or rather the lumps appearing on your anal region are worse, the doctor may opt for other forms of treatment as discussed below;
The doctor may decide to stop blood flow in the hemorrhoid by injecting an irritating chemical solution. This is what is referred to as Sclerotherapy. The chemical solution causes a reaction that leads to shrinking of the hemorrhoid.
Alternatively the doctor could destroy your internal hemorrhoids by burning them. This is done using electricity. This is what is referred to as coagulation therapies. Infrared light could be used in place of electricity to destroy the hemorrhoids.
Rubber band ligation could also be used. This is where the hemorrhoid circulation is terminated by inserting a ring and placing it at the base of an internal hemorrhoid.
In the case where the lump on your anus is a symptom of anal abscess, you should treat it by antibiotic therapy or surgical intervention.
If the swelling on the side of the anus is a symptom of cancer, you only have three best options; chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy.
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