When both women and men suffer from temporary or permanent pain during bowel movements, it can cause a tremendous reduction in well-being and quality of life.
What is pain during bowel movements?
Pain during defecation occurs when the bowel is emptied and feces come out of the anus. Pain during bowel movements is more common than many people realize. Unfortunately, for reasons of shame and embarrassment, they usually remain hidden and those affected suffer in silence. Basically, the pain during defecation possesses a great importance in medicine. Pain during defecation occurs when the bowel is emptied and feces come out of the anus. The pain is sometimes so unbearable that patients avoid going to the toilet as long as possible. Under these conditions, pain during defecation may cause other sequelae that affect the general condition to a greater or lesser extent.
Causes
Going to the toilet is a natural necessity that may be associated with pain during defecation under various health conditions. In the overwhelming majority of cases, affected patients have sustained injuries to the anus. These lead to extreme pain during defecation in the form of so-called anal fissures. In addition, abscesses in the area of the anus, existing hemorrhoids or excessively solid feces are the causes of pain during defecation. Different organic diseases of the rectum are also characterized by pain during defecation. Sometimes the formation of thrombosis, small blood clots in the vessels of the anus causes pain during defecation. Anal cancer, rectal cancer, some venereal diseases, and diarrhea or constipation cause pain during defecation.
Diseases with this symptom
- Hemorrhoids
- Colon cancer
- Hernia
- Thrombosis
- Diverticulitis
- Anal fissure
- Irritable bowel
- Intestinal polyps
- Perineal tear
Course
At the beginning of the pain during defecation is observed only occasionally. However, an excruciating itching indicates existing impairment of the anus and rectum. Over time, if the stool continues to be hard or if the causative triggers exist, increasingly severe pain during defecation occurs. In the anal region, sufferers feel a burning and stabbing pain during defecation, which makes defecation almost impossible and this can only be realized with the most severe discomfort.
Complications
Pain during defecation causes many people to hold back the urge to defecate. However, far-reaching complications can develop from this. For one thing, holding in the stool causes it to thicken further. This is how constipation develops. However, pushing out hard stool again causes pain. Hard, large masses of feces can lead to another complication: The development of so-called anal fissures. These are tiny tears in the anal mucosa. These can be so tiny that they need not be visible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, they can lead to very great pain when pressing. Anal fissures are also a reason why people consciously or unconsciously try to comply with the normal urge to defecate. If people become accustomed to this behavior over a long period of time and only ever defecate small amounts, chronic constipation develops as a complication. This can also lead to so-called fecal stones. These are stone-like hardened fecal masses that have remained in the intestine for a long period of time. If necessary, these must be surgically removed. Such complications can be prevented by discussing bowel habits with a specialist at the first sign of pain during bowel movements. Provided the problem is new and short-term, gentle laxatives can also help, preventing complications such as constipation, fissures and fecal stones.
When should you see a doctor?
Pain during bowel movements is one of the taboo subjects for many people affected. A visit to the doctor is gladly delayed or even avoided altogether. In fact, a visit to the family doctor is not always absolutely necessary.For example, if the cause of painful bowel movements is a one-time constipation, this problem often resolves itself either by itself or with the help of classic home remedies. Sometimes hard bowel movements (especially if they occur regularly) cause hemorrhoids, thrombosis of the anal veins or anal fissure, which is accompanied by sharp pain and bleeding. In this case, a visit to the family doctor makes sense. He or she will clarify the exact cause of the pain during bowel movements, possibly with the help of a referral to a proctologist or internist. Subsequently, a further visit to the doctor is often not necessary. Only when complications arise is the advice and, if necessary, treatment by a physician recommended. Such events include painful anal vein thrombosis, which is noticeable by a bluish, bulging nodule at the anus, or poorly healing fissures. Also an abscess in the anal region, which causes pain during defecation or even when sitting, should be opened briefly under sterile conditions by a specialist in order to provide the patient with rapid and effective noticeable relief. Painful hemorrhoids that need to be pushed back into the anal canal by hand should also be discussed with the doctor.
Treatment and therapy
The pain during defecation can be treated within the framework of conventional medical and alternative healing methods. Which forms of therapy the affected person would like to use depends on their individual attitude and the extent of the discomfort. If the pain during defecation is so intense that it allows defecation only with the utmost agony, then surgical measures may usually be necessary after an appropriate diagnosis has been made. If the cause analysis within the scope of the diagnostic possibilities reveals an existing constipation, then medications are administered which prevent pain during defecation by liquefying the stool. An ample intake of fluids and a diet rich in fiber, as well as physical exercise, are often recommended as adjuncts to therapy. Fast-acting and soothing ointments are suitable as external treatments for pain during bowel movements. These fight the inflammation and relieve the pain during bowel movements locally. Antibiotic drugs, cortisone, lidocaine or witch hazel are considered to be enormously gentle and extremely effective medicines that bring about rapid relief of pain during defecation. Also recommended are sitz baths with appropriate additives, which help to relieve pain during bowel movements in a natural way. In addition, clysms and suppositories are also considered successful treatment options against pain during bowel movements. Other treatments, depending on the diagnostic results, include sclerotherapy of hemorrhoids, surgical removal of the abnormal nodules, and chemotherapy or radiation treatment for tumor tissue that causes pain. These usually occur in the rectum and present with various symptoms that include pain during bowel movements.
Outlook and prognosis
The exact course for pain during bowel movements can only be predicted very imprecisely, as the cause must first be clarified. If the pain is caused by a bowel movement that is too hard, anal fissure may well occur if it is not treated. These are tears in the anal area, which in rare cases can even become severely inflamed. If an abscess forms, a visit to the doctor is unavoidable. Otherwise, there is a risk of blood poisoning, which can even lead to death. However, by taking appropriate medication, the consistency of the stool can be changed so that the pain should subside within a very short time. In particularly severe cases, the pain can also be caused by a tumor in the intestine. Don’t expect the worst right away, but monitor the pain and seek medical attention if it is long-lasting and not caused by a fissure or intolerance. If the pain during defecation is caused by a food intolerance, the process is very simple and straightforward: as soon as the digestion process of the corresponding food is completely finished, the pain should also disappear completely. As a rule, this process takes a maximum of 24 hours.
Prevention
Pain during bowel movements is extremely unpleasant and can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle.If there are pathological causes, a preventive measure is an immediate clarification of the pain during defecation by a proctologist. A balanced diet, within which plenty of fiber is consumed, stimulates bowel activity and promotes painless bowel evacuation. With an adequate intake of fluids, solidification of feces in the form of constipation does not occur. Sensible intimate hygiene through wet paper and the use of a toilet paper that is not irritating to the skin prevent injuries to the anus and thus pain during defecation.
What you can do yourself
Pain during defecation is unfortunately not uncommon in the Western world and is related to diet. They are usually due to constipation, because hard stools understandably cause pain during defecation. For a quick remedy, it is recommended to take a handful of prunes. This softens the stool, which is why it is also important not to eat too many prunes at once. A gentle laxative in a small dose can also be tried. However, medication should not become the rule. Permanently helpful against pain during bowel movements is a change in diet. Less fat and convenience foods, and more fiber from fruits, vegetables, and freshly prepared food will ensure a healthy consistency of the stool. However, it can take several weeks before a change in diet has a noticeable and lasting effect, as the metabolism first has to get used to the changed circumstances. Soon, however, the pain during bowel movements becomes much less and occurs less frequently. In general, it should also be mentioned that sufficient fluid intake should always be ensured. This promotes easier and faster evacuation of the stool. On the toilet, it can help in an emergency to adopt a squatting position, as in this way the right muscles are tightened. In practice, this can be done by pulling the knees in. It can also help to try out a different sitting posture, such as leaning to the side. Leaning forward or backward should not be done, however, as these are definitely not healthy postures for defecation.
