Having an Itchy Bottom is annoying, so how can you stop it?

 

An itchy bottom is one of the most common complaints of children. This condition is called “pruritus ani” wherein the patients experience irresistible desire to scratch their persistently itchy bottom. Although the desire to scratch can occur at any time of the day, the pruritus ani can get worse during the night just before sleeping and after passing stool. Several factors such as heat and moisture can also make the itchy bottom feel worse.

Although children are the ones who are most commonly affected, adults can also experience pruritus ani. In fact, those in the age range of forty to sixty years old are one of the most common patients with itchy bottom complaints. The male population, according to statistics, composes more than half of the pruritus ani cases.

There are quite a number of factors on how people acquire itchy bottom, but there are also cases where the cause of pruritus ani cannot be identified therefore the term ‘idiopathic pruritus ani’ (pruritus ani with unknown cause). The different causes of pruritus ani include food, medications, certain skin conditions, allergy, hemorrhoids, dermatitis, certain medical conditions, medicines, anal fissures, and infections.

Skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis are just a few that cause itchy bottom.

 

Dermatitis is a skin condition where the skin area gets irritated and itchy when the skin has a direct contact with moisture and sweat. The condition can get worse when the patient has lots of hair on the area. Soaps, ointments, creams and perfume can also irritate the skin and cause dermatitis as well.

Medical conditions can also cause itchy bottom. Some of these diseases include iron deficiency anemia, liver problems, thyroid problems, and lymphoma. These diseases cause generalized itchiness on the skin which is felt stronger in the skin area around the anus.  Anal fissure on the other hand is a condition where there is a painful and itchy crack in the area of anus. Presence of hemorrhoids can also cause pain as well as itchiness in the anal area.

Bacterial and fungal infections are one of the major diseases causing an itchy bottom. Bacteria and fungi favor skin area that is dark, moist and covered. Those with anal warts, herpes infection scabies and some of the sexually transmitted diseases can also experience itchy bottoms. Symptoms accompanying some of the conditions mentioned above would include redness on the anal area, rashes, and/or discharges.

Food can also lead to an itchy bottom, but only temporarily.

These foods have high contents of fiber which makes them difficult to digest and cause some itchy sensation when passed as feces. These foods include tomatoes, grapes, fruits, and some spices. Medications such as suppositories and creams may cause irritation on the skin area and cause itchiness. Other medications causing diarrhea can also lead to pruritus ani if the diarrhea becomes persistent and irritates the anal skin already. Immunosuppressant drugs make a person more prone to acquiring infections; a bacterial/fungal/parasitic infection causing pruritus ani is not an exception.

Children with pruritus ani are suspected of having tapeworm infection.  Tapeworms dwell in the patient’s intestines and lay their eggs in the area of the anus. The itch becomes worse at night and the patients with the infection can pass the worm to the others he or she is living with. Patients acquire tapeworm infection after ingesting fecal contaminated food. To prevent itchy bottom, it is highly advised to always wash hands before and after eating as well as before and after going to the bathroom.

Itchy bottom is just one type of itch.  If you are itchy but don’t have an itchy bottom, check out the rest of the website to find information about where you itch and how to treat it.