Causes of Anal Pain

Causes of anal pain. It comes like a phantom in the night, a pressure and pain that jolts you awake. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for it, and no clue as to its origin.

I call it the constipation bluffer. It is extreme pressure behind the rectal wall, with sharp pains and a dull and strange itching, tickling sensation that cannot be scratched. Could it be horrid constipation?

For years I experienced these strange phantom episodes of the night. Having grown up with nasty bouts of constipation, I was constantly deceived into thinking it was simply another way my body was telling me I was backed up.

But I was wrong.

Unmasking the monster

This condition is known as Proctalgia Fugax. It is a master mimicker of constipation’s physical symptoms and woes.

I personally have lived so many countless nights with these unpleasant symptoms, and my agony always began the same exact way. I would wake with a strange tickling sensation within my rectal wall. I hated this unsettling feeling, for it was an itch that couldn't be scratched.

I could feel heavy pressure just within my anal opening, which was shut so tightly there seemed no hope of venting any gas buildup. Not knowing the causes of anal pain and knowing no other way to cure it, I went and sat on the old faithful toilet, the place where I found relief from countless constipation episodes.

For 5 to 30 minutes or more I would sit, believing there must be a mass of stool crouching just inside, stubbornly creating this sudden pain. With usually no successful stool release, the pressure would begin to subside, along with the internal tickle, and this sleepy little girl would head back to bed.

What is Proctalgia Fugax?

Proctalgia Fugax, also known as levator ani syndrome, or anal cold, is basically a cramping of the anal muscles. This is a relatively common condition in both men and woman but more in women, and its symptoms have been recorded as far back as the Roman empire.

The Romans wrote of not only sleepless, irritating nights but also of broken marital bliss in the bedroom due to Proctalgia Fugax’s symptoms.

Though causes of anal pain remain somewhat of an enigma to the medical community, it is most closely associated with cramping or spasm effect of the rectal muscles within the pelvic wall and can be associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

This anal cold syndrome is also known to be associated with the thickening of the anal wall, normally caused by the ongoing effects of constipation. This condition effects between 10 to 20 percent of the worldwide population, most commonly between the ages of 30 and 60 years old, though, as in my situation, adolescent cases can occur as well.

Depending on each individual’s situation, the symptoms can range between dull, cramping pelvic pain to almost overwhelming sharp pain that can even render a sufferer unconscious.

If you can't kill the monster, tame it

Unpleasant to say the least, Proctalgia Fugax is said to have no current cure, but do not fear, all monsters can be lulled to sleep with the help of a few simple tricks.

• Try relieving some pressure by going to the bathroom. Though it is not stool that is causing the pain, by releasing even a small amount of poop you can effectively create instant relief for your symptoms by creating more room and stimulation within your rectal walls.
  

• If this doesn't work and you’re tired of straining against pointless pain, follow with a more spa like approach. A soothing, relaxing hot bath may help to bring those internal pelvic muscles out of stressed out mode and into relaxation mode.
  
  
• Gently massaging the anal opening can also bring some relief.
  
  
• For more severe cases of Proctalgia Fugax, try a hot water enema to help stimulate relaxation and relief to the deep pelvic muscles, along with a muscle relaxant to encourage relief.

Finding a long-term solution

Since anal pain is associated with the thickening of the anal wall, which is often due to constipation, causes of anal pain may disappear simply by getting rid of constipation.

We are all unique. Even though come things might constipate one person while causing diarrhea in another, there is a constipation remedy that seems to work for most everyone. I am talking about valuable trace minerals that most of us are lacking in.

Is it dangerous?

Proctalgia Fugax is not dangerous and is not associated with any other major health risks. For most people, its worst infliction is psychological annoyance, as it almost always strikes at night.

Though only hypothetical, one theory exists that Proctalgia Fugax can be linked to a person’s psychological health. Some common links with many sufferers is that of low based, depressive moods and high levels of mental anxiety.

This has not been proven as of yet, but cases do exist where general psychotherapy to relieve mental anxiety and depression actually decreased the physical onsets of Proctalgia Fugax symptoms.

My personal experience with the monster

I think for me the biggest problem with this phantom constipation like condition was that I did not understand the causes of anal pain.

I remember waking up with the strange sensations and not understanding why I was experiencing them or just what I was experiencing. That feeling of lodged stool when there was none baffled me. I panicked as I looked for some way to make the pain and odd sensations stop.

Now that I understand that the causes of anal pain were simply my pelvic muscles acting out from physical and mental stresses, I can much more confidently treat myself and pinpoint the real culprit, instead of the assumed one.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as these and have been under the same illusion that they are an attack of constipation, I hope you now have greater clarity as to the real causes of anal pain.

With a little relaxation, rest and soothing self-love, may you find relief for your own symptoms. Rest well as you lure this strange monster to sleep.

Thanks for reading!  By Stephanie

(Return from Causes of Anal Pain to Constipation Complications)