Like other parts of the body, you can have pimples in the anus in the form of papules, pustules or nodules... Pimples in the anus are usually not painful but are irritated when going to the toilet. If the injury penetrates deeper, it will form cysts, nodules and have a high risk of leaving scars.
1. Causes of anal boils
Patients with anal boils often experience symptoms of swelling, pain, soft boils and pus inside, and discomfort when irritated. Usually, the cause of boils near the anus or anus is due to clogged hair follicles and poor daily living habits.
- Anal boils due to clogged pores: Pores can be seen on the skin surface containing natural oils and pores. In cases where the sebum glands on the skin are overactive, the amount of sebum secreted increases and causes the pores to become clogged. This condition, if prolonged, will cause anal boils. Accordingly, some causes of increased sebum secretion in the skin are as follows:
- Sweat is retained on the skin: Increases skin moisture, leading to clogged pores and anal boils;
- Bacteria from sexual activity or feces: Pathogenic bacteria react with the immune system, activating activities in the sebum glands;
- Changes in hormone levels: Increased hormone secretion leading to increased sebum secretion occurs mainly during puberty, menstruation, pregnant women, people under stress...
- Anal boils due to improper living habits: Some improper living habits lead to anal boils as follows:
- Using hygiene products, washing the private area incorrectly;
- Eating a lot of foods containing grease, sugar and refined milk;
- Skin irritation due to sitting for a long time, wearing tight clothes or wearing wet underwear;
- Not cleaning the private area properly leads to genital plaque and many other problems.
2. Diseases that can be confused with anal boils
Some symptoms of diseases that can be confused with the symptoms of anal boils are as follows:
2.1. Hemorrhoids causing anal boils
External hemorrhoids are a disease characterized by dilated blood vessels in the anal canal, originating from below the dentate line. Patients with external hemorrhoids have very sensitive skin surrounding the blood vessels. Some factors that increase the risk of hemorrhoids include long-term constipation, old age, straining when going to the toilet, pregnancy, abnormal bowel function and bad habits when going to the toilet.
People with hemorrhoids often have the following symptoms:
- Bleeding when defecating;
- Hemorrhoids appear, masses protruding from the anus when going to the toilet;
- Itching and possibly pain around the anus;
- Sensitive masses appear in the anus.
2.2. Anal fistula or anal abscess
Anal abscess is an acute infection in the space near the rectum or anus, mainly caused by anal glands being blocked by feces, bacteria and other objects. Patients with anal abscess often have symptoms of swelling, redness, pain, rectal bleeding, fever and difficulty and painful urination.
Anal fistula is a disease that develops from a current or previous anal abscess. Symptoms of anal fistula are that the patient has a tunnel under the skin connecting the blocked anal gland to the abscess area, combined with the following physical symptoms:
- The patient has a history of drainage of anal abscess that occurred before;
- Pain in the anorectal area;
- Irritation, drainage in the skin around the anus;
- Rectal bleeding.
2.3. Pilonidal sinus disease
Pilonidal sinus disease is a disease characterized by infection of hair follicles in the buttock fold near the sacrum. This disease can be confused with the condition of pimples near the anus. According to scientific studies, men have a higher rate of pilonidal sinus disease than women.
Typical symptoms of pilonidal sinus disease include sunken skin around the anus or the appearance of a large, painful swelling in the anus; dermatitis; fever, vomiting or acne in the skin area.
2.4. Anal warts
Anal warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Patients with anal warts often have symptoms such as soft, light brown or skin-colored papules at the edge of the anus, small in size like the head of a pin (in some cases larger). In case of irritation, warts can lead to itching, mucus secretion or bleeding.
2.5. Anal cancer
HPV infection is a common cause of anal cancer, symptoms may include pain in the skin near the anus, the appearance of a mass around the anus, discharge and itching, bleeding from the anus combined with changes in bowel movements.
In the early stages of the disease, small tumors are about 2cm in size and they will gradually grow larger in later stages. The disease needs to be distinguished from anal cysts and boils.
3. Treatment of anal boils
Patients with anal boils need to go to medical facilities for examination and accurate diagnosis. The doctor will determine the condition of the disease before giving a treatment regimen. Usually, anal boils are treated with topical acne medications such as retinoid products (adapalene, benzoyl peroxide...). Severe cases need to be treated with systemic medications.
Some notes when cleaning and caring for the skin area with boils are as follows:
Clean the private area and dry the anal area after going to the toilet, do not wax or squeeze pimples to avoid infection;
Wear underwear made from breathable cotton fabric, do not wear wet clothes;
A nutritious and reasonable diet to prevent acne from recurring.
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