Why Does Anal Itching Happen ?

Posted on Thu, 2 Jun 2011

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 Answered on

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Question : Hi I have had anal itching, I am 38 yrs old for the last two months but i felt it could be caused by my nerves and sweat because i have been walking alot lately and sweating alot, but i did take a pinworm medication twice just in case but still have this awful itch and now i came down with a really bad yeast infection, i never get these. I have taken diflucan 4 times in two weeks and i feel better when i take it, but in 3 days the itching comes back anal and vaginal. What do you think this could be? I am a very healthy person and do not eat any sugars. The only new thing i started eating was avocados and some were moldy when i ate them but i dont know if that would have anything to do with it. I just bought some anti parasite herbs to see if that will work but like i said everyting goes away when i take the diflucan but only to return within a few days. Also I am peeing alot lately as well but no signs of uti. Any info would be helpfull. Thanks

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (1 hour later)

Hi,

Thanks for posting your query.

Anal itching is also called pruritis ani. You have told that you have been walking and sweating a lot. Hence few important possibilities which can cause this anal itching in your case are:

1)     Due to moisture (due to sweating or frequent washing), abrasion caused by clothing, the pressure of sitting, chemical irritants like laundry soaps, colognes and scented toilet paper.

2)     Second possibility is of intertrigo skin which is an inflammation (rash) of the body folds. It most commonly occurs due to bacterial, viral or fungal infection.

3)     From the symptom of frequent urination, pregnancy status needs to be confirmed as frequent urination is often a symptom of early pregnancy.

4)     Lastly, diabetes needs to be ruled out as it may cause nerve itching like symptoms as well as frequent urination (polyuria). You need to get your fasting blood sugar levels done to rule out diabetes.

My suggestion is to get an examination done from a dermatologist to rule out the above mentioned conditions.

Till then:

1)     Try to keep stool soft by taking high fibre diet like fruits and vegetables. Frequent washing of the area or constipation can cause irritation of the area and worsening of symptoms.

2)     Also wear loose-fitting cotton clothing and use an antibacterial soap or mild soap like dove. Avoid any kind of cosmetics.

3)     Use diflucan only after getting it examined from a dermatologist and confirming it as fungal infection.

4)     You can apply topical zinc oxide cream like Sudocrem after discussing it with your dermatologist.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar