infections such as herpes, bacteria or tinea. intestinal parasites such as threadworms. The itch is usually worse at night, and you might be able to see small, white worms that are around 8-13 mm long. haemorrhoids (piles), warts, and in extremely rare cases, cancer of the anus.
An itchy bottom that's worse at night is often caused by threadworms, especially in children. Children under 2, and pregnant and breastfeeding women, cannot usually take medicine for threadworms – see a GP, midwife or health visitor instead.
Causes of an itchy bottom
a skin condition – such as atopic eczema or psoriasis. haemorrhoids (piles) – swellings that contain enlarged and swollen blood vessels in and around the anus. anal fissure - a tear or open sore (ulcer) that develops in the lining of the anal canal. a chronic condition - such as diabetes.
Hygiene: Washing too much or too little can cause irritation. Cosmetics: Soaps and other products can irritate the skin. Skin conditions: Dermatitis and psoriasis can cause itching. Anal or rectal disorders: Examples include conditions such as piles, anal fistulas, and anal fissures.
People can develop yeast infections anywhere inside or outside their body, including the anus. An anal yeast infection often causes intense and persistent anal itching, also called pruritus ani. People can treat anal yeast infections with over-the-counter (OTC) antifungals or prescription medication.
Anal itching, especially at night: Pinworms lay their eggs around the anus at night, causing itching and irritation. While symptoms are usually mild, anal itching can be severe.
In the evening, the body releases more heat, and blood flow to the skin increases, which may contribute to nighttime itching. In addition, skin loses water at night, resulting in dryness that can make you itchy.
Pinworm infections often produce no symptoms but, when they occur, symptoms can include: itchy bottom, especially at night.
The best way to diagnose this infection is to do a tape test. The best time to do this is in the morning before bathing, because pinworms lay their eggs at night. Steps for the test are: Firmly press the sticky side of a 1-inch (2.5 centimeters) strip of cellophane tape over the anal area for a few seconds.
Symptoms of threadworms
In some cases, you may spot threadworms on your bed clothes or sheets at night, or you may notice them in your stools. The worms look like threads of white cotton and are about 1 centimetre long.
What does diabetes itching feel like? If you have diabetes, itching can be intense. It's an irritating feeling that makes it hard not to scratch, but scratching can make the itch worse. You can itch anywhere, but if you have nerve damage (neuropathy) associated with diabetes, your lower legs may itch.
Pinworm infection is spread by the fecal-oral route, that is by the transfer of infective pinworm eggs from the anus to someone's mouth, either directly by hand or indirectly through contaminated clothing, bedding, food, or other articles.
Itchy bottom is usually related to too much moisture such as sweat, irritation through scratching or chemical soaps (which leads to further scratching) or infection (such as worms). In some women who have candida (thrush) in the vagina, the infection can extend to cause itching of the bottom.
Petroleum ointment, Sudocrem® or Cavilon® should be used as a barrier after cleansing. The anal itch can be hard to deal with when outside the home. Many patients carry a small tube of aqueous cream, which can be used with cotton wool balls to cleanse and coat the anal area after going to the toilet.
If left untreated, the intense itching and scratching associated with these infections will result in secondary bacterial infections. Some of these may be difficult to treat. Untreated people can continue to infect other people.
Strict hygiene measures can clear up pinworm infection without medication, and reduce the risk of reinfection. The worm has a lifespan of about six weeks, therefore the strict hygiene needs to last that long.