It is normal to experience painful bowel movements every now and then. However, if the pain persists every time you have a bowel movement, this is something to watch out for. The reason is, there are some serious diseases that can cause pain when defecating.
Some diseases that cause painful bowel movements can indeed be treated easily. However, you also need to be vigilant, because some other diseases are serious health problems.
Therefore, knowing the various diseases behind painful bowel movements and their symptoms is important so that the disease can be treated in the right way.
Causes of Painful Defecation
The following are some diseases that can cause pain during bowel movements:
1. Constipation
Constipation or constipation is a condition when bowel movements become less frequent than usual. This will cause the stool in the large intestine to become drier, harder, and accumulate to become larger so that it is more difficult to expel from the anus.
Constipation is usually accompanied by several symptoms, such as pain in the anus during defecation, a feeling of incompleteness after defecation, bloating, and cramping in the abdomen or lower back.
Constipation can usually be overcome and prevented by drinking lots of water, getting enough exercise, reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption, and increasing your intake of high-fiber foods. If constipation does not improve, your doctor may prescribe a bowel-stimulating medication to treat your constipation.
2. Anal fissure
Anal fissure is a condition when there is a small tear in the skin around the anus. Generally, this condition is caused by hard and large stools due to constipation, so that the skin around the anus is very stretched when defecating. Anal fissures are usually accompanied by itching, pain, and even bleeding around the anus.
Drinking lots of water and consuming foods that contain lots of fiber will soften the stool, so that bowel movements are no longer painful. To reduce inflammation and pain around the anus, your doctor may prescribe a hydrocortisone cream or ointment.
3. Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids or commonly known as hemorrhoids are a condition when there is swelling of the veins in the anus or rectum. This condition generally occurs due to chronic constipation, pregnancy, and obesity.
Hemorrhoids are usually accompanied by pain, itching, or lumps around the anus. This condition can even cause bleeding during bowel movements.
Soaking hemorrhoids in warm water, consuming lots of water and intakes that contain lots of fiber, using pain relief creams, and compressing hemorrhoids with cold water can speed up healing of hemorrhoids.
Your doctor may also prescribe pain relievers such as naproxen and ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and reduce pain. In some cases, severe hemorrhoids must be removed surgically.
4. Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory boweldisease (IBD) is a condition that includes inflammation of the digestive tract, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Inflammation of the large intestine can cause pain during bowel movements. This condition is usually accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, bleeding during bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, and feeling not hungry even though you haven't eaten.
Eating foods low in fat and rich in fiber is important for people with IBD. In addition, the doctor may also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, diarrhea medications, immunosuppressants, antibiotics, pain medications, iron supplements, and calcium supplements.
5. Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a condition that causes sufferers to have frequent bowel movements with soft or watery stools. Defecation when diarrhea itself does not actually cause pain. But if it's too often, the skin around the anus can be irritated, so that bowel movements become painful.
Keeping hands and food clean can prevent diarrhea. During diarrhea, you can drink electrolyte solutions to replace lost body fluids. In addition, your doctor may also prescribe diarrhea medication and antibiotics for you.
6. Endometriosis in the large intestine
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that forms the lining of the uterus grows outside where it should. Endometriosis can occur in a woman's large intestine, causing painful bowel movements, especially during menstruation.
In addition to painful bowel movements, this condition is usually accompanied by several other symptoms, such as abdominal and lower back pain, cramps before menstruation, and pain during sex (dyspareunia).
Endometriosis can be prevented by consuming at least 2 liters of water per day, limiting caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, and exercising regularly. Treatments that doctors may suggest to people with this disease include painkillers, hormone therapy, or surgery.
7. Infection
Several infections can cause painful bowel movements, including:
- Anal abscess, which is a pus-filled swelling around the anus
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and syphilis
- fungal infection
Wearing protection every time you have sex and getting tested for STIs regularly while you are sexually active can prevent you from getting infections like the ones above.
Immediately consult a doctor if you experience the infection. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics in the form of pills or creams to treat it.
8. Cancer of the anus or rectum
Anal cancer is one of the conditions that can cause painful bowel movements. In addition, anal cancer is usually accompanied by:
- Bleeding during bowel movements
- Itching of the anus
- Diarrhea alternating with constipation
- Changes in the color or shape of the stool
- Unusual lumps around the anus that are painful to the touch
- bloating
- Drastic weight loss
- Constant pain or cramping in the stomach
Treatments that may be given to people with anal cancer include chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or surgical removal of the tumor. Treatment done as early as possible can help stop the growth of cancer cells and reduce the chance of complications.
Painful bowel movements can be caused by various diseases so this symptom needs to be watched out for. In general, these symptoms can be prevented and overcome by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, drinking enough water about 6-8 glasses per day, eating foods rich in fiber, and being active in sports.
However, if you experience continuous pain every time you have a bowel movement, especially if it is accompanied by fever, unusual tiredness, severe abdominal and back pain, lumps around the anus, and bleeding or discharge from the anus around the anus, consult a doctor immediately.
