What causes anal itching in the middle of the night

As the main organ for defecation, the anus can cause different types of symptoms due to various problems. For example, anal itching in the middle of the night is a symptom that many people experience. This symptom may be caused by a variety of reasons, such as anal pruritus, perianal eczema, anal fistula, allergies, pinworm infection or hemorrhoids, which can cause patients to experience anal itching in the middle of the night.

Anal itching

Anal itching in the middle of the night may be caused by anal pruritus, a skin disease in which the skin around the anus has no primary skin damage but only itching symptoms. This disease is more common in young and middle-aged people between 20 and 40 years old. It affects males more than females, and is more common in those who are inactive. It often occurs at night, when it is quiet, when there are mood changes, when eating spicy food, or when it is hot and humid. The itching is unbearable and can cause stinging or burning pain if scratched.

Perianal eczema

Perianal eczema is a common allergic skin disease in anorectal medicine. The main characteristics are itching, secretion exudation, polymorphic rash and easy recurrence, and it can occur at any age. When the skin around the anus is broken due to long-term scratching, it will cause skin cracking and infection, which will cause anal pain and pain during defecation.

Anal fistula

Anal fistula is a sequelae of abscess rupture or incision drainage that occurs around the anorectum. The age of onset of anal fistula is mainly young and middle-aged people aged 20 to 40. It is not uncommon for infants and young children to develop the disease, mainly in boys and rarely in girls. When pus flows out of anal fistula, it often irritates the skin around the fistula, causing itching or eczema of the anal skin, and may also be accompanied by symptoms such as swelling, pain, lumps, difficulty in defecation, and fever.

allergy

If you touch your anus with your hands without washing your hands after coming into contact with allergy-causing chemicals, raw lacquers, irritating foods, and certain medicines, it may cause allergies and itching of the skin around the anus. . Sometimes wearing newly bought underwear without washing it can also cause anal itching.

Pinworm infection

Adult pinworms generally parasitize the cecum, appendix, colon, rectum and lower ileum of the human body. When people fall asleep and the anal sphincter relaxes, some female insects crawl out of the anus and lay eggs on the nearby skin, causing anal itching. When pinworms burrow into the intestinal mucosa, as well as mechanical or chemical stimulation in the gastrointestinal tract, they can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Sometimes, due to the extreme itching, scratching can cause skin shedding, congestion, rashes, eczema around the anus, and even induce purulent infection.

hemorrhoid

The formation of hemorrhoids is directly related to constipation. Long-term constipation hinders the blood circulation in the rectal veins. The continuous expansion of venous congestion will form hemorrhoids. During defecation, the squeezing of feces will stimulate the production of rectal secretions, which will flow out of the anus, irritating the skin around the anus and causing anal itching.