Rectal Condition Care in Portland, OR

Abscess

Caused by cuts, abrasions, bruises or anything outside entering into the soft tissues of the buttocks by penetrating the skin, an abscess usually begins with tender swelling near the anal opening. When left untreated, heat, redness and a dull steady ache later becomes a throbbing pain.

Anal Fissure

Usually caused by the presence of hemorrhoids, these slit-like ulcers are located just within the anal opening, resembling a tear or crack in the skin. A burning, unbearable pain after bowel movements, anal fissures can become chronic if left untreated.

Fistula

A fistula is a tube filled with pus. An abscess almost always precedes a fistula. As this happens, all of the typical symptoms of pain, swelling, heat and redness occur. When the abscess breaks, the pus and pain diminish, leaving the patient feeling as if their troubles are gone.

Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time until the fistula, which has drained the abscess and remained open, becomes clogged again. When this occurs, the patient undergoes the same suffering as before until the fistula reopens or a new opening is formed to provide drainage for the accumulated pus and debris. Unfortunately, the more serious the pain, there is a continuous absorption of pus and toxic material into the blood stream night and day, year in and year out, thus poisoning and impoverishing the entire system.

Papilla

Very small cone-shaped injections. Found protruding from an encircling ring at the upper end of the anal canal, papillas are about half the size of a match-head and their presence is unknown and unfelt by the individual.

Often papillae become bruised, cut, torn, or otherwise injured by the passage of hard stool, or by the presence of some hard particle in the stool. They become inflamed, swollen, and very tender. Subsequent stool passages add to the irritation by rubbing or pushing against the inflamed papillae during passage. As the trouble continues, the papilla increases in size. After the acute inflammation subsides, the swelling remains and the papillae become tough and fibrous and may protrude upon bowel movement, needing to be tucked back into the rectum. One of the most common indications of an enlarged papillae is a vague, persistent feeling of uneasiness in the rectum. Other symptoms include: thick sticky discharge, sense of incomplete evacuation, discomfort when sitting.

Prolapsus

Prolapse is an enlarged and advanced case of chronic hemorrhoids. Partial prolapse is a folding down of this thickened ring within the rectum, It obstructs the free passage of stool and gives rise to many hemorrhoidal symptoms with particular emphasis upon the feeling of ’weight’ or ’pressure’. In complete prolapse, the swollen ring covered by the lining of the rectum protrudes to the outside through the anal orifice into puffy folds. It may or not bleed but certainly causes pain and discomfort. The patient may experience the feeling that the stool can be forced to just the opening and no further.

Pruritus

"Itching Piles" without a doubt, the most tormenting of all rectal disease and the most difficult to treat. There is hardly any relief from the agonizing pain that the itching causes. Many diseases such as hemorrhoids, skin tags, cryptitis, and anal fissures can cause pruritis. Food allergies are also a common cause of pruritis.

Skin tags

Skin tags are the shapeless lumps and flaps of skin around the anal opening that cause swelling and acute pain. If left untreated, tags will become incredibly inflamed, sore and itchy. However, the pain usually diminishes, leaving patients to think the problem is gone. Most commonly mistaken for a hemorrhoid, skin tags occur when there is some other type of rectal condition, such as: papilla, thrombosis, hemorrhoids, etc.