It doesn’t matter whether a diagnosis of hemorrhoids has been made or not, the appearance of atypical discharge from the rectum is always alarming. Almost always, such discharge indicates that a pathological process is going on in the body, which means you need to consult a proctologist.
However, sometimes, for one reason or another, it is impossible to immediately receive qualified medical care, so you need to arm yourself with information about the nature of the discharge from hemorrhoids in order to assess their danger to the body.
Initial manifestations
The delicacy and false shame of some potential proctologist patients can aggravate the situation, because... the first manifestations of the disease remain noticed only by patients. By putting off going to the doctor for a long time, you risk not getting rid of the problem, but complicating it. Discomfort in the anal area will gradually increase from the mild stage. At first, the person will notice unpleasant sensations only at the moment of defecation, but then the feeling of heaviness in the anus will become constant, it will seem to you that there is something in the anus. This is explained by the fact that swelling of the rectum occurs. The first signs of hemorrhoids may disappear for a while, which will lead a person “on the wrong trail,” because he will regard this as recovery. But if the disease is not treated, then new manifestations of hemorrhoids will arise:
- itching around the anus;
- soreness, aching feeling during bowel movements and at rest;
- the appearance of bloody discharge in the stool;
- the appearance of hemorrhoidal cones;
- constipation;
- the presence of edema of the intestinal mucosa.
The signs of hemorrhoids in women and the signs of hemorrhoids in men are practically the same. The only caveat is that during menstruation, representatives of the fairer sex are more susceptible to the attack of hemorrhoids. This is due to the fact that at this time the blood vessels are overcrowded, and blood circulation in the pelvic area increases. A woman may miss the moment of spotting during bowel movements, attributing it to menstruation. The structure of the female body, passion for diets, and excessive emotionality can also become factors leading to the formation of hemorrhoids. There are frequent cases of so-called postpartum hemorrhoids - a consequence of pushing during childbirth. Statistics show that hemorrhoids in the fairer sex are more common than in men. Let's take a closer look at each of the signs listed above.
How do hemorrhoids manifest?
Hemorrhoids - internal and external (visually)
People suffering from hemorrhoids do not always have the courage to admit that they suffer from such a disease. It seems to them that there is a negative image of her in the public consciousness.
However, there is nothing indecent about this pathology; hemorrhoids are similar to varicose veins, only they are located in a very sensitive area. In this condition, the veins of the rectum become stretched, swollen, and inflamed. This happens for several reasons:
- Constant constipation.
- Inflammatory diseases, tumors of the pelvic organs and rectum.
- Sedentary work.
- Hypodynamia, or inactivity.
- Hard physical work.
- Abuse of laxatives.
These reasons cause stagnation of venous blood in the cavernous bodies of the rectum. Their walls expand, become traumatized, and ruptures and erosions occur. Hemorrhoids can be either inside the anus or outside it. External hemorrhoids (or external thrombosis) cause great suffering. It manifests itself as pain during defecation, burning and itching in the anus, and prolapse of hemorrhoids.
An exacerbation of the disease occurs during pregnancy, as the growing uterus sharply increases the load on the venous apparatus, and the increased pressure damages the veins. In both the acute and chronic phases, discharge from hemorrhoids can be of a different nature.
Pain
Pain syndrome is one of the protective properties of the human body. It is pain that forces the patient to see a doctor, although sometimes this does not happen in a very timely manner. While the pain is not severe, it can be overcome or drowned out with painkillers, the person is not in a hurry to go to the clinic. This happens most often in the initial stages of the disease. Signs of hemorrhoids in men in the form of pain are a very effective remedy, because... representatives of the stronger half of humanity are very sensitive and cannot always tolerate even minor discomfort. The formation of lumps inside the rectum interferes with the normal act of defecation, then the painful manifestations become permanent, they haunt the person at rest, when walking, when lifting the slightest load. Unbearable pain may indicate advanced disease.
Mucus discharge - when it is a pathology
Varicose veins are hemorrhoids
In a healthy intestine, a small amount of mucous substance is normally produced almost constantly, which maintains the dynamics of the intestine. It performs many functions, one of which is to prevent intestinal tissue from sticking together in the case of inflammatory processes, since the mucous membrane in such cases changes its structure.
With hemorrhoids, the secretion of mucous secretion increases, it is released from the rectum, causing great discomfort. The anus area becomes irritated, the skin and mucous membranes become macerated due to constant moisture, erosions appear on them, and constant itching causes great discomfort.
Discharge
Sprinkles of blood in the stool are an unpleasant signal that the disease has entered a new, more severe stage. Signs of hemorrhoids in women in the form of bloody discharge can be missed if this manifestation of the disease occurs during menstruation. The characteristic scarlet color of the discharge during bowel movements may indicate that hemorrhoids are “in full bloom.” Rupture of a hemorrhoid, opening of a blood clot, or injury to the rectum can lead to blood appearing in the stool. The amount of blood can vary from a few drops found on linens or toilet paper to splashes on the toilet. It depends on the extent of the disease. With hemorrhoids, in addition to bloody discharge, you can observe mucous discharge with an unpleasant odor. The mucus released during bowel movements irritates the anal area, which, in turn, leads to inflammation of the perianal opening. If such signs occur, it is advisable to immediately undergo a qualified examination, because this may be the beginning of another, more serious disease.
Discharge from proctitis
The content of the article
Inflammation of the rectal mucosa is called proctitis. Discharge is one of its leading symptoms. The discharge is mucous, sometimes purulent.
The pathology is accompanied by bleeding from the rectum, pain in the back of the body or in the left side of the abdomen, a feeling of intestinal fullness, diarrhea, and painful bowel movements. Sometimes the symptoms disappear quickly, sometimes they last chronically. The main task of diagnosing the disease is to determine the cause of proctitis. The treatment and its result depend on this.
Proctitis is caused by a number of diseases. If there is discharge from the rectum, it is necessary to exclude all of them.
Proctitis
Proctitis is more common in people with inflammatory bowel disease (a name that combines Crohn's disease with ulcerative colitis). According to statistics, 30 out of a hundred patients with inflammatory bowel disease develop proctitis. This disease is manifested by severe diarrhea, sometimes alternating diarrhea and constipation, abdominal pain, and general weakness.
Another cause of proctitis is a sexually transmitted infection: gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes. You are especially likely to get sick after engaging in risky sexual behavior. Anal sex is one of the main risk factors. However, germs in the rectum can also travel from the genitals.
Other microbes can also affect the intestines: salmonella, shigella, campylobacter. Note: They are a cause of foodborne infections. Infection can be identified by nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
Be careful with antibiotics too. As you know, antibiotics also kill beneficial bacteria, as a result of which the pathogenic microbe Clostridium is activated, which begins to multiply in the rectum. This also leads to the development of proctitis.
It is possible that proctitis may develop as a result of radiation therapy for cancer if the radiation affected the rectum or surrounding areas. Radiation proctitis begins during radiation therapy and usually lasts several months after the end of treatment, sometimes even bothering the patient for many years.
Sometimes proctitis occurs after surgery performed on the large intestine - excision and removal of part of the intestine, after installation of a stoma. This form is called subversive proctitis.
The disease causes a number of complications. This:
- Anemia. Its cause is chronic bleeding from the intestines. Anemia is manifested by headache, weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea;
- Ulcer - chronic inflammation damages the mucous membrane and causes open ulcers;
- Fistula - If the ulcer has damaged the entire depth of the intestinal wall, a fistula will develop. Perforation results in an abnormal connection between the bowel and the skin or other organs, most often between the bladder and vagina.
Hemorrhoids
Cones - hemorrhoids - are one of the most obvious signs of the disease. They are varicose veins of hemorrhoidal veins and outwardly look like protrusions, compactions, thickenings of a purplish-red color, sometimes with a bluish tint. If with internal hemorrhoids thickenings and indurations can only be detected with special diagnostics, then each patient can tactilely feel the external nodules during self-examination. Often the internal cones fall out due to effort and strain during defecation. At certain stages of the disease, the patient himself can push these formations into place; in more advanced forms, the nodes can fall out with constant sitting, when walking, and even when coughing.
Blood from the anus - differentiate the causes
Discharge from hemorrhoids is a reason to be wary!
When dilated veins or hemorrhoids that extend beyond the rectum are injured, bleeding often occurs. Most often, bleeding occurs during a visit to the toilet; it can also occur during hygiene procedures.
Sometimes it is quite scanty, just a few drops of blood released during a bowel movement, and sometimes it is a small trickle of blood at the end of a bowel movement.
The color of the bleeding is scarlet or dark red, depending on the intensity of the bleeding. Even a few drops of blood on toilet paper should alert you and prompt a thorough examination.
If this symptom is accompanied by discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as an unusual type of excrement that becomes atypically thin, a clinical picture of colon cancer appears.
For bleeding from hemorrhoids, you can use special suppositories to relieve pain and stop bleeding based on:
- Xeroform
- Novocaine
- Belladonna extract
- Cocoa butter
- Adrenaline solution
If the bleeding is accompanied by excruciating pain, a blood clot may form, which the doctor can remove with surgery.
Swelling
Swelling of the rectum and anus can appear at any time during the course of the disease: both in the initial stage and at a later stage. Inflammation of the intestinal mucosa is accompanied by swelling, which causes pain when walking, sitting, or any heavy loads associated with lifting heavy objects. Even a normal cough or sneezing can cause unpleasant pain, because... any slightest tension causes swelling to compress an area of the body. Having discovered the first signs of this delicate problem, do not hesitate and go to the doctor - the success of treatment will depend on how quickly you resort to qualified help.
If hemorrhoids are accompanied by purulent discharge
Purulent discharge from hemorrhoids is a manifestation of a complicated process. Most often, their cause is thrombosis of the hemorrhoid, or inflammation of the tissue located around the anus - paraproctitis.
In this case, the purulent discharge is accompanied by very severe pain, a significant increase in temperature, swelling and redness of the tissues. It is worth distinguishing such symptoms from the manifestations of other diseases:
Mucous rectal discharge: normal or pathological?
Intestinal mucus is produced in certain quantities by goblet cells of the digestive tract to facilitate the passage of feces.
Mucous, bloody or other discharge from the intestines is not normal and indicates some pathological process.
In most cases, increased mucus production and its leakage from the rectal canal is accompanied by abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence, bloating and colic.
In most cases, increased mucus production and its leakage from the rectal canal is accompanied by flatulence.
Often the mucus is mixed with blood or pus. In addition, mucus can come out not only during bowel movements.
What does mucus discharge from the rectal canal indicate?
Patient complaints about mucous discharge from the anus prompt doctors to search for their cause.
Mucous discharge from the rectum can appear under the following conditions and diseases:
- haemorrhoids;
- consumption of poor quality food;
- nonspecific ulcerative colitis;
- rectal fistulas;
- colon tumors;
- anal ulcers;
- anal condylomas;
- herpetic lesion of the rectum;
- specific infections of the large intestine (gonorrhea, tuberculosis, yersiniosis and others);
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS);
- nonspecific inflammatory processes of the colon (proctitis, sigmoiditis, proctosigmoiditis).
As you can see, the list of reasons is impressive, and all diseases are serious. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this seemingly harmless symptom in time.
