How to Deal with an Anal Abscess

An anal abscess (also known as a rectal abscess) is unpleasant. It can really interfere with your life and although I haven't had one in a few years now it is hard to forget just how uncomfortable these can be. Some people can find great comedy with the idea of an anal abscess, but when you have one the laughing stops. The condition means that sitting down and sleeping is torturous, and even walking can be agony; needing to open your bowels is the stuff of nightmares.

My dealings with the anal abscess lasted about six years. I began experiencing this condition about ten years ago, and they would appear about every six months like clockwork. For some reason they stopped when I gave up drinking three and a half years ago, and I haven't been bothered with them since.

As the name might suggest an anal abscess refers to a sac of pus that people develop in their rectal area; in other words on your bottom at the opening. It often gets confused with haemorrhoids, but the pain of a rectal abscess is usually a lot more severe and the body begins to show signs of infection such as fever and chills. It is important to get an anal abscess treated promptly because it can cause infection to spread elsewhere in the body.

There is some debate about the exact cause of the anal abscess, but it is believed to have something to do with glands that surround the anus. These glands can become plugged up and this leads to infection developing. As the infection develops it leads to a sac of pus accumulating, and it is this that reaches the surface of the rectum. Certain people seem to be more likely to develop this infection including those people having a compromised immune system, those with HIV/AIDS, diabetics, and those with Crohn's Disease. In my own case I believe that it had a lot to do with my alcohol abuse at that time.

The anal abscess can develop quickly, but in the beginning there is only likely to be slight irritation in the rectal area. As the abscess increases in size the pain becomes more intense until it is impossible to ignore. It will be possible to feel the lump, and there may be also pain in the abdomen. Fever and a general feeling of being unwell is also likely to be experienced.

It is recommended that people always seek medical treatment for a rectal abscess. A warm bath can offer some relief, and so can pain killers. In some instances the abscess can burst, and this can cause a reduction in symptoms; you should never try and encourage an abscess to burst though.

In the past my rectal abscess has cleared up with antibiotics, but on most occasions I needed minor surgery. This just involved lancing the abscess in the Accident and Emergency department; a local anaesthetic was used to numb the area. In some cases people need to go for full surgery in order to remove the abscess.

Sources

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/191975-overview

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/anal_abscess/article_em.htm

http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001519trt.htm