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Digestive System Disorders of the Anus

The anus is the final component of the digestive system's lower gastrointestinal tract. Offering an opening for the feces to be voided from the body's rectum, it is surrounded by strong muscles that prevent an involuntary discharge of waste. Even though defecation is the activity most commonly associated with the anus, it is rarely thought of as belonging to the lower GI tract and thus being an entity onto itself.

As a matter of fact, there a plethora of digestive system disorders of the anus that may range from the benign to the life threatening:

1. Sometimes secondary to other gastrointestinal problems are anal fissure which are most commonly associated with constipation as well as diarrhea. Hard stools in particular tend to damage the mucosa of the anus to the point of cracking and the result is bloody discharge from the fissures. If the incidents of this nature are only occasional or temporary, the fissures will heal, yet if diarrhea or constipation are chronic, then the consistent aggravation of the anal mucosa will lead to chronic anal fissures, a digestive system disorder of the anus, that should be treated with warm baths and treatment of the primary GI problem that is affecting the health of the anus.

2. Anal cancer is not synonymous with colorectal cancer, as is mistakenly believed in the common wisdom, and it is directly related to infection with the human papillomavirus. Surgery is supposed to be effective although the long term need for colostomies are making life after cancer treatment somewhat challenging.

3. Fecal incontinence is a symptom of a plethora of ailments, some of which point to fecal impaction or muscle as well as nerve damage within the lower gastrointestinal tract, while other causes point to a failure of the intestines to properly absorb nutrients and dietary components. By and large the reason for the fecal incontinence is usually sought to be treated with dietary modification.

4. As a birth defect, some infants are diagnosed with an imperforate anus that showcases an incompletely opened anal aperture which requires surgery and also necessitates further investigation of possible further digestive system disorders that may go further than just the anus.

5. Hemorrhoids are of course the most widely known anal disorder and plenty of over the counter treatments are available. At issue is undue pressure placed on the veins of the anal walls which may be avoided but once incurred is hard to get rid of.

Of course, some disorders are brought on by questionable practices such as piercing of the anal region or even the removal or bleaching of the public hair surrounding the rectum's opening. This results in a potentially chronic inflammation of the tissues and thus should be avoided. Another reason why the anus may become subject of serious digestive system disorders is directly related to anal eroticism which has led to the development and practice of risky sexual practices. As such sex play is directly associated with anal fissures, it is wise to be circumspect in engaging in such activity.