What causes perianal abscess? What are the dangers?

Perianal abscess is a common surgical infection disease, an acute and severe disease in anorectal medicine, and is caused by bacterial infection. So what is the cause of perianal abscess? What are the hazards?

There are three main causes of perianal abscesses:

1. Anal gland infection: The anal gland opens into the anal sinus at the junction of the anal canal and rectum. The anal sinus opens upward in a funnel shape, which is easy to be damaged and infected by bacterial invasion. Once the anal sinus is infected, it will cause pustules and the inflammation will spread to the perianal space. Because the perianal space has poor ability to resist bacterial infection, the infection is easy to spread in the space, forming abscesses in different parts.

2. Weakened overall resistance: People with diabetes, old age, excessive fatigue, tuberculosis and AIDS have reduced resistance and are prone to perianal abscesses. Patients with rectal cancer may also develop perianal abscesses.

3. Local irritation and injury of the anus: Frequent consumption of spicy food such as peppers and alcohol can cause local congestion of the anal canal and rectum, and reduce resistance, which can induce infection. In addition, dry and hard feces can scratch the skin and mucous membrane of the anal canal, and the thin feces of patients with diarrhea can fall into the anal sinus, causing anal gland obstruction, and external injuries to the anus and rectum or chicken, duck, or fish bones swallowed with food can injure the anal canal and rectum, which can all lead to infection around the anus and rectum and develop into perianal abscesses.

What are the symptoms of perianal abscess?

1. Induration and lump: In the early stage, a induration and lump will protrude around the anus and gradually increase in size. Some of them may rupture on their own after a long time.

2. Pain: Pain is a common symptom of perianal abscess, which is a gradual, persistent swelling or throbbing pain. The patient has difficulty walking and is limited in sitting.

3. Fever: Patients with perianal abscesses will have local redness and swelling accompanied by fever, which is usually low-grade fever, but sometimes high-grade fever, with the patient's body temperature ranging from 37 to 40°C. In addition, patients may also experience general fatigue, loss of appetite, and poor sleep.

What are the specific hazards of perianal abscess

1. Risk of malignant transformation: The multiple occurrence of anal fistulas can lead to the formation of recto-vaginal fistulas, recto-urethral fistulas and recto-vesical fistulas, which endanger the surrounding internal organs. In addition, old anal fistulas that have not been treated or have been mistreated for many years may become malignant.

2. Increase in fistula openings and fistula ducts: Repeated attacks of anal fistulas may cause pus to penetrate the duct wall and spread along the sphincter gap to form multiple and complex anal fistulas, which not only bring difficulties to treatment but also affect the physiological function of the anus.

3. Anal incontinence: If anal fistula is allowed to develop, it can cause serious damage to the sphincter and may even cause complications such as anal incontinence. Therefore, if you have anal abscess, you must go to a regular professional hospital for treatment in time. Do not blindly use drugs or folk remedies to treat it, so as not to delay the disease and cause greater harm to the body.

4. Infection and pus: Once anal fistula is formed, there is little chance of self-healing, and it brings a series of hazards. First, after the anal fistula becomes infected and inflamed, the anus is severely painful, and after the fistula ruptures, the pus contaminates the underwear, the pus irritates the local skin, and the anus is severely itchy.

So how to prevent perianal abscess in life

1. Actively prevent and treat other anorectal diseases, such as anorectal inflammation, anal papillary hypertrophy, anal fissure, inflammatory hemorrhoids, proctitis, etc. Once found, timely, correct and effective treatment can be given to avoid and reduce the occurrence of perianal infection, abscess and anal fistula;

2. Preventing constipation and diarrhea is of great significance for preventing infection around the anus and rectum. It can avoid and reduce the damage or inflammation of the mucosa and epithelial tissue in the anus and rectum area, and can reduce the incidence of abscesses and anal fistulas.

3. Timely treatment of systemic diseases that may cause abscesses around the anus and rectum, such as ulcerative colitis, intestinal tuberculosis, Crohn's disease, etc.;

4. Keep the anus clean and hygienic, change underwear frequently, and clean the anus after defecation every day, which has a positive effect on preventing infection;

5. Regularly exercising and strengthening your body can enhance and improve blood circulation in the anus, increase local disease resistance, and prevent infection.