Many people do not know what kinds of anorectal diseases there are, and when it comes to anorectal diseases, many people can only name hemorrhoids. With the improvement of people's living standards, although health has been strongly guaranteed, more and more diseases are still increasingly endangering people. For example, the high incidence of anorectal diseases is a major concern. So, what are the common anorectal diseases?
1. Common perianal diseases
1) Hemorrhoids: divided into internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids, and mixed hemorrhoids, with symptoms mainly including bloody stools, itching, pain, and prolapse of masses;
2) Anal fistula: includes internal opening, external opening, and fistula tract, with symptoms being pus and feces flowing from the external opening, with odor. The condition worsens significantly when infected;
3) Perianal abscess: an early symptom of anal fistula, characterized by an abscess around the anus, redness, swelling, and severe pain, which forms an anal fistula after rupture;
4) Perianal eczema: symptoms include dampness, itching, and redness around the anus, mainly caused by infection;
5) Hypertrophy of the anal papilla: commonly seen as anal papillae protruding from the anus, white in color, usually without bloody stools, considered a benign tumor, but within the industry, there is no exclusion of the possibility of cancerous changes.
2. Common intestinal diseases
Disease one: Intestinal polyps
Rectal polyps and colonic polyps are collectively referred to as intestinal polyps, which are benign tumors growing on the intestinal wall, varying in size and shape, divided into solitary polyps and multiple polyps. Nowadays, the incidence of intestinal polyps is increasing, and more and more people are suffering from different degrees of intestinal polyps disease. The main symptoms of intestinal polyps are bloody stools, abnormal bowel movements, abdominal pain, and prolapse.
- Bloody stools: rectal polyps cause blood in the stool without dripping blood, while colonic polyps cause intermittent bloody stools or bloody stools with mucus.
- Prolapse: when polyps are large or numerous, they pull the intestinal mucosa due to gravity, causing it to gradually prolapse.
- Abdominal pain: less common, sometimes larger polyps can cause intussusception, leading to intestinal obstruction and resulting in abdominal pain.
Disease two: Colorectal cancer
In recent years, the incidence of rectal cancer has shown an upward trend, ranking third in the series of cancers in China, following stomach cancer and lung cancer. The main symptoms of rectal cancer include bloody stools, changes in bowel habits, intestinal stenosis or obstruction.
- Bloody stools: an early symptom, mainly characterized by painless bloody stools, with blood appearing red or bright red, very similar to the symptoms of early-stage internal hemorrhoids. In the late stage, the blood is mostly dark red, mixed with mucus bloody stools or purulent bloody stools, sometimes accompanied by blood clots and necrotic tissue.
- Changes in bowel habits: due to the rectal mass and its secretions, it can cause intestinal irritation symptoms, leading patients to experience frequent urges to defecate, a feeling of incomplete evacuation, and tenesmus. However, the discharge is often in the form of mucus and pus. At this point, the shape of the stool also changes, becoming finer and finer. Initially, these "pseudo-diarrhea" phenomena often occur shortly after getting up in the morning, known as "morning diarrhea." Subsequently, the frequency gradually increases, sometimes even preventing sleep at night, altering the previous bowel habits.
- Intestinal stenosis and obstruction: in the late stage of rectal cancer, due to the circumferential infiltration of the cancer around the intestinal wall, the intestinal cavity becomes narrow, especially at the junction of the rectum and sigmoid colon, where hard cancer is most common, easily causing obstruction.
Disease three: Enteritis
Enteritis is a very common type of intestinal disease that can occur at any age, with young adults being the most affected. Its main symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloody stools.
- Diarrhea: the most important symptom, and also a common symptom, often recurring or persisting, with mild cases having 2 to 5 episodes per day and severe cases having 20 to 30 episodes. Some patients may also experience alternating constipation and diarrhea.
- Abdominal pain: often accompanied by abdominal pain before diarrhea, with pain relieved after diarrhea. The pain is mostly characterized by distension, and is often localized, mainly in the lower left abdomen or left lumbar region. Persistent dull pain is also not uncommon, with mild cases often showing no abdominal pain.
- Bloody stools: one of the main symptoms of this disease, with mild cases having blood attached to the surface of the stool and severe cases having fresh blood flowing down, potentially leading to shock.