Why Does my Anus Itch at Night? - All Possible Reasons

If you want to know why your anus becomes itchy at night you have to keep in mind that there are many causes that can promote this situation and, among all of them, developing excess moisture in the area is a common cause of this itchiness.

Building up too much moisture in the anal area can be due to perspiration or because the area has not been properly dried after rinsing or showering; another possibility is that, after fecal deposition, you may not have cleaned the area properly and, therefore, the area remains moist and fecal matter may still linger on the area. In this other oneHOWTO article we tell you how to clean your anus thoroughly.

In any of these cases, humidity creates this itching sensation, that in turn causes us to scratch insistently, which will irritate or create wounds in the area, as it is one of the most sensitive in the body.

Another reason why your anus may be itchy at night is because you have some kind of skin condition, therefore, you get this itchy feeling. There are certain diseases that can cause anal itching, the most common are the following:

• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• You have fungi or bacteria in the area

All these conditions can cause the area of the skin around the anus to become irritated and, therefore, you feel intense itching that you can only relieve by scratching. However, you should be very careful because this area is very weak and can easily tear causing wounds, slight bleeding or swelling.

One of the most frequent causes of itching in the anus is the presence of worms, which are technically known as "pinworms" or intestinal worms. Enterobius vermicularis is a type of parasite that lives in our body and is around 1 centimeter in length. They live in the rectal area, right at the end of our large intestine and, for most of their life, are curled up on themselves.

But why do we have worms in our body? Because we introduce their eggs by eating food or drinks that may be contaminated or due to putting our hand close to our mouth when it's dirty.

Its lifespan in our body is of 15 to 45 days and it is an infection that is very common in children between 5 to 10 years because they play in the street, put objects in the mouth, etc. But adults can also have worms, and these produce strong itching inside the anus, especially when night falls.

In this other article we tell you how to treat intestinal worms so you can get rid of them from you body and be able to go back to sleeping all night.

Nocturnal itching of the anus may also be due to the way you eat. Keep in mind that there are some products that can be irritating and therefore create a buildup of toxins in our intestines, create a bigger alteration than usual and therefore may have a side effect that translates into anal itching.

What foods can cause itching in the anus? Here are the most frequent products:

• Alcoholic beverages: especially beer or wine
• Caffeinated beverages: coffee, soft drinks, tea, etc.
• Dairy products
• Candy and sugary products: especially chocolate
• Sauces and fatty foods

This does not mean that everyone who eats this type of food gets an itchy anus, but it does mean that if you increase the consumption of these products you may experience a discomfort in the area because your digestive and intestinal system is altered.

Another of the reasons why your anus is itching at night may be because you have hemorrhoids, a very common condition that has different symptoms among which this uncomfortable and annoying itching. Hemorrhoids are the inflammation of the veins that we have in the anus and because of this we may experience symptoms such as:

• Itching and burning in the anal area
• Mild bleeding when you have bowel movements
• Swelling in the rectum and discomfort when sitting
• Mucus in the anus
• Pain in the area that can be aggravated when we do our daily activities (walking, sitting, crouching, etc.)

You should know that there are different types of hemorrhoids and, depending on the type, the symptoms are one or the other.

In this other oneHOWTO article we tell you in detail how to treat hemorrhoids or piles.

Now that you know the causes of itching in the anus at night, let's find out how you can relieve this condition so that you can sleep better and regain your peace of mind when you sleep. Depending on the cause of this problem, a certain treatment or another should be used, however, on a general level you can try to do the following:

• Apply aloe vera gel: this plant has anti-inflammatory and sedative properties that will help you relax the area, reducing the itch and making you feel much better. Aloe vera also has regenerative properties that renew the affected cells causing this feeling, if it itchiness is due to skin problems, this remedy should solve it.
• Talcum powder: if the anus itch is produced by excess moisture in the area, a foolproof way to remove this moisture is to apply talcum powder and leave it overnight; the next morning you will be able to remove it, though you will have to make sure that you dry the area well so that the itching does not reappear.
• Wash the area with antibacterial soap: another way to relieve the night itch in the anus is that you wash well with antibacterial soap to clean the area well and remove any remaining dirt that may have accumulated.

If you suffer from other conditions such as hemorrhoids, fungus, psoriasis, etc., we recommend that you go to your doctor so that he/she can give you the specific treatment that will effectively cure the underlying problem. In these cases, the itch in the anus is nothing more than a symptom of the condition, therefore, you will have to attack the root of the problem.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Why Does my Anus Itch at Night? - All Possible Reasons, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.