Rectal inflammation (proctitis)
If you have rectal itching or pain, or blood or mucus in your stools, you may have rectal inflammation (proctitis). The rectum is the last part of the intestine where your faeces are temporarily stored before leaving the body. This page tells you more about what causes proctitis and what you can do about it.
Cause
Proctitis is usually caused by chlamydia or another sexually transmitted disease (STI). If the cause is not clear we refer to it as a non-specific inflammation.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of proctitis are:
- Itching, irritation or pain around the anus
- Mucus or blood loss during bowel movements
- Diarrhoea or a feeling of extra urgency
You may sometimes have proctitis without any symptoms.
To be sure of whether you have an infection a swab of the anus is needed. We also test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea. If the infection is caused by chlamydia, further testing for lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is done at the laboratory. This condition requires a longer course of treatment.
Make an appointment
If you think you have proctitis, make an appointment for a check-up at GGD Amsterdam.
Cure
You need antibiotics to cure proctitis. At least a one-week course of treatment. After the final results of the tests you will know whether the course needs to be extended. You will usually be given tablets for two weeks, so you will have enough medicine if the course needs to continue longer than a week. As long as you are on antibiotics you should not have sexual contact.
You must get treatment. Without treatment the infection can cause adhesions, fistulas (subcutaneous passageways) and fissures (tears).
What I can do
If the tests reveal that you have chlamydia or another STI you must let your sexual partner(s) know so they can also get tested and treated. You must get your final results after a week so you can extend your antibiotic treatment if necessary.