Rectal Pain Symptoms

• The pain of proctalgia fugax is sudden and intense, usually lasting less than a minute. But in rare cases, the spasm can continue for an hour. The pain is described as a sharp, stabbing, or cramp-like occurring at the anal opening. The pain can awaken the person from a sound sleep. The attacks occur in clusters, appearing daily for a while then disappearing for weeks or months.

• The pain of levator ani syndrome is a constant or frequently occurring dull pain that is felt higher up inside the rectal passage. The sensation is made worse by sitting and improves with walking or standing. The pain usually lasts approximately 20 minutes and tends to reoccur at regular intervals.

• Most hemorrhoids only cause a mild discomfort, but the pain can become severe if the hemorrhoids become thrombosed. This occurs when the blood in the hemorrhoid clots. There is an excruciating throbbing or stabbing pain that begins suddenly and can last for several days.

• An anal fissure causes a tearing or knifelike pain when it first occurs and turns into a dull ache that can last for hours. The tearing of the skin may also cause a small amount of bleeding. Each bowel movement irritates the injured skin producing sharp pain. The pain can be so intense that most people try to delay or not have a bowel movement, which only causes formation of harder stools and more pain when stool passed.