Should I Go To The Emergency Room For Severe Rectal Pain?

Posted on Wed, 8 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 8 Jan 2014 Answered on

Tue, 4 Feb 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Thank you, I have severe rectal pain, I would like to know if I should go to emergency I am 66 years old

Answered by Dr. Dr. Michelle Gibson (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: it would be best to see someone Detailed Answer: HI, thanks for using healthcare magic It would be best to visit your doctor or the ER for evaluation to find out the cause of both your constipation and rectal pain. There are different potential causes for rectal pain such as: (1) haemorrhoids- in this case you would see blood on wiping and you may also notice the haemorrhoids protruding on intervals (2)inflammatory bowel disease- this is inflammation of the bowel- it can be due to different causes but the most common are crohns disease and ulcerative colitis (3)anal fissure- this is a tear in the anus that causes severe pain, it may also be associated with bleeding when using the bathroom (4)anal cancer (5)infection around the anal reason (6)fistula- this is connection between 2 cavities of the body for example an abnormal connection between the anus and skin through a tunnel (7)anal ulcer It would be best to visit a doctor for evaluation which would include a physical examination of the abdomen and anus. The treatment would depend on the examination findings. I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar