Health Hub
Welcome to the Wype Health Hub, your go-to spot for no-nonsense anal health information and resources so you never have to feel in the dark when it comes to what goes down below the waist.
Backside pain or discomfort?
They say only cowards shoot you in the back, and anal discomfort is no different. Below you can find a list of the most common disorders and their symptoms, to help you identify the issue you are experiencing.
Haemorrhoids/Piles
Haemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in and around the anus, these can be internal or external. Common culprits for piles are constipation and straining on the porcelain throne. In other cases, the can occur due to an increase in pressure during pregnancy, heavy lifting or even a sedentary lifestyle.
Symptoms of haemorrhoids include:
- Painful lumps on the anus
- Blood in stool or on the toilet paper after you ‘GO’
- Anal itching and/or burning
- Anal pain when sitting
Anal Fissures
You don’t want to fall hook, line and catch for this kind of fish. Fissures are small tears or splits that occur along your forbidden bagel (the anal canal). They usually appear after a large or heard stool, prolonged periods of diarrhoea, or from eating food that can create a rough passage through the digestive tract (nuts, seeds, popcorn etc.)
Symptoms of anal fissures include:
- Painful bowel movements with evidence of blood
- Pain after bowel movement
- Constipation
- Visible crack in the skin upon examination
Anal Itching / Pruritus Ani
Anal itching is a bothersome and sometimes intense itching or burning around the anus. The condition has many causes, including excessive cleanliness; prolonged exposure to moisture; a diet with irritating foods; and irritation from soap, detergents or toilet paper.
The primary symptoms of anal itching include:
- Overwhelming urge to scratch, especially at night or after a bowel movement
- Possible evidence of occasional bleeding
Faecal Incontinence
Faecal incontinence is when someone loses the ability to control when and where they open their bowels. This can be anything from finding you need to wipe hours after from opening your bowels (passive soiling), not making it to the toilet in time, or losing all sensation and opening your bowels without realising.
The primary symptoms of faecal incontinence include:
- Stool or gas leaking out without control, especially when passing gas or being active
- Feeling like you need to go to the toilet but can't get there in time
- Not being aware of the need to have a bowel movement or pass gas
- Not feeling anything before soiling yourself
- Finding poop in your underwear after a bowel movement
- Not being able to get fully clean after going to the toilet
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system, usually caused by specific types of foods or drinks, and continuous high levels of stress. The stress caused by IBS can often turn into a vicious cycle, leading to worsened symptoms too.
The primary symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include:
- Abdominal pain and cramping, which may be relieved by opening your bowels
- A change in bowel habits, - such as diarrhoea (IBS-D), constipation (IBS-C) or sometimes both (IBS-Mixed)
- Bloating and swelling of the abdomen
- Excessive wind (flatulence)
- Occasionally experiencing an urgent need to open your bowels.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an auto-immune disease where the immune system attacks the bowel, causing inflammation. This can impact different parts of the bowel (Crohn’s disease) or just the colon (Ulcerative colitis). There’s no known cause of IBD, however, it’s thought to be a mix of genetics and environmental triggers of the immune system.
The primary symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include:
- Abdominal pain (pain in the stomach area)
- Diarrhoea, sometimes with blood
- Urgency to have a bowel movement and faecal incontinence
- Rectal bleeding
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Anaemia
- Anxiety and depression
Bowel Cancer
Bowel cancer is caused by abnormal cells in the bowel that start to grow and divide in a way that they shouldn’t, creating what we call polyps (little skin tags in the bowel). Not all polyps are dangerous, but if left untreated and not caught early, these polyps can develop into a tumour.
The primary symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include:
- Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
- Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- Blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet
- Abdominal pain
- A lump in your tummy
- Bloating
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling very tired for no reason
Meet the Wype experts
Dr James Kinross
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London and Chief Medical Officer at Wype
Dr James Kinross is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at OneWelbeck Digestive Health & Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London. Specialising in minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. James joined Wype as Chief Medical Officer in 2023, where he advises on product formulations and leads innovation in new product development.
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Lucy Allen
Consultant Pelvic Floor Specialist &
Physiotherapist
Lucy Allen is a highly experienced pelvic health physiotherapist based in London, with a focus on digestive health issues. Lucy spearheads Wype's holistic care initiatives, offering expert guidance on pelvic and bottom health conditions. Her extensive and active experience is instrumental in our mission to provide reliable information to the Wype community, raise awareness, and address critical digestive and bottom health challenges.
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