You can often do simple things yourself to ease an itchy bottom (anus). See a GP if the itching doesn’t stop.
How to ease an itchy bottom yourself
A pharmacist can help with an itchy bottom
You can ask the pharmacist if they have a private area where you can speak. They can suggest:
- creams and ointments you can buy to help ease itching
- medicine and things you should do at home if it’s caused by threadworms
See a GP if you have an itchy bottom that:
- doesn’t ease after 3 or 4 days
- keeps coming back
- worries you or makes it hard to sleep
- comes with itching elsewhere on the body
Common causes of an itchy bottom
There’s not always a clear cause of an itchy bottom. If it gets better quickly, it might have been caused by something that doesn’t need treatment, like sweating a lot in hot weather.
If it lasts for longer, you might be able to get an idea of the cause from any other symptoms you have. But don’t self-diagnose – see a GP if you’re worried.
| Other symptoms with itchy bottom | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Gets worse at night, worms in poo (they look like small pieces of thread) | threadworms, especially in children |
| Lumps, bright red blood and pain when pooing | piles (haemorrhoids) |
| Poo leaking or pooing you can’t control | diarrhoea or incontinence |
| Sores, swelling or irritation | fungal infection, STI like genital warts |
| Itching elsewhere on the body | skin condition, such as eczema or psoriasis |
| While using long-term medication | side effect of steroid creams, some gels and ointments for anal fissure, and peppermint oil |
It’s unusual for an itchy anus on its own to be related to something more serious. But in rare cases, it may be a sign of something like anal or bowel cancer, so it’s important to get it checked by your GP.