A small clump of cells arising from the lining of large intestines is known as a polyp. Most Anorectal polyps are harmless but some may turn into colon cancer therefore regular colonoscopy is very essential. Polyps are one of the most common conditions affection 15 to 20% of the entire population especially if you are 50+, smoker or overweight.
What are the symptoms of Anorectal Polyp?
Usually, polyps don’t show any symptoms but some people might experience the following symptoms:
- Bloody stool or Rectal bleeding- Anorectal Polyps can cause tearing of the anus tissues causing it to bleed.
- Change in bowel habits- in some cases constipation or diarrhea that lasts longer than a week may indicate the presence of a large colon polyp.
- Constant Pain- the presence of large colon polyp can lead to partial obstruction of the bowel, leading to crampy abdominal pain.
- Nausea – feeling nauseous if one has large polyp
What are the causes of Anorectal Polyp?
There are no exact causes of Anorectal Polyps but it can be linked to various lifestyle factors like:
- Lack of exercise
- Obesity
- High-fat diet
- Lack of fiber
- Smoking
- Sedentary lifestyle
In some cases genetic factors also play an important role like people have more chances of developing Anorectal Polyp if they have the following inherited conditions:
- familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Gardner syndrome
- Peutz-Jeghers syndrome