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" Question My bottom is really itchy, especially at night and sometimes the itchiness wakes me up in the night.  The irritation seems to come from just inside the anus.  From my research it appears to be worms, but I have not seen any worms in my stools or around my anus. I am not losing weight and I make sure that I wash my hands a lot.  I think the itching may have started after my boyfriend put his finger in my bottom \u2013 sorry to be so crude.  There is no bleeding and during the day no irritation and it is not painful, just really itchy!  I am embarrassed to go to the doctor. Also, I am embarrassed to tell my boyfriend, but am worried that if it is worms he may catch them.  I would really appreciate your advice as I have been waiting for it to get better for a month. Answer There are really three main possibilities here.  Firstly, you could be right, it could be worms. If it is then the treatment is easy, quick and effective - but it does involve getting a prescription.  It is quite typical that worm infection causes itching only at night because this is when the female comes out to lay her eggs.  Taking a bath or shower in the morning helps to wash away any eggs and bathing at night before bedtime can actually encourage the female worms to lay more eggs!  The second possibility is another kind of infection, the commonest in this area being a yeasty infection \u2013 like thrush. Again it&amp;#039;s pretty straightforward to treat but this time with a cream.  The third possibility is &amp;#039;pruritus ani&amp;#039;. This is basically a fancy name for &amp;#039;itchy bottom&amp;#039;. It is usually caused not by infection but by anxiety \u2013 and the anxiety caused by the itch can be part of that!  The only way to deal with that is to deal with the anxiety.  So, here is what I&amp;#039;d do.  Embarrassing though it is, you need to visit your GP and describe this. Your GP may well agree to assume it is worms and give you a prescription.  If this fails to clear it then you probably need a swab taken to see if there is a yeast or other infection.  If there is you&amp;#039;ll get the correct treatment. If there isn&amp;#039;t you&amp;#039;ll know it is most likely the third possibility. Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team  Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As A red rash from suncream Allergies and eczema Allergies exposed to the sun Cement burns Cosmetics allergy Heat-related allergy Hives I blush excessively \u2013 is there an operation to help with this? I have a nasty rash on my legs Is my itching due to an allergy to the preservative in cotton? Itchy feet Knee problems and rashes after shower My face becomes red and swollen after I drink wine Photosensitivity Prickily heat problems Problems with belly button piercing Reaction to mosquito bites Reaction to waxing Really bad prickly heat Red itchy rash Red, sore area underneath my breasts Tolu balsam Urticaria What is lupus? White patches all over my back and arms Why do my legs swell when they&amp;#039;re bitten?  Last updated 01.02.2011 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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