Anal Itching: Causes, Relief, and Finding a Specialist

Question
This my not be your field of expertise, but I cant find a butt doctor here. If you cant help than you might not want to read this. Its pretty nasty. Anywho..my anal region itches like crazy!! Its been happening on and off  for about 7 months (I know) but isso much worse now and all the time. I dont have any trouble going potty butt (haha) wiping is horrible. It also becomes very itching after sex (vaginal by the way). There may be a few  small cuts? Im not real sure whats going on back there. I did just take a looky lou with my mirror and it blew my mind! Not only was i seeing this part of me for the first time but what i saw could not be normal. Around the exit area was red. There was also some white areas plus some areas i can only describe as blurple. Its not prwtty down there doc! I would send a pic but that seems weird. But if you think it would help i might be able to oblige. On a serious note, i am very worried because of how long its been going on and the fact its getting worse. I try so hard not to scratch but sometimes i do it in my sleep and dont realize it until i have already scratched it bloody and raw. I am a clean person. I shower daily. I dont do anything weird  back there either. I am almost thinking i may have knicked it a bit trimming the area months ago before it all started but the issue is NOT localized to the one spot past injury. Any ideas of what is happening and suggestions to make it better would be much appreciated. Thank you

Answer
Dear Kayla,

The most likely cause for your ailment is pinworms. They are more common than most people realize. The worms look like white thread. The eggs are oval and flat on one side. Contamination occurs when the hands are put to the mouth, because the eggs can reside under the nails. The eggs can also be ingested and inhaled.  An easy way to identify if you have pinworms, is to do the tape test. Using adhesive tape, place the sticky side onto the anal area. Three separate pieces of tape should be used. It should be done first thing in the morning. A positive test will show oval-shaped eggs with a flat side.  You may also get a worm which can look like thread. Regardless of the outcome, you should be evaluated by a medical professional. Worms are treated with prescription medication. All members of the family need to be treated. And your household needs to be decontaminated. However, like most things in medicine, there are several other reasons why you may be experiencing itchiness at the anal area. Therefore, I strongly recommend you seek medical attention to rule out anything more serious.