An anus lump (or anal lump) can form in an external hemorrhoid when blood clots inside of the hemorrhoid. This is known as a thrombosis and can be very painful because the area has many somatic nerves. Somatic nerves are like the nerves of the skin and sense pain unlike the visceral nerves of the anal canal which only sense pressure. The discomfort often results in the need for medical attention.

Treatment of an anal lump will depend on it’s severity in terms of the amount of pain and the extent of the swelling the blood clot causes. If the condition is only mild then you can be treated with sitz baths and bulking up and softening of the stool through increased dietary fibre.

If the pain and swelling are severe enough it may be necessary to remove the blood clot. This can be done under local anesthetic. A small incision is made in the hemorrhoid and the blood clot removed. A small bandage will be put on the hemorrhoid to stop the bleeding and prevent the blood clot from reforming.

When thrombosed hemorrhoids heal it may result in some scar tissue and leave a tag of skin protruding from the anus. Sometimes this may be a source of irritation when the tag is large enough because it can make cleaning of the area difficult.

Caution: Any anus lump needs to be checked by your medical professional and it should not be assumed to be a hemorrhoid since there are rare cancers of the perianal area that can appear as external hemorrhoids.

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