The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex by Stephen E. Goldstone Read Free Book Online Page B

hemorrhoids itch. In fact, however, hemorrhoids often are the
result
of the itch, not the cause. Sure, huge internal hemorrhoids that hang out of your anus secreting mucus will itch. But these cases are rare. Most often chronic irritation causes the external tags you feel at your anal opening when you scratch. If a surgeon performs a hemorrhoidectomy, the tags may be gone temporarily, but your itch will remain. You continue to scratch and tags blossom once again.
    Anal pruritis (itch) most often results from chronic skin irritation. Although the itch may be from psoriasis or an infection (see Chapters 3 and 4 ), a contact or allergic dermatitis is the most frequent cause. In other words, something your anal skin contacts irritates the hell out of it. Contact can come in the form of creams or perfumes applied before sex, scented or harsh soaps used for bathing or laundry, or an irritating food product coming out in your stool. When I mention this, most patients say, “It’s never given me any problem before, so why should it now?” Most often something your body tolerated in the past has suddenly sensitized your skin and an allergy results.
    With anal pruritis, the skin around the anus appears reddened and cracked. Over time, the skin thickens and takes on a more callused appearance. The itch worsens at night, and often cuts and scabs appear from scratching during sleep.
    While steroid creams (prescription strength) will stop the itch, long-term use weakens the skin. Suppositories have little effect since they travel up too far and bypass the problem. Instead, determine what caused your itch and eliminate it. The following are a few steps that can go a long way in resolving your problem. While some of them are quite difficult, if you can follow these procedures for just one month, you’ll be well on your way to solving the problem.
     
Eliminate any oils, creams, lotions, lubricants, and caustic soaps that come in contact with your anal region. This means changing your bath and laundry detergents. (If you use a laundry service, check to see what they wash your clothes in. )
Don’t use toilet paper. Toilet tissues contain bleaches and perfumes that can irritate skin. Try using Tucks, which are perfume-free pads containing witch hazel and can be purchased in most drugstores and supermarkets. In addition to removing fecal residue, they soothe the skin. Do not use the baby-wipe-type pads, as many contain irritating perfumes and alcohol.
After you thoroughly cleanse the area, apply a thin layer of Balneol lotion. It soothes and lubricates the skin. If you sweat a lot, place a small piece of fluffed-up cotton against your anal opening to absorb moisture.
Wipe with Tucks and apply Balneol in the morning when you awaken, just before bed, and after every bowel movement. And yes, you will have to take the wipes and lotion to work if that is where you have a bowel movement.
Now comes the hard part. Eliminate all foods that can irritate your skin when they come out in your stool. The following is a list of the most common offenders:
     
Acidic foods and their juices (tomato, orange, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits, etc. )
Spicy foods (hot pepper, garlic, etc. )
Alcohol (Sorry, boys, no drinking—especially wine. )
Caffeine (Don’t forget, tea, chocolate, and colas contain caffeine. )
Milk products (If you don’t digest them well, bacteria in your colon convert the lactose to acid. ) Yogurt with natural cultures and lactose-free milk are fine.
    Try this for a month and I am willing to bet that your itch disappears completely or at least becomes tolerable. Once you reach this stage, begin to add back foods to your diet in the order that you miss them, one at a time. In other words, if you can’t live without your morning coffee, then start with that. If after a week you are still not itching, then add something else. If your itch returns, then you can bet that you’ve discovered the culprit. Eliminating it from your diet may