We take a shower every day, but there is one place that we often neglect to clean, and that is the anus.
It is even said that "washing your butt" is even more important than washing your face. But it is such a place, many people think that they will wipe it every day after using the toilet, is it really necessary to wash it?
1. Is it necessary to wash the anus?
Everyone has the habit of washing before going to bed at night, and washing your face and feet when you are not taking a bath is also a must-have. But many people ignore the project of washing farts, they think that every time they go to the toilet, they wipe it with paper and it is very clean and does not need to be cleaned.
In fact, a paper towel wipe does not keep the anal area clean. Because our perianal skin is very delicate and there are many folds, even after wiping with a tissue, there will still be feces and secretions in the folds, which will become a breeding ground for bacteria over time.
A professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University once conducted an experiment and found that no matter how carefully the paper towel was wiped, 0.1 grams of feces remained in the folds around the anus. Don't underestimate this 0.1g feces, there are about a million viruses and 100,000 bacteria in it.
In addition, if you wipe vigorously with a tissue, it is easy to damage the skin around the anus. Dr. Ma Qin, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, said that when wiping, it is necessary to pay attention to the 12-word principle of "gentle wiping, moderate cleaning, and comfort is the best". Be careful not to push too hard, otherwise it is easy to destroy the lipid layer around the anus, and do not reach inside.
Older people need to pay special attention because as they age, their sensory function will decrease, and they are also prone to anal laxity. Excessive wiping will damage the skin around the anus, and may also cause hemorrhoids and bleeding, so be sure to choose soft paper and move gently.
Second, if the butt is not washed, 4 questions may come to "knock on the door"
If the perianal area is not cleaned for a long time, the bacteria and feces present in the folds will become a petri dish for a variety of diseases, and these perianal problems are more common.
1. Perianal itching
Long-term infiltration of feces and secretions in the anus will lead to the appearance of perianal itching symptoms, and may also cause perianal organic lesions and perianal skin diseases for a long time.
2. Perianal eczema
If the anus is in a damp and airtight state for a long time, it will cause symptoms such as itching, oozing, and ulceration, causing abnormal eczema on the skin, and it may also spread to other parts around the private parts in the later stage.
3. Perianal inflammation
The disease is more common in young and middle-aged people, mostly caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection, and one or more subcutaneous nodules appear around the anus in the early stage of the disease, with redness, swelling and itching pain on the surface.
As the disease progresses, the nodule will gradually soften, and there will be symptoms of suppuration inside, which may evolve into an anal fistula in the later stage.
4. Hemorrhoids
Many modern people have hemorrhoids, and it is easy to produce some secretions after suffering from this disease, and if they are not cleaned in time, they may lead to hemorrhoids rupture, induce secondary infections, etc.
3. Wash your buttocks correctly, these 4 points of knowledge are very important
Washing your butt is easy to say, but in fact, the "knowledge" in it is not small, and you still need to pay attention to a lot of points, especially these 4 key places.
1. Pay attention to the water temperature and frequency
It is recommended to keep the water temperature at about 40 degrees Celsius when cleaning, and generally wash it once a day, and do not clean it too frequently.
2. No need to use detergent
Under normal circumstances, clean water can be used to clean the anal area, without using shower gel or soap, otherwise it will destroy the skin around the anus, resulting in the local acid-base balance breaking and lesions.
3. Try to rinse with a shower head
It is generally not recommended to use basins or bottles of water for cleaning, and it is recommended to use a shower head with running water for each cleaning, which will be more clean and hygienic.
4. Keep it dry after washing
After washing, it should be dried with a paper towel or cold air in time to avoid keeping the anal area in a damp state.
Although the anus is a "hidden corner", it is precisely because of its secrecy that it is easier for us to overlook, and its potential health threat is looming. Daily cleaning can effectively avoid some perianal diseases, so why not do it with a simple rush.
Resources:
[1] "Serious Discussion: Why Do I Feel Unclean Sometimes?", Health Times, 2021-09-19
[2] "What?Washing your butt is more important than washing your face?This is really not a joke...".The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 2021-12-15
[3] "What! Washing your ass is more important than washing your face?". Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital Service No. 2024-04-03
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