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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffProctitis that isn't treated or that doesn't respond to treatment may lead to complications, including:
- Anemia. If you have severe bleeding, you could develop anemia. With anemia, you don't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your tissues. Anemia causes you to feel tired, and you may also experience dizziness, shortness of breath, headache, pale skin and irritability.
- Ulcers. Chronic inflammation can lead to open sores (ulcers) in the rectum.
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Fistulas. Sometimes ulcers extend completely through the intestinal wall creating a fistula, an abnormal connection that can occur between different parts of your intestine, between your intestine and skin, or between your intestine and other organs, such as the bladder and vagina. For women, a fistula can connect the rectum to the vagina (recto-vaginal), causing bowel contents to drain from the vagina.
Anal fistulas, which occur in men and women, connect the rectum to the skin. In those cases, bowel contents may drain to the skin. Fistulas can lead to life-threatening infections if left untreated.
