COVID-19 - Restless anus syndrome
One of the more recent and little-known symptoms of COVID-19 is restless anus syndrome. We're all familiar with the respiratory problems associated with the infection. However, two years after the start of the pandemic, we are discovering new consequences linked to a dysfunction of the nervous system: restless anus syndrome.
In addition to the classic symptoms (loss of taste and smell, fever, delirium, encephalitis, etc.), we already know that Covid-19 can also cause erectile dysfunction, male fertility problems, eye disorders, dermatological problems and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Today, restless anus syndrome has been added to the list of neurological symptoms of Covid-19, although its occurrence is rare.
First case of restless anus discovered in Japan
Restless anus syndrome was first reported in September 2021. The journal BMC Infectious Diseases reported a case of anal discomfort as a neurological disorder due to coronavirus.
The case study of restless anus syndrome is a 77-year-old patient affected by COVID-19. Having suffered respiratory difficulties due to coronavirus infection a few weeks earlier, he had been hospitalized at Tokyo University Hospital.
Although he was cured, he returned for a consultation several weeks after his discharge. The reason? Persistent and profound anal discomfort. Interestingly, he didn't suffer from this before receiving the Covid-19. The researchers concluded that coronavirus infection was the source of this neurological disorder.
What is restless anus syndrome?
Restless anus syndrome is the result of a dysfunction of the central nervous system. It causes sensory and motor manifestations.
Symptoms of restless anus syndrome
Restless anus syndrome is - according to scientists - a variant of restless legs syndrome. It causes itching, tingling, pain and even sensations of "electric shocks" in a 10 cm zone around the perineum and anal area. Colonoscopy detected internal hemorrhoids, but no rectal lesions.
Still according to the BMC Infectious Diseases review, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and restless anus have similar consequences:
- The patient needs to move;
- Exercise soothes anal pain;
- Discomfort is greatest at rest and improves with activity;
- Discomfort worsens in the evening.
How is restless anus syndrome treated?
The treatment is the same as for RLS (Restless Legs Syndrome). According to the Japanese doctors, the patient's condition improved markedly after taking the usual drugs, namely Clonazepam and Benzodiazepine.
These drug treatments, such as anxiolytics, are designed to relieve pain at rest. Symptoms of the syndrome disappear within a few days.
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Confirmation of the neuropsychiatric impact of Covid-19
There is increasing talk of the potential neuropsychiatric sequelae of Covid-19 in sufferers. For the time being, we have yet to discover the impact of COVID-19 and its neurological consequences on our organism.
Scientifically proven neurological after-effects
The existence of neurological lesions in people with Covid-19 has been the subject of several studies worldwide.
In France, Professor Julie Helms raised this hypothesis in March 2020. She reported that the majority of patients admitted to intensive care at Strasbourg University Hospital with Covid-19 suffered from more than just respiratory problems.
In fact, all were also suffering from neurological problems, including delirium and confusion. This was all the more worrying given that most of the patients were young.
Moreover, the fact that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is capable of causing neurological disorders is well established. These include headaches, cognitive problems and post-covid sensory disorders.
Other, more serious side effects and complications have been reported: aphasia, convulsions, epileptic seizures and strokes.
What explains post-covid neurological disorders?
In the BMC Infectious Diseases report, it is specified that the virus was capable of " spread through the central nervous system, via several potential pathways ".
That's why, they say, " the long-term consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders must continue to be monitored ". In fact, the after-effects on the nervous system seem to appear months after recovery.
Another study, published in The Lancet, looked at 200,000 people with Covid-19. It found that 34% of them developed a neurological or psychiatric disorder around six months after infection.
