This Is Why You Get A Random Sharp Pain In Your Butthole

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You ever have a completely normal day, minding your own business, and then boom, a sharp pain shoots up your butthole like a lightning strike? Yes, it's scary. Yes, it's odd. But Dr. Carlton Thomas, Jr., M.D., a gastroenterologist on TikTok assures you that it's absolutely nothing to worry about.

"That sharp, severe, fleeting pain that you're feeling is called proctalgia fugax," says Dr. Thomas in a recent video. "It's actually a rectal spasm."

Dr. Thomas, known as @doctorcarlton on TikTok is known for his no-holds-barred approach to "butt stuff" on the platform, including those random occurrences that we might not discuss out in the open, like random butt pain.

So why the heck is your rectum spasming in the first place? It could be due to a bunch of reasons: post-sexual activity, stress, constipation, pooping, menstruation, and even for no reason at all, according to a review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The same review claims it happens to anywhere from 8 to 18 percent of the general population.

The pain is short and relatively harmless, unless it's lasting upwards of at least 20 minutes. That could be a sign of chronic proctalgia, a pain disorder signified by a vague, dull ache or pressure feeling higher up in your rectum.

"[This pain] feels like lightning striked your butthole," adds Dr. Thomas on proctalgia fugax. "It's totally benign, nothing to worry about." So no, it doesn't mean you have hemorrhoids, cancer, or a ghost poking around your bum. It's just our weird bodies being weird.

tiktokView full post on TikTok Headshot of Taylyn Washington-HarmonTaylyn Washington-HarmonTaylyn Washington-Harmon is a writer and editor based in Chicago. Her work has appeared in Men's Health, Health Magazine, and Self.com. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @taylynharmon.

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