VERY WELL HEALTH – In Japan, there’s one documented case of restless anal syndrome as a condition related to COVID-19.
Like restless leg syndrome, the patient with restless anal syndrome feels a constant urge to use the bathroom.
Researchers say there’s no need to worry about this condition for now since it’s rare, but doctors should pay attention similar cases.
Specifically, COVID-19 infection may increase people’s urges to poop. This new condition, named “restless anal syndrome,” comes from a lone case report of an unnamed 77-year-old man in Japan who experienced “deep anal discomfort” after recovering from the virus.1
Itaru Nakamura, PhD, a professor at Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Japan and lead author of the report, wrote in an email to Verywell:
“I was very surprised about this patient. Before the diagnosis, I [didn’t] recognize these disease concepts well. Therefore, other doctors also might miss the diagnosis.”
To date, this case is the first and the only documentation of the syndrome.
What Is Restless Anal Syndrome?
Restless Anal Syndrome affects the body in similar ways as restless legs syndrome (RLS), a neurological condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move the legs.
People who have RLS constantly feel the need to walk, run or stretch. But people with restless anal syndrome might feel constant bowel movement.
Emerging evidence shows that COVID-19 affects the central nervous system, according to the study, which may lead to neuropsychiatric manifestations like delirium and acute psychosis.
Researchers suggested that restless symptoms may have arisen from damages to the nerves … READ MORE.
