Symptoms of an anal fistula?

What are the causes and symptoms of fistula?

• Answer:

  The causes and symptoms of fistulas vary depending on their location. Anal and rectal fistulas are usually caused by an abscess. Symptoms include constant throbbing pain and swelling in the rectal area. Pus is sometimes visible draining from the fistula opening on the skin. Many individuals have a fever resulting from the infection causing the abscess. Vaginal fistulas are caused by infection and trauma to the tissue during childbirth. They are easily detected, because the woman smells unpleasant and leaks urine or feces through her vagina. Rarely these fistulas may develop as a complication of hysterectomy. Tracheoesophageal fistulas are the result of errors in the development of the fetus. They are evident at birth, because the infant is unable to swallow or eat normally and are considered a medical emergency that requires surgery if the infant is to survive. Arteriovenous fistulas are most often congenital defects. Symptoms vary depending on the size and location of the fistula. Often the skin is bright pink or dark red in the area of the fistula. Individuals may complain of pain. The pain is a result of some tissues not receiving enough oxygen because of abnormal blood flow. Source: The Gale Group. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed.";