Sometimes immediately after I poop, my skin becomes really itchy. It is not my anus skin, but the skin on my upper back, chest, and triceps mostly. It goes away after a minute or so, but it is really itchy. Why does this happen? Can I prevent it somehow?

Dear Jay,

What you describe is most likely itching resulting from perspiration. The itching comes from the combination of sweat drying on your skin and the fact that heat and moisture can trigger histamine release that causes a reaction similar to that of an allergic rash without the bumps.

Unless you have a high bacterial content in your sweat, it shouldn't cause any problems other than the itching that you experience for the short time afterward.

In an attempt to prevent the sweating during pooping, you can try staying cool by pooping naked, pooping with a fan or air conditioner blowing directly on you, and by staying calm and relaxed during the pooping process.

Thanks for asking Motherload!

Motherload is a Certified Nurse Assistant as well as an IBS sufferer, which means she knows a lot about poop. Got a question for her? Ask it here. [1]