What causes proctitis?
• Bowel diseases: Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are autoimmune conditions that cause swelling in the bowels. Autoimmune means your body’s immune (defense) system attacks your own cells or body tissues. • Food allergies: These may easily upset any part of your bowel, causing proctocolitis. • Infections: Germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites (small living creatures) may infect the bowels. Germs that are often found in the small bowels may cause your condition. Your condition may also be caused by the following: • Sexually transmitted infections: These are also called STIs and are spread by having sex with an infected partner. Having unprotected anal sex increases your risk of having proctitis caused by these infections. • Medicines: Your bowel may become inflamed with the use of certain medicines. These medicines include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics, and medicine used to clear out your bowel contents. Chemotherapy medicines used to treat
