Published on: 3/5/2025
Watery discharge from your anus can happen when your gut is irritated or infected—sometimes by a virus or by changes in the microbes around your anal area.
Your body normally makes mucus to protect your gut lining, but sometimes this mucus can be more watery. When you have viral gastroenteritis, which is an infection caused by a virus, the lining of your stomach and intestines gets irritated. This irritation can lead your body to produce extra watery discharge that may come out near your anus. Changes in the tiny microbes (bacteria) in your gut, which help digest your food, can also cause an imbalance leading to watery discharge. In some cases, conditions like an anal fistula—a small tunnel near the anus—might remove fluid, though it is usually accompanied by other symptoms. A high-fiber diet and prebiotics help keep the microbes balanced, but any disruption might change the amount or quality of the discharge. If the watery discharge continues for a while, or you feel pain or notice other changes in your bowel habits, it’s important to talk with a doctor. They can check for infections or other conditions to help get your gut back to normal.
(References)
Holscher HD. Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota. Gut Microbes. 2017 Mar 4;8(2):172-184. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2017.1290756. Epub 2017 Feb 6. PMID: 28165863; PMCID: PMC5390821.
Stuempfig ND, Seroy J. Viral Gastroenteritis. [Updated 2023 Jun 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet].
Yang J, Li L, Su W, Zhang S, Xu H, Wang M, Shen W. Microbiomic signatures of anal fistula and putative sources of microbes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Jan 19;14:1332490. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1332490. PMID: 38312743; PMCID: PMC10834682.
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