An anal fissure is a tear found in the anus or anal canal. This condition is common and can be experienced by both adults and children. One major symptom of anal fissure is severe pain during and after bowel movements. Other symptoms include itching, bleeding, and in some cases, the presence of a foul-smelled discharge which will remind you of bacterial vaginosis.
One common cause of anal fissure is constipation. You can also get a fissure when you strain excessively during your bowel movements. Other causes of this condition include diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), anal intercourse, past rectal surgery and childbirth. In some cases, this can also be caused by cancer, HIV, and syphilis. Most anal fissures often occur in the posterior midline rather than in the anterior.
A fissure can be acute or chronic. It is said to be acute if it’s there for less than 6 weeks. A chronic fissure, on the other hand, occurs for 6 weeks or more.
This condition is actually manageable and doesn’t require surgery. An acute fissure with proper care and treatment can heal within 2 weeks while a chronic fissure may require more tests and treatment. Acute anal fissures can treated by having a fiber-rich diet, increasing fluid intake and with the help of over-the-counter ointments. Taking a warm sitz bath will also be helpful. However, there’s a possibility of recurrence.
If the fissure doesn’t go away within 2-3 weeks, make sure you visit your doctor and tell her the symptoms you’ve experienced. A chronic one, aside from having a tear, it is usually associated with skin tags or lumps. One might have a chronic fissure if there’s a presence of a hypertrophied papilla found in the upper end of one’s anal canal and muscle fibers of the internal sphincter seen in the base of the tear.
Misdiagnosis of your fissure can be problematic. Wrong medications make your condition worse. If mistreated, a fissure can develop into anal ulcer. Blisters and Bumps, on the other hand, are not normally associated with anal fissures but they might be signs of other conditions such as Herpes and Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
Hemorrhoids also share a few symptoms with anal tears. They also occur in the anal canal and involves bleeding but they are basically swollen veins. Another symptom that Hemorrhoids and the chronic ones have in common is the presence of a lump around your anus.
Doctors usually perform a rectal examination to assess the condition of your anus. It can be through observation or with the help of a tube called anoscope that will be inserted to inspect the anus and the anal canal. Sometimes, they also require colonoscopy to check the colon. If in case non-surgical medications doesn’t work to heal your fissure, a doctor may advised a patient to undergo a surgical procedure like lateral internal sphincterotomy which is an operation done on the internal anal sphincter.
If you have a fissure and you want to make sure it will heal properly, stop your vices as well. Quit smoking weed or tobacco. Having a healthy lifestyle and a regular visit to the doctor will be helpful to say bye-bye to your fissure completely.
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