Treatment methods for anal fissures are not scarce. Over-the-counter and prescription medication, surgery, and alternative medicine combined with diet and lifestyle changes are easily accessible to alleviate the pain and help heal the wound. But for some people, enduring the pain can be fairly bearable and they choose to let the wound heal by itself. Since fissures are not very serious, they naturally heal within a few of days or weeks. If they do not heal however, several complications may arise.
Chronic anal fissure
If left untreated, there is a possibility of an anal fissure to fail to heal. If it does not heal within six to seven weeks, it is considered chronic. If the wound fails to heal and extends to the sphincter muscles, healing would be further slowed down because this will prevent proper blood flow which carries antibodies to aid in healing. Chronic anal fissures may also cause sentinel pile, which is a lump of skin tissue hanging around the anus.
Recurrence
Untreated anal fissures which may heal over time still have high possibilities of coming back. Even when the fissure closes, it may open up again when stress is applied to the anus especially during cases of constipation. Treatment aims to address the causes of the fissures which include constipation. If the treatment does not happen and these are not dealt with, the continuous stress from these causes will form fissures again.
Infection
Bacteria from the stool passing through the anus may cause infection in the wound when an individual has anal fissure. This may happen if the wound is left untreated and keeps recurring. Treatment also consists of keeping the affected area clean. If this area is not cleaned, this may also cause infection.
Bleeding
Bleeding is one of the symptoms of anal fissures. If the wound is left untreated, it may continually bleed especially when it is strained repeatedly during difficult bowel movements.
Incontinence
Fissures also come with stretching of the anal sphincter. This consists of muscles surrounding the anal canal which are in charge of regulating the passing of stool. Involuntary stretching of these muscles lead to incontinence, or lack of control of bowel movement and even urination.
Anal Stenosis
One of the symptoms of fissures is spasms of the anal sphincter. These spasms, or muscle contractions, may cause the anal canal to get narrow. This is called anal stenosis. If the anal canal gets narrower, passing of the stool will become even more difficult. This difficulty may further cause recurrence in fissures as well as impede wound healing.
These are some of the complications that may arise if anal fissures are left untreated. Fissures may start out as small and endurable at first, and there is a high chance of wounds healing up by themselves. They are also fairly common in children, pregnant women, and elderly which diminishes concern. However, this does not mean they should be ignored and left untreated. Treatments for the onset of this condition including diet and lifestyle changes, as well as keeping the wound clean should at least be done in order to prevent the fissure from getting worse or prolonged. If it lasts longer, medical assistance must be sought immediately to prevent complications.
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