Anal fissure
Updated: May 17, 2022
An anal fissure is a tear in the skin of the lower wall of the rectum (anus) that causes pain during defecation. A fissure is a common disease, but it does not lead to more serious diseases.
In most cases, anal fissures can be treated at home and complete recovery within a few days
An anal fissure that is not healed during this period is considered a chronic disease, and in order to treat a chronic anal fissure, in some cases, medications or surgery may be required.
The anal fissure appears in different people and at different ages, especially in the young age. It appears in men and women in similar proportions. Anal fissures may appear along with hemorrhoids at the same time.
Anal fissure symptoms:
An anal fissure causes severe pain, itching or burning during bowel movements, and the pain, which can be severe, sometimes lasts a few hours.
Anal fissures may cause itching and may often bleed or secrete yellowish secretions, where bright red spots of blood may be observed on toilet paper or a number of blood drops may be observed in the toilet bowl as the blood is separated from the stool.
Causes and risk factors for anal fissures:
An anal fissure occurs as a result of a wound to the anal opening area as a result of passing large stools, which leads to the tightening and expansion of the anus. Constipation and exertion for defecation and solid waste that are fossilized. When these wastes come out, they cause wounds and cracks in the anal area.
Frequent cases of diarrhea, because the liquid waste works to weaken the tissues surrounding the area and contains acids that will cause a burning in the skin in that area.
Natural childbirth
Anal fissure diagnosis:
Most doctors can diagnose anal fissures by symptoms, by examining the anus and by anal examination.
What is the importance of the location of the anal fissure?
The doctor may look for a small piece of loose skin in the anus, as such a piece is often considered a sign that anal fissures are a chronic condition. In many cases, these skin folds are mistakenly considered hemorrhoids.
Anal fissure treatment
Even cases where anal fissures are serious, they can be treated at home by immersing the body in warm water (a bath in a sitting position) two or three times a day, eating meals rich in fiber and using stool-filled preparations or laxatives, and some people feel better after a day or two of Treatment at home and there are cases in which the pain disappears, but the anal fissure itself does not heal until after a few weeks, and the anal fissure may sometimes heal without the need for treatment.
It is recommended to try to avoid constipation, since constipation may hinder the healing process of the anal fissure, the pain resulting from anal fissure may raise anxiety and fear about everything related to defecation, but trying to avoid defecation will exacerbate the condition of constipation, which in turn will keep the anal fissure open and painful .
Drinking large amounts of water or other liquids softens the stool and facilitates the process of defecation
In cases where medications do not succeed in treating the symptoms and removing them, the possibility of resorting to surgical treatment should sometimes be examined. The most common surgical operation to treat anal fissures is a lateral cut of the internal sphincter muscle.
Contact Dr. Tarek Shokry Abouollo clinic if you are curious to know more.