Your anus is lined with thin, moist tissue known as mucosa, and when you get a small tear in that mucosa, it's known as an anal fissure. You usually get an anal fissure when you expel an extraordinarily hard or large poop, according to the Mayo Clinic4. As you can imagine, that can cause pain and bleeding.
Anal fissure symptoms
The most common symptoms of anal fissures are: a sharp pain when you poo, often followed by a deep burning pain that may last several hours. bleeding when you poo – most people notice a small amount of bright red blood either in their poo or on the toilet paper.
Why does it feel like razor blades when I poop? Extreme pain that feels like you are passing glass or razor blades when you are pooping can be caused by several different conditions, including an anal fissure, anal fistula or piles (also known as haemorrhoids).
Occasional minor to mild rectal bleeding is common and will often not need medical attention or treatment. Severe, chronic, or painful rectal bleeding may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition, which a doctor should assess.
Pay attention to what the blood looks like
“Bright red blood might be something low in the colon or rectum like diverticular bleeding or hemorrhoids, darker blood may be from higher up in the colon,” says Richards. “If the blood is more black or tar-like, that might signal an issue in the small intestine or stomach.”
Blood from higher up in the bowel doesn't look bright red. It goes dark red or black and can make your poo look like tar. This type of bleeding can be a sign of cancer higher up the bowel.
If you notice blood in the stool, it warrants a call to your physician. Red blood in the stool and rectal bleeding are associated with many diseases and conditions of the digestive tract, including colon and rectal cancer, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), among others.
Bleeding attributed to internal hemorrhoids is usually bright red and can be quite brisk. It may be found on the toilet paper, dripping into the toilet bowl, or streaked on the stool itself. Not all patients with symptomatic internal hemorrhoids will have significant bleeding.
Anal Fissure
“When we pass large or hard stool, it tends to expand and over-stretch the anus causing the delicate skin to rip apart or tear,” Dr. Nivedita explains. “This is a common reason why people may have anal pain. The tear causes a stinging or burning sensation in the anus especially while passing stool.
Anal fissure symptoms may include the following. A sharp, searing or burning pain in or around your bottom when you poo. Some people describe this as feeling like 'passing broken glass'. You may continue to feel a deep, burning pain for several hours afterwards.
An anal fissure is a common condition where there is a painful tear in the lining of the anus, the backside opening where feces is excreted. It is often described as feeling like passing broken glass.
The symptoms of a fissure and a hemorrhoid can be similar. Either can cause pain, itching and bleeding. However, if you are in pain and don't feel an external lump, the condition is more likely to be a fissure. If you notice that you are leaking mucus from your anus, the problem is probably a hemorrhoid.
How much haemorrhoid bleeding is normal? If you have haemorrhoids, it is normal to notice a few drops of blood in the toilet when you open your bowels. This blood should be bright red. If you notice more blood than this or the blood is dark, you should see your GP as you may have another problem that needs treatment.
Most mild internal hemorrhoids resolve on their own within a few days but may take up to a week. On the other hand, larger hemorrhoids will last up to 2-3 weeks, and since they're more prone to complications, they might not resolve on their own, and you'll need to visit a doctor.
Bright red blood often indicates a burst hemorrhoid. However, in some cases, bleeding from the rectum can be a sign of another condition, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or colon cancer.
Bleeding is common with hemorrhoids. It usually occurs after a bowel movement. It's not unusual to see streaks of blood or traces of blood on toilet tissue after wiping. You may even see blood in the toilet or in the stool you just passed.
Hemorrhoids are the most common cause of bleeding with a bowel movement. They are swollen veins in or around the anus that may bleed if you scratch them or if one develops a blood clot. You'll most often notice the blood when wiping. Many people don't even realize they have hemorrhoids until one bleeds.
If you are experiencing bloody stools or bleeding from a bowel movement, you may need to see a doctor. Seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing fever, excessive weakness, vomiting, or seeing large amounts of blood in your stool.
Rectal bleeding is a relatively common symptom encountered in primary care. Although the risk of colorectal cancer is believed to be low, this rarely has been studied in patients presenting to primary care physicians. Four studies in European countries reported cancer rates of 2.4 to 7.0 percent.
Most colon cancers bleed, usually slowly. The stool may be streaked or mixed with blood, but often the blood cannot be seen.
No amount of blood in the stool is normal, but some causes may be more dangerous than others. Sometimes there is blood in such small amounts that it can't be seen with the eye. In these cases, it must be identified with a test called a fecal occult test.