Many anal fissures heal on their own. However, it's important to visit your doctor when you see blood in your stool or experience pain around your anus. Your doctor can do a rectal exam. This helps them find fissure.
If your symptoms do not improve within a week or 2, the GP may prescribe a medicine called glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), an ointment applied to the anal canal, usually twice a day. GTN works by expanding blood vessels in and around the anus, increasing the blood supply to the fissure and helping it heal faster.
Anal fissures usually heal within a few weeks without the need for treatment. But they can easily come back if they're caused by constipation that remains untreated. In some people, symptoms from anal fissures last 6 weeks or more (chronic anal fissures).
The pain and discomfort of an anal fissure usually gets worse when a person has a bowel movement. The pain tends to linger a long time afterward. There may be bleeding from the tear as well. Constipation may also occur as the condition gets worse.
When the pain is intense, the patients most often demand an emergency reaction to relieve the pain. The pain intensity that an anal fissure most commonly causes disrupts the everyday functions of the patient.
Some fissures can be minimally symptomatic, but most patients present with severe pain, bleeding, or itching. The pain can be localized to the anus but can radiate to the buttocks, upper posterior thighs, or lower back. Often the pain is triggered by a bowel movement, can last for hours, and can be severe.
Fissures typically cause severe pain and bleeding with bowel movements. Fissures are quite common in the general population, but are often confused with other causes of pain and bleeding, such as hemorrhoids. Anal fissures can occur at any age and have equal gender distribution.
Many anal fissures heal on their own. However, it's important to visit your doctor when you see blood in your stool or experience pain around your anus. Your doctor can do a rectal exam. This helps them find fissure.
The exposed internal sphincter muscle beneath the tear goes into spasm. This causes severe pain. The spasm also pulls the edges of the fissure apart, making it difficult for your wound to heal.
If someone has a chronic fissure, it is thought that the reason it has not healed is that the ring muscle (sphincter) that goes around the anus (back passage) has become so tense that the flow of blood to the lining of the anus is reduced.
IF THESE PROBLEMS ARE LEFT UNTREATED
Infection of the fissure leading to pus formation in it. The fissure will get chronic with alternating painful and pain-free periods. The fissure will grow deeper and turn into a fistula (an abnormal connection between the anal canal and the skin outside.)
Surgery If your fissure does not heal in four weeks or you have had your fissure for a long time you may need surgery. The surgeon will cut the fissure open in a procedure called a sphincterotomy.
Your GP will usually be able to diagnose an anal fissure by asking about your symptoms and examining you. They'll ask you to describe your symptoms and how long you've had them. They may also ask you about your health in general and your medical history.
Apply a heavier, oil-based cream or petroleum jelly (Vaseline, Aquaphor Healing Ointment, others), then slip on a pair of thin cotton socks at bedtime to help the moisturizer work. Don't ignore dry, cracked heels, as over time you may develop deeper fissures, which increases your risk of infection.
Anal fissures can make having a bowel movement (pooping) very painful. The pain may make it hard for you to have a bowel movement, causing constipation (having fewer bowel movements than usual). They can also cause bleeding from your anus.
Correct sleeping position for fissure
HOD also advises you to sleep on your stomach to reduce anal fissure pain and place a pillow under your hips. Taking a fully body warm bath before bed is recommended for reducing the pain levels and helping you fall asleep better.
Walking promotes overall good health. It lowers the chances of formation of hard stools and stimulates and promotes blood flow which is helpful if you have a fissure.
Topical anesthetic gel may be applied to the anus to numb the area before passing stools, to discourage spasm of the anal sphincter muscles which makes it more difficult and painful. Steroid creams applied to the area may reduce both severe swelling and itching, and help the patient become more comfortable.
Piles are mostly painless and unnoticeable. Fissures cause a lot of pain.
Q: Are anal fissures dangerous? A: No, anal fissures by themselves aren't normally dangerous. However, they can be associated with more serious diseases., such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Also, cancer of the anus may mimic an anal fissure.
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.
Small fissures can heal up on their own without any treatment. If you have a very large fissure, it can require a visit to a proctologist to do surgery. The small to medium ones are treated with a cream that dilates the blood vessels and stimulates blood flow to the fissure.
Overview of anal fissure, perianal abscess, and anal fistula
Abscesses are localized pockets of pus that are caused by bacterial infections. These can occur in any part of the body. Bacteria invade the tissue around the anal canal and an abscess results.