Can you feel a fissure

Anal fissures are quite common, with around 1 in every 10 people affected at some point in their life. But children and young adults between 10 and 30 years of age are more likely to get anal fissures. Page last reviewed: 23 November Next review due: 23 November Overview - Anal fissure Contents Overview Treatment.

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 When to see a GP See a GP if you think you have an anal fissure.

Diagnosing anal fissures A GP will ask you about your symptoms and the type of pain you have been experiencing. The anal sphincter is the ring of muscles that open and close the anus. What causes anal fissures? Other possible causes of anal fissures include: persistent diarrhoea inflammatory bowel disease IBD , such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis pregnancy and childbirth occasionally, a sexually transmitted infection STI , such as syphilis or herpes , which can infect and damage the anal canal having unusually tight anal sphincter muscles, which can increase the tension in your anal canal, making it more susceptible to tearing In many cases, no clear cause can be identified.

Treatment for anal fissure from a GP A GP can prescribe medication to help relieve your symptoms and speed up the healing process. How to ease symptoms of anal fissure Adopting some simple self-help measures can make going to the toilet easier.

Self-help measures for avoiding constipation include: plenty of fibre in your diet, such as fruit and vegetables and wholemeal bread, pasta and rice — adults should aim to eat at least 30g of fibre a day staying well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids not ignoring the urge to poo — this can cause your poo to dry out and become harder to pass exercising regularly — you should aim to do at least minutes of physical activity every week You can help soothe the pain by taking simple painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen , or by soaking your bottom in a warm bath several times a day, particularly after a bowel movement.

Who's affected Anal fissures are quite common, with around 1 in every 10 people affected at some point in their life. The pain may last at that level for a few minutes or a few hours after your trip to the bathroom. The severe pain you feel during and after a bowel movement may make you fearful of going.

But holding stool in increases your risk of constipation and passing hard dry stools that may cause further damage — a Catch Most anal fissures heal on their own with conservative treatments. For our patients, treatment focuses on softening stools and preventing constipation. In addition to recommending a stool softener, we also encourage drinking plenty of water and adding fiber-rich foods to your diet.

Soaking in warm water — a sitz bath — for 10 to 20 minutes several times a day may help relax your anal sphincter, prevent the muscle spasms, and promote healing of the tear. If your anal fissure fails to heal within eight weeks, we may recommend more aggressive treatment such as surgery to stop the muscle spasms, thereby allowing the tear to heal. Let us help. Call our office at to schedule your consultation with Dr.

Clemens, or book online today. When conservative care fails to improve your internal hemorrhoids, you may want to consider nonsurgical infrared coagulation IRC. This quick and relatively painless procedure gets rid of hemorrhoids fast.

Learn all about it here. Anal itchiness is an uncomfortable and embarassing sensation that causes an intense urge to scratch the sensitive area. These medications may be prescribed for chronic anal fissures, present for six weeks or more. This is applied to the skin to reduce the anal sphincter pressure and can decrease pain and facilitate further healing. Side effects include headache, so the correct amount must be used.

Other general measures that are recommended alongside medicine for anal fissure may include: [6] [11]. Washing the area carefully with water after using the toilet, to avoid irritation and infection. Soap should be avoided as this may cause irritation, and the area should be gently dried. Sitz baths for anal fissure may be recommended as they are thought to soothe and relax the anus muscles, relieving some of the painful internal sphincter muscle spasm.

This involves sitting in plain, non-soapy water after defecation. Measures to avoid constipation and keep feces soft to help heal an anal fissure may include: [7] [10]. Good to know: Many people report that using a neutral lubricant such as coconut oil to moisten and soothe the tissues can be helpful. There are further clinical treatments available for people who do not respond to topical therapy and home treatment measures.

These may include: [7] [14]. Also known as botulinum toxin, botox, which temporarily paralyzes muscles for up to three months, can be injected into the anal sphincter. This may be done without anesthesia or sedation. Botox treatment may lead to temporary, mild anal leakage of gas or feces. The type of surgery recommended for treating an anal fissure is normally sphincterotomy, which aims to relax the anal sphincter.

A surgeon cuts the muscle in order to loosen the anal muscle, therefore improving blood supply and aiding healing. Incontinence is a possible complication from this surgery, so it is only recommended to people whose symptoms have persisted despite medicine for at least one to three months. Anal fissure surgery recovery time varies from person to person. Complications of anal fissure may include: [15] [16].

Anal fissures can occur in children of any age, but are most common in toddlers. The infant may scream when defecating and have bright red blood in their feces. A common problem of anal fissure in children is that they will often deliberately avoid defecating, which may cause hardening of feces, leading to repeated re-tearing of the old fissure and preventing healing.

Even once the fissure has healed, a child may still be fearful of defecating. To break this cycle, it is important to give the baby or child both suitable feces-softening medication and laxatives, under medical supervision, to ensure regular defecation. The correct dose varies from child to child and may be gradually adjusted so that the child consistently produces large, soft stools. Good to know: Rarely, anal fissures in children could indicate sexual abuse, especially if other causes such as hard feces are not present.

Q: Are there home remedies for anal fissure? A: Yes, there are several measures for home treatment which may help. These include:. However, medical attention should always be sought where there is bleeding from the anus. It may indicate other conditions which must receive prompt treatment to ensure the best outcome, such as anal cancer.

Q: Anal fissure or herpes — how can one tell the difference? A: It is possible to get herpes , a sexually transmitted infection, in the anal area. This can bring about what feels like a fissure around the anus and may be mistaken for one. Anal fissure causes burning pain and bleeding during defecation. Herpes causes blisters, itching and pain around the anus, but not especially while defecating, and lesions from herpes are unlikely to bleed.

Herpes may also cause flu-like symptoms and other associated problems such as pain with urination. Anal herpes normally has a history of sexual exposure to the herpes virus. Q: Are anal fissures dangerous? However, they can be associated with more serious diseases. Also, cancer of the anus may mimic an anal fissure. Complications of an anal fissure may include: [15] [16].

Q: Are anal fissures painful? A: Anal fissures usually cause pain during bowel movements that is often severe. It has been described as feeling like passing broken glass. Painkillers and efforts to soften stool, such as through medication or a high-fiber diet, can improve this symptom.

Q: Do anal fissures bleed? More significant bleeding is indicative of symptoms being caused by another condition. Q: How do you know if a fissure is healing? A: Most anal fissures heal with home treatment after a few days or a weeks. These are known as acute anal fissures. Pain during bowel movements usually goes away within a couple of days after the start of treatment. If pain and blood in the stool persists longer than six weeks, then it is known as a chronic anal fissure, which may not heal with home treatment alone, and may need medical treatment.