Anal fissures are most commonly caused by damage to the lining of the anus or anal canalThe anal canal is the part that connects the rectum to the anus, located below the level of the pelvic diaphragm. It is located within the anal triangle of the perineum, between the right and left ischioanal fossa.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Anal_canal
Anal fissures can be caused by trauma to the anus and anal canal. The trauma can be caused by one or more of the following: Chronic (long-term) constipation. Straining to have a bowel movement, especially if the stool is large, hard and/or dry.
Lack of fiber in the diet and/or water with that fiber. Food that creates a rough passage through the digestive system, such as popcorn, nuts or tortilla chips.
It usually isn't a serious condition, and most people can treat it at home. However, recurring anal fissures or ones that don't readily heal can be cause for concern.
Anal Fissures and Colon Cancer
People with colon cancer may develop anal fissures, but anal fissures don't cause colon cancer or increase your risk of getting colon cancer. Even if your anal fissure heals completely, it can come back after you have a hard bowel movement. This doesn't mean you have colon cancer.
Once the tear happens, it leads to repeated injury. 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.
Dairy products: Milk, cheese and other heavy cream products should be avoided while you are suffering from symptoms of anal fissure. Red meat: Red meat is the hardest to digest and can delay stool passing, thus is not advisable to consume for people with symptoms or tendencies of anal fissure.
Anal fissures are most commonly caused by damage to the lining of the anus or anal canal, the last part of the large intestine. Most cases occur in people who have constipation, when a particularly hard or large poo tears the lining of the anal canal. Other possible causes of anal fissures include: persistent diarrhoea.
Like other small cuts or tears to the skin, an anal fissure will often heal by itself within a few weeks. However, you should see a GP if you have an anal fissure as they can give you advice and medicines to help ease your symptoms and allow the fissure to heal more quickly.
Petroleum jelly, zinc oxide, 1% hydrocortisone cream, and products like Preparation H can help soothe the area. Instead of toilet paper, use alcohol-free baby wipes that are gentler on the area. Sitz baths can help heal fissures and make you feel better.
Laxatives are a type of medicine that can help you poo more easily. Adults with an anal fissure will usually be prescribed bulk-forming laxative tablets or granules. These work by helping your poo retain fluid, making it softer and less likely to dry out.
Most anal fissures heal naturally with the aid of proper nutrition and lifestyle habits. The following methods may help speed the healing process ( 1 ): using over-the-counter stool softeners. taking a sitz bath for 10–15 minutes, especially after bowel movements.
Stress can be related to anal fissures. Often no obvious cause is detected. In the presence of a fissure, the sphincter reacts by contracting (spasms), which may aggravate the pain further.
Besides that, a person dealing with stress will be less inclined to follow a healthy diet, drink enough water, or engage in physical activities. Due to this, the individual often suffer from constipation and fissure may develop. Hence, it can be said that stress causes anal fissure.
Passing a hard stool or putting too much strain may also cause the skin around the anus to tear. However, these causes of fissures are caused by either constipation or a low-fiber diet which causes hard stool.
See your doctor if you have pain during bowel movements or notice blood on stools or toilet paper after a bowel movement.
Causes of anal fissures
Other factors that contribute to anal fissures include: Straining during bowel movements. Dehydration. Lack of fiber in your diet.
Anal fissures usually heal within a few weeks if proper treatment and precautions are taken. And the best part? It can definitely heal without surgery.
This study reports that lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is a safe surgical treatment for chronic anal fissure, leading to a reduction in recurrence, incontinence rate and substantially improves symptoms, especially pain.
The tear caused may take four to six weeks to get better on its own if it is small, but if a fissure persists beyond eight weeks, it is chronic and needs medical attention.
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.
It is often described as feeling like passing broken glass. Typical anal fissure symptoms are a sensation of tearing, ripping or burning and usually a small amount of bright red bleeding during and after a bowel movement. While the condition can be very painful, it is not usually serious.
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.
Signs that a fissure has become chronic can include: Painful bowel movements without bleeding. Itching and irritation of the skin around the anus. A skin tag at the end of a fissure.