A tiny tear in the moist and thin tissue called mucosa that lines the porta is known as anal fissure. There are several reasons for its occurrence, but the most common is passing large or hard poop at times of bowel movements. It is very painful and bleeds while pooping. Some also feel twitches in the muscle rings of the anal sphincter.
Anal fissures can be acute and chronic. The acute one appears as a fresh gash, similar to a paper cut, while a chronic one has an intense tear and may grow internally or externally. If the fissure lasts for more than eight or nine weeks, then it is deemed as a chronic fissure.
Anal fissures can affect persons of any age, but it is common in young babies. The anal fissure treatment differs from person to person depending upon its severity as well. Sometimes it can become better just by seltzer baths or increased fiber intakes, while for some people, medication or surgery can be needed. But how do you identify an anal fissure?
Symptoms & Signs of Anal Fissure
An anal fissure isn’t anything that appears all of a sudden there are a few signs and symptoms which you can have before the final anal fissure. These are as follows:
1. Pain while and after defecating can be severe sometimes and lasts up to hours a day.
2. Red but bright bloodstains on excrement after a bowel movement.
3. Itching or irritation around the anus and a visible crack after a few days.
4. A pimple-like lump near the surface where the anal fissure broke out.
Some of these signs are visual, whereas some will require that you go by feel. In general, inflammation, redness, swelling, or protrusion are the visual signs to look for.
When to Visit a Doctor
It is better if you visit a doctor as soon as you see the symptoms and should not wait for the anal fissure to finally appear. If you feel pain and feel a cut around your anus, you should immediately connect with your doctor before it gets severe. A doctor can narrow down the possibility of it being an anal fissure, and they’ll first look for the above visual signs, especially when the pain or irritation can’t be described well.
Now you might be thinking that is there any prevention for this disease, then, yes! There are a few but most negligible things which you should take care of in your daily routine. These are as follows:
Eat Fiber-Rich Food
Eating a healthy diet that has plenty of fibers is very important to avoid constipation. Fibers improve digestion and make the intestine healthy. A healthy intestine can digest food properly and doesn’t make the bowel movement hard or large. This doesn’t pressurize the anus area, therefore, keeping it safe from fissures.
Get Sufficient Water Intake
Stay well hydrated is another major factor in avoiding anal fissures. Water helps to regulate the body’s waste and remove it from the body easily. A well-hydrated body will give out a healthy stool and prevent the stomach from constipation. Constipation is another bad thing both for your gut health and mental health. It makes you feel uneasy all day, and the risk of anal fissure is more if you get constipated often.
Don’t Resist
If you feel like going for a diagnosis, don’t ignore the urge. It is very dangerous if you do it very often because, in the end, the stool is the body waste that your body won’t want to keep, but by resisting the urge to poop then, you are forcing your body to keep it inside. In reaction to this, the body can give you ulcers or rashes inside the intestine or at the anus. Ulcers or rashes will appear as red, open, raised-up sores or patchy redness, respectively. They can be found alongside hemorrhoids or anal fissures.
There are some common reasons for anal fissures like :
- Chronic diarrhea
- Childbirth
- Anal intercourse
- Hard and large lumps of stools
- Straining during bowel movement
- Constipation
Above are the most common causes for anal fissures, but there are some less common as well. These causes can be tuberculosis, anal cancer, syphilis, and other upsetting bowel diseases or infections.
Treatment To Anal Fissure
An anal fissure can be treated at home and hospital as well, depending upon the case severity. Traditional methods of treating anal fissures are known to be very painful, but modern technology has sorted out this problem.
Your doctor can suggest some medicated creams to apply over the fissure area or prescribe you some oral medicines. In the worst case, the last option remaining is surgery. With the modern equipment, the surgery has become less painful and time taking. Before taking a home remedy, you must visit a health professional to know what level of severity you have in your case!