Anal Fissures: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, And More

Complications of Anal Fissures

There are a few complications that are found in some cases of anal fissures. These include:

• Difficulty healing: Some anal fissures fail to heal & can still be there beyond eight weeks. This is considered a chronic case of anal fissures & requires medical treatment.
• Recurrence: People that have experienced anal fissures once are at a risk of developing anal fissures in the future.
• Expansion of the tear: In some cases, the anal fissure extends to the surrounding anal sphincter muscle, a ring of muscle that keeps the anus closed during rest & sleep. This makes the healing process difficult & can prolong the discomfort that comes with anal fissures.

When to see a doctor for Anal Fissures

Anal fissures are diagnosed through a physical anal fissure exam. Your doctor inspects the anal region & looks for the tear, trying to pinpoint its location which provides insight into the fissure’s cause. For example, a fissure’s origin on the anus’s front or back can come from any common cause, such as constipation. However, if your anal fissure exam shows the location of the anal fissure to be on the side of the anal opening, your fissure may have been caused by a health condition such as Crohn’s disease, a common type of IBD. In this case, your doctor may suggest more tests such as an anoscopy & may perform a rectal exam to pinpoint the actual underlying cause of the anal fissure.

How to Cure Anal Fissures

Patients can themselves treat anal fissures at home using certain home remedies. If the anal fissure’s apparent cause is constipation, then you should consider:

• Increasing the amount of fiber in your diet
• Drinking more fluids
• Taking fiber supplements
• Taking over-the-counter medication to soften stool

Doctors may also recommend anesthetic creams such as lidocaine hydrochloride (Xylocaine) to help relieve the pain. Externally applied nitroglycerine can be used to promote healing of anal fissures. Nitroglycerine increases blood flow to the anal region. Botox injections are used in some cases to relax spasms in the anal muscles & blood pressure medications can be used to relax the anal sphincter muscle. In case of chronic fissures that fail to heal from any of the treatment options mentioned above, doctors may suggest a surgical procedure known as lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS). In LIS, a small part of anal sphincter muscle is removed to ease spasms & promote healing. Anal fissures can easily return after being cured in each separate instance. These anal fissure treatments will need to be used again if you go through the experience again.

Consult your doctor to choose the best anal fissure treatment option for you.