Anal fissure may sound like the name of some flora-fauna but it is actually a medical term for the small split or tear in the thin moist tissue lining the anus (lower rectum). This fissure is also known as fissure-in-ano and it can cause pain, bleeding and itching.
Anal fissures are common in infants and its rate decreases gradually with school-aged children and adults. In adults, it may be caused by constipation, the passing of large, hard stools, or by prolonged diarrhea. In older adults, anal fissures may be caused by decreased blood flow to the area. Anal fissures are also common in women after childbirth and persons with Crohn's disease. Other causes may be digital insertion (during examination), foreign body insertion, or anal intercourse, health conditions such as Vitamin B-6 deficiency, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes bloody diarrhea, syphilis, a suppressed immune system, tuberculosis, HIV infection, anal cancer. A low fiber diet may also contribute to the development of a fissure.
The fistula symptoms are sharp, burning pain during bowel movements, malodorous discharge, constipation or crack in the skin in the middle when the area is stretched and bleeding. This blood is separate from the stool. Blood mixed with the stool indicates some other conditions (like colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease).
Generally, anal fissures heal themselves and do not need treatment, aside from good diaper hygiene in babies. Usually home care methods are successful like, avoiding constipation by high fiber diet and substances that absorb water while in the intestinal tract, more fluid intake, using stool softeners, cleansing gently, sitz bath (soaking anal area in plain warm water), muscle relaxants applied to the skin, numbing cream, if pain interferes with normal bowel movement, petroleum jelly applied to the area and avoiding sharp, hard-to-digest foods.
Usually, acute fistula symptoms take few days or weeks while chronic anal fissure may take more than 6 weeks, by the home treatment method. Natural anal fissure treatment prevents bleeding and helps to heal damaged tissue. When it does not prove to be successful, it is re-examined by a rectal exam and a sample of the rectal (anal) tissue. The treatments may be Botox injections into muscle in the anus (anal sphincter) or a minor surgery to relax the anal muscle.
As goes the saying, prevention is better than cure, it is wise to be aware of the pointers which can prevent anal fissures at any age. Keeping the anal area dry, wiping with soft materials or a moistened cloth or cotton pad, promptly treating any constipation or diarrhea and avoiding irritating the rectum are some of the prevention techniques. Children's diapers should be changed frequently to prevent anal fissures in infants.
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