Anal Fissures Treatment & Surgery

Anal Fissures Treatment & Surgery in C Scheme, Jaipur

Small cuts or tears in the lining of the anus are known as Anal Fissures. These may occur when passing large or hard stools. Anal fissures are usually not a serious problem and can be treated through simple means like consuming more fibre. They can be experienced by people of all ages, especially in infants and young children since constipation is a common problem at their age.

What are Anal Fissures?

The thin, moist tissues that line the anus, or at times, the muscle tissues underneath are exposed due to difficulty faced in passing hard stools leading to Anal Fissures. The crack caused in the skin may result in severe pain or bleeding with bowel movements.

Most of the time, the fissures heal within four to six weeks on their own. Although some people may experience chronic fissures which do not heal up till 8 weeks and may require medications.

Symptoms

Signs that you may have developed an anal fissure include:

• Pain (sometimes sharp) in the anal area during bowel movements
• Prolonged pain after bowel movements
• Blood streaks visible in the stool
• A skin tag or small lump near the anal fissure
• A visible tear or crack in the skin around the anus
• Itching or burning in the anal area

What causes anal fissures?

Some common causes that can lead to anal fissures include:

• Straining during bowel movements
• Passing hard or large stools
• Chronic constipation or diarrhoea
• Anal intercourse
• Decreased flow of blood to the anorectal area

Causes that may not be that common include:

• Anal Cancer
• Tuberculosis
• HIV
• Syphilis
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Risk Factors

Factors that may increase the risks of you developing an anal fissure include:

• Age, since constipation is common among infants, young children, and middle-aged adults as well.
• Childbirth - Anal fissures are common among women after they have given birth due to straining during delivery.
• Having anal intercourse.
• People with any type of IBD are at higher risk due to the inflammation that occurs in the intestinal lining making the tissue around the anus more prone to tearing.
• Chronic constipation, as passing hard and large stools frequently can increase the risk of anal fissures.

When to see a doctor at Apollo Spectra, Jaipur?

If you have pain during bowel movements or notice blood on stools after a bowel movement, or any other persistent symptoms, contact your doctor in Jaipur.

Request an appointment at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Jaipur

Call 1860 500 2244 to book an appointment.

How to prevent anal fissures?

One cannot always prevent anal fissures but steps that can be taken to reduce the chances of developing a fissure include:

• Prevent constipation by consuming food that contains high fibre, drinking more fluids
• Frequently change infants’ diapers
• Clean the anal area gently with warm water and mild soap
• Get immediate treatment for diarrhoea

Complications

Certain complications that can be experienced due to anal fissures are:

• Recurrence
• Failure to heal
• Extending of a tear to the surrounding muscles

How can anal fissures be treated?

Most of the time, anal fissures do not require any serious treatment and can self-heal by increasing fibre and fluid intake. But if symptoms persist, the following methods can help provide relief:

• Over-the-counter stool-softeners
• Applying topical anaesthetic creams
• Taking fibre supplements

In case, these non-surgical methods do not help and the symptoms get worse, your doctor may suggest surgery which involves a procedure called lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS). This procedure involves cutting a small portion of the anal sphincter muscle to reduce pain and promote healing.

Conclusion

According to studies, anal fissures can affect one in every ten people in their lifetime and India reports more than 1 million cases every year. Although very common, the presence of chronic symptoms should not be ignored.