Have you ever experienced intense pain or a burning sensation when passing a bowel movement? You are not alone. Many people seek treatment for anal fissures in Navi Mumbai every year. These occur due to a tear in the thin and delicate lining of the anus. Acute anal fissures might heal on their own.
Basic home remedies, such as sitting in warm water or eating fiber-rich foods, can help regulate bowel movements. In some cases, surgery is needed. Chronic anal fissures, however, do not heal on their own. They may persist for weeks, causing significant discomfort.
Symptoms of Chronic Anal Fissure
Pain is often the most common symptom of an anal fissure. It gets worse when you use the toilet and may last for a few minutes or even hours afterward. The pain can be accompanied by a burning feeling, making each visit to the toilet super painful and uncomfortable. Here are some other signs of chronic anal fissures.
- Rectal bleeding
- Itching or a burning feeling
- A lump on the skin around the anus
Causes
Chronic anal fissure occurs due to trauma to the anal canal. The anal skin can get torn from passing hard and large stools or having chronic constipation. If the skin doesn’t heal well, the fissure might become chronic. Here’s what else causes chronic anal fissure:
- Difficult and hard bowel movements
- Childbirth
- A history of surgery in the anal area
- Sexually-transmitted infections
- Crohn’s disease
- Chronic diarrhea
- Poor diet or hydration
- Inflammatory bowel disease
If the fissure doesn’t heal within 6-8 weeks, it’s considered chronic. A chronic anal fissure might not respond well to home remedies.
Treatment Options
Anal fissure can be diagnosed with a simple physical exam, although a digital rectal exam or colonoscopy might be needed to rule out other conditions, such as IBD, anal cancer, or infections.
Treatment for chronic anal fissure ranges from basic home remedies to a surgical procedure, depending on how painful or severe the condition is. Here’s what’s usually recommended.
Medication: Your doctor may prescribe topical nitroglycerin to relax the anal muscles, improve blood flow, and support healing. Local pain-relieving creams, such as lidocaine, can temporarily block pain. If calcium channel blockers or nitroglycerin fail, Botox injections can be used to relax anal sphincter muscles and heal anal fissures.
Surgical Treatment: A general surgeon in Navi Mumbai may recommend a surgical repair if the conservative treatments do not relieve your symptoms. Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy (LIS) is a minimally invasive approach that involves cutting a small portion of the sphincter muscle to improve blood flow. The surgery has a high success rate, although it carries a small risk of incontinence.
Tips for Preventing Anal Fissure Recurrence
Anal fissure can recur if you have chronic constipation or diarrhea. It’s important to follow a healthy diet and an active lifestyle to regulate bowel movements. Here’s what else can help:
- Eat a fiber-rich diet
- Take doctor’s-prescribed laxatives
- Stay hydrated
- Take warm water baths
Chronic anal fissure can disrupt your daily life, but with the right dietary choices, gentle bowel habits, and your doctor’s prescribed medication, it’s possible to get rid of them completely.
