Anal fissure

goodtoknow says: An anal fissure is a tear in the skin of your anus. It's quite common because the skin here is very delicate. You can get a tear if you've passed a large, hard faeces or if you have a bout of diarrhoea. They can happen during childbirth too, or as a result of certain illnesses, such as Crohn's disease. Anal fissures can be quite painful but the tear should heal within two weeks. An anaesthetic cream from your pharmacist and warm baths can aid healing and ease the pain. Your doctor can prescribe a steroid cream if the tear isn't healing.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of anal fissure from patient.co.uk, read on.

An anal fissure (an anal 'tear') causes pain in the anus. It is worst when you pass faeces (stools or motions). The fissure heals within 1-2 weeks in most cases, but lasts longer in some cases. Treatment aims to ease the pain until the fissure heals, and to keep the faeces soft and easy to pass.

What is an anal fissure?

An anal fissure is a small tear of the skin of the anus. Although the tear is small, it can be very painful because the anus is very sensitive. The pain tends to be worse when you pass faeces (sometimes called stools or motions) and for an hour or so after passing faeces. Often an anal fissure will bleed a little. You may notice blood after you pass faeces. The blood is usually bright red, stains the toilet tissue, but soon stops.

Anal fissures are common in both adults and children. They are not usually serious, but they are sore and can be distressing, particularly for children.