What are anal fissures?

The terminal part of the large intestine is called the anal canal. The anal canal basically consists of two different muscles: the internal and external sphincter muscles. Anal fissures are basically tears or fissures in the anal canal.

What are the causes?

Anal fissures are known to be caused by a variety of situations, including labor, constipation, anal sex, and diarrhea. In general, anything that puts undue stress on the anal sphincter muscle is a suspected cause.

Why do they hurt so much?

The pain can be intense and overwhelming; in many cases, the most pain anyone will ever experience. This is because the anal canal is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body, with a multitude of nerve endings. The tear in the anal canal does not have a chance to heal because the anal canal opens and closes during bowel movement (feces).

Are there different types of cracks?

Anal fissures are generally classified as acute or chronic. Fissures that last less than a month are called acute anal fissures and can be treated with conservative treatments that result in complete healing. If a fissure does not heal in about a month and a half, it is usually called chronic and requires aggressive treatments or even surgery.

What are the treatments?

Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any instant cures or miracle cures. Conservative treatments include drinking plenty of water and consuming adequate fiber to ensure soft stools. This can work for acute anal fissures. Chronic fissures are often treated with prescription medications to relax the anal sphincter muscles, and surgery is often done in which the sphincter muscle is cut to decrease internal pressure and muscle spasms.

What happens if I have a fissure but I don’t want to have surgery?

Many people live with a chronic anal fissure but don’t have surgery because they don’t want to risk fecal incontinence. Anal fissures may be managed and even healed with a careful, long-term commitment to some conservative techniques. The website at fissurefree.com has dedicated resources that focus on non-invasive treatments to help. It is maintained by Uric Seefurs, who has lived with the excruciating pain of anal fissures for over 10 years. During that time, he has researched and experimented with many non-invasive techniques. Uric wants to give patients real and valuable information to deal with this condition, and he is not interested in selling unproven or ineffective products.

Should I see a doctor?

Of course, you should always seek the advice of a medical professional. However, you must also be prepared yourself. Doctors can misdiagnose you and say you have hemorrhoids without doing any kind of testing, as Uric discovered in his case. Arm yourself with the knowledge so you know how to help yourself, and pass this information on to doctors so they don’t try to just walk you out the door at your next visit. Act as soon as possible, because the longer you have an anal fissure, the longer it will take to get it under control.