Are you suffering from an anal fissure? Let's talk about it!

Do you sometimes feel afraid or reluctant to go to the toilet? Especially when you defecate, it can be very painful, like you're being cut by a glass shard, and sometimes you can see a few drops of blood. You may feel a little embarrassed and uncomfortable talking about this with someone else. But let me tell you, this is not just your problem. Many people suffer from this condition, but they don't talk about it and suffer in silence. Today we are talking about painful cracks in the anus, or in medical terms, ``Anal Fissure''.

Simply put, what is an anal fissure?

Very simple. An anal fissure is a small tear or crack in the delicate skin around your anus or inside your anus. To be precise, the anal canal is the last part of your large intestine. The skin in this area is very sensitive. This type of tear can usually occur when you have a hard stool, prolonged constipation, or sometimes even diarrhea.

We can identify this ``Anal Fissure`` condition in two main ways.

• Acute Anal Fissure: This is the most common type of anal fissure. In this condition, symptoms last less than 6 weeks. It can usually be treated with simple home remedies.
• Chronic Anal Fissure: If symptoms persist for more than 6 weeks, we consider it a chronic condition. These take a while to heal and sometimes require medical treatment. Also, in some cases, they can be a symptom of another medical condition. For example, a person with a bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or Ulcerative Colitis may develop chronic anal fissures.

What are the main symptoms of this condition?

These symptoms may vary slightly depending on the nature of the tear. Let's see how to distinguish them separately. The table below will help you get a clear understanding of this.

When should we see a doctor?

Many people put off seeing a doctor because they are embarrassed to talk about a problem like this. But don't do that. Your health is the most important thing. If you have any of the following symptoms, definitely see your doctor.

• If you have severe pain that makes you unable to defecate .
• If you see blood in your stool, on the toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl.
• If the pain is getting worse day by day or lasts for more than two weeks.

A doctor can examine you and determine for sure whether this is an ``Anal Fissure'' or another condition, such as hemorrhoids.

What are the treatments for this?

The good news is that most of the time, this condition (Anal Fissure) can be cured with some simple lifestyle changes.

Things you can do at home

You can try these things first:

• Eat a diet rich in fiber: The most important thing is to stop your stools from becoming dry and hard. Eat a diet rich in fiber. Include leafy greens, green beans, spinach, kale, vegetables, and fruits (especially papaya and bananas) in your diet.
• Drink plenty of water: Drink at least 2-3 liters of water a day. This will help soften your stool and make it easier to pass.
• Laxatives: If constipation is severe , you can talk to your doctor about taking a simple stool softener or a fiber supplement.
• Sitz Bath: This is very simple and very beneficial. Fill a large basin with as much warm water as you can handle and sit in it for 10-20 minutes. Do not add soap or anything else to the water. Doing this two or three times a day, especially after a bowel movement, will reduce pain and increase blood flow to the area, helping the fissure heal.

Treatment from the doctor

If you don't feel better after trying this home treatment for a month or two, your doctor will suggest other treatments.

• Ointments: There are special ointments that help to relax the sphincter muscles around the anus, improve blood flow to the area, and help the fissure heal. Ointments containing nitroglycerin (Rectiv) are also used for this purpose, as are medications such as diltiazem (Cardizem) or nifedipine (Procardia), which are used to treat high blood pressure.
• Botox injections: This is a little unusual. To stop painful spasms in the muscles around the anus, an injection containing botulinum toxin is given to that area.
• Surgery: As a last resort, if all other treatments have failed to heal the fissure, your doctor may suggest a minor surgery. This involves making a small incision in the muscle around the anus (sphincter) and relaxing it. This stops the pain and muscle contractions, allowing the fissure to heal.

It's normal to feel embarrassed and embarrassed about going to the doctor with this problem. But remember, sometimes medical treatment is necessary to get relief from this pain. Since doctors see these conditions often, you can talk about it without fear or shame.