Do you suffer from an anal fissure? Or do you suspect you have one? If so, this article will answer all your questions. We will tell you what the symptoms and causes are and how to treat and cure an anal fissure.

What is an anal fissure?

An anal fissure starts as a crack in the skin of your anus. It usually heals on its own, without further treatment. But if the tear does not heal, you have a chronic anal fissure. Then an ulcer can develop. An anal fissure is not dangerous, but it is very annoying.

Anal fissure is most common in people between 20 and 50 years of age. You can also suffer from it at a younger age. Sometimes it even occurs in babies and toddlers. Plenty of people suffer from it, so it is nothing to be ashamed of. Moreover, it is easy to do something about. Usually without having to go to the doctor.

Is an anal fissure serious?

No, an anal fissure is normally not dangerous. There are no permanent consequences for your health. However, they do cause annoying symptoms. Fortunately, you can do something about them yourself (see our list of treatments later in this article).

How long does an anal fissure last?

An anal fissure usually lasts a few days to weeks. After that, the skin around your anus will have healed, and the symptoms will be gone.

Is your anal fissure not going away, or does it keep coming back? If so, do visit your GP for a consultation.

What is the difference between an anal fissure and haemorrhoids?

An anal fissure is a tear in the skin of your anus. A haemorrhoid is a swollen and sagging swelling on the inside of your anus.

Now, a fissure may well look like a haemorrhoid if it has been around for some time. Because then an accretion of ‘wild flesh’ may develop.

In doubt whether you have an anal fissure or haemorrhoid? You can have a GP give you the decisive answer. But before this, had you been suffering from itching between your buttocks, pain and sometimes blood at your anus for some time? Then chances are it is a fissure.

Can you play sports and cycle with an anal fissure?

If you have a lot of symptoms (see below), it might be better to avoid sports and cycling for a while. This will give your skin more rest to recover. Of course, you can always consult your doctor about this.

Symptoms of anal fissure

An anal fissure can be accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Blood
• Burning sensation
• Bumps
• Itching
• Fever
• Pain
• Mucus

Blood

An anal fissure is a crack in the skin. It is therefore sometimes accompanied by (bright red) blood. You often see this blood when wiping your anus Do you find that you are losing a lot of blood from, around or around your anus? If so, visit your GP.

Burning sensation in the anus

A burning sensation in the anus is one of the most common symptoms. An anal fissure can hurt. You may feel like your anus is burning, so to speak. Sometimes it is accompanied by a throbbing sensation in the anus.

A lump in anal fissure caused by inflammation

Sometimes a lump develops just next to the anus. This happens because the fissure may be inflamed. It hurts and some pus may come out.

Itching between the buttocks

Itching of the anus is also a common symptom. An important piece of advice here is not to scratch or scrape, no matter how annoying the itching is. By doing so, you will make the fissure worse, and it will take longer to heal. The itching can also be caused by anal eczema. You can recognise this (besides the itching) by symptoms such as redness, scaling, wounds or dampness.

Is the itching very intense? Then make sure you start treatment soon so that your skin has a chance to recover and the itching reduces. AnaMel can help relieve the itching.

Fever

With severe symptoms, you may also develop a fever. This is not a direct consequence of the fissure itself.

Pain

Is an anal fissure painful? Well and truly: they are often accompanied by (a lot of) pain. Especially a sharp pain during and after defecation. But also, for example, pain when sitting down.

Some people also complain of headaches with an anal fissure. Whether this is related is not known. However, it may be a side effect of certain ointments. Other forms of pain, such as pain in the abdomen, have no relation to anal fissure, as far as we know.

Mucus

Do you suffer from mucus in addition to the fissure? Then this is probably pus, caused by your fissure becoming inflamed. This can happen when the fissure or gap has been there for a long time.

How does an anal fissure occur?

There are several causes of anal fissures. We will discuss the most obvious ones:

• Constipation
• Crohn's disease
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Anal sex

Constipation

An anal fissure is usually caused by a problem with bowel movements. Namely:

• Hard stools: are your bowel movements hard (for a long time)? Then cracks may appear around your anus as those hard stools have to keep passing.
• Constipation: hard stools often go hand-in-hand with constipation. When pushing to get the stool out, fissures can develop.
• Diarrhoea: Have you (had) diarrhoea for a while? If so - especially due to frequent wiping - this can lead to anal fissures.

Chronic anal fissure due to Crohn's disease

Do you have Crohn's disease? Then this could be the cause of your fissure. Because these fissures are common in chronic intestinal inflammation.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Anal fissures are a well-known problem during pregnancy. This is when there is continuous high pressure on the anus and the area around it. You also have to press harder during bowel movements, which can lead to fissures.

Anal sex

This cause is less known, but is definitely part of it: anal sex in which the anus is stretched too far can also cause fissures.

Treatment of an anal fissure

How does an anal fissure heal? Fortunately, they usually go away ‘naturally’ on their own. This is after only a few days to weeks. Is it different in your case? If so, it is important to do something about it to prevent a (painful) ulcer.

So, what to do about an anal fissure when it does not heal (fast enough)? We discuss a number of options:

• Treat naturally
• Ointment
• Medication
• Botox injection
• Surgery

Treating naturally

A healthy, smooth bowel movement is important to prevent an anal fissure, and eventually allow it to heal. You can take care of that yourself:

• Eat healthy: Eat enough dietary fibre (at least 30 grams per day). And drink enough water (at least 2 litres a day). Then your stools will become soft (again).
• Take your time on the toilet: Don't rush on the toilet. Because then you will push to finish quickly, which can cause cracks. Just sit quietly on the toilet, and let it come ‘naturally’.
• Heat helps: Heat also helps against fissures. Take a warm bath, for example. Or use a wet, warm cloth. And clean your anus with warm water after defecation. Make sure you dab the area around the anus dry well afterwards!

Honey ointment against anal fissure

In terms of remedies, there is also a natural, alternative treatment. Take care of your anal fissure with AnaMel: a cooling honey ointment that helps. Purified honey:

• Works soothing and reduces symptoms such as itching and pain.
• Provides antibacterial protection (anti-inflammatory)
• Supports the healing of wounds around the anus. Wounds heal faster.

Unlike other ointments, AnaMel does not contain hormones or antibiotics. As a result, you can use it long-term, until your anal fissure is completely gone!

AnaMel is also not covered by homeopathy; its action is backed up by scientific research.

The honey ointment can be used with all ages and is therefore also safe for children (and babies).

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Medication

There is no medication for a fissure. But if you are in a lot of pain, you can of course use a painkiller. Perhaps a paracetamol will already provide relief.

In the end, of course, painkillers are no solution; you will only really be rid of the pain when the fissure has healed. Never just take pills, also start an effective treatment.

Botox for anal fissure

Do lighter treatments not work to repair the fissure? Then you can consider a botox injection. This is a drastic measure. A botox injection temporarily lowers the increased tension on your sphincter muscle. This improves blood flow. This allows your fissure to heal again. Consult this procedure carefully with your doctor first.

Surgery for an anal fissure

Often, you can fortunately treat an anal fissure yourself. But this does not always lead to recovery. In that case, surgery can fix your problem. Note: it is not possible to ‘remove’ an anal fissure with surgery either. Eventually, the skin will have to recover.

With such surgery, the tension on your sphincter is relieved. This can be done with a botox injection (see above) or a small incision in your internal sphincter.

The result: blood flow at your anus is improved, causing the fissure to heal and usually stay away. Ó Whether a new anal fissure stays out after surgery is not guaranteed.