Anal fissures occur when the lining of the anus is stretched or torn, usually due to constipation or straining during a bowel movement.
Causes
- Constipation: Hard stools can stretch or tear the lining of the anus.
- Straining: Straining during a bowel movement can cause a fissure.
- Diarrhea: Persistent diarrhea can cause a fissure.
- Inflammation: Inflammation of the anus and rectum can cause a fissure.
- Sphincter muscle tension: Too much tension in the sphincter muscles can cause a fissure.
- Decreased blood flow: Decreased blood flow to the area can cause a fissure.
Symptoms Pain and bleeding during bowel movements and Spasms in the anal sphincter.
Trauma — like stretching and straining — causes your anal lining to tear. But preexisting conditions can also play a role. This has to do with the anatomy of your anus (butthole), which is really the last few centimeters of the long, muscular tube known as your large intestine.
Toward the end of your anus, where it opens to the outside, the skin is more like the skin on the outside of your body. But in the upper portion, where fissures usually happen, your anus is lined with the same soft mucosa as the rest of your large intestine.
This mucous lining is thinner and more delicate than normal skin, making it easier to tear. This is especially true for babies, who often get anal fissures. It can also become inflamed by injury or disease. Long-term (chronic) inflammation can weaken the tissues.
Your anus is surrounded by two circular muscles that help control your bowel movements (your anal sphincters). If these muscles are too tight, they can add tension to your anal lining, making it easier to tear and even reducing blood flow to the tissues.
Prevention
- Drink plenty of liquids to keep stools soft
- Exercise regularly to keep your digestive system moving
- Don't ignore the urge to have a bowel movement
- Give yourself enough time to pass bowel movements comfortably
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