Anal Fissure Specialist

What is an anal fissure?

An anal fissure occurs when the lining of your anus or anal canal tears. These fissures can be painful and often bleed.

Anal fissures can happen at any age, but you're less likely to develop one in old age. However, patients who've suffered fissures before are more likely to have them again.

Why would I get an anal fissure?

An anal fissure results from trauma to the delicate tissues in your anal canal, which could be due to:

Chronic constipation

Anal fissures most often occur because of chronic constipation. When you have constipation, your stools are large, hard, dry, and difficult to pass. That makes you strain during bowel movements, which can lead to overstretching and tearing of the anal tissues.

Diarrhea

In some patients, prolonged diarrhea can also cause anal fissures because it dries out the mucus membranes lining the anal canal, making them more likely to tear.

Tight sphincter

You might have particularly tight anal sphincter muscles, or the muscles might spasm, making the skin vulnerable to tearing.

Underlying medical conditions

Anal fissures are a symptom of numerous chronic diseases, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, anal cancer, leukemia, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV.

Anal stretching

Engaging in anal sex or stretching the anus by inserting foreign objects can sometimes tear the tissues and create a fissure.

Anal fissures often affect women following childbirth, as well.

What symptoms does an anal fissure cause?

An anal fissure might cause symptoms such as:

• Pain during and after a bowel movement
• Blood-coated stools
• Bloody toilet tissue
• Burning and itching
• Problems with urination
• Foul-smelling discharge

If you look in the mirror, you might be able to see a tear or crack in the anus.

Anal fissures might be confused with hemorrhoids, as they both cause rectal bleeding and pain. However, treatment for fissures is different and highly specialized. At Montana Colon, Dr. Zehnpfennig offers patients an expert diagnostic evaluation to determine whether they have a fissure.

How are anal fissures treated?

Montana Colon delivers the entire spectrum of treatments for anal fissures. Dr. Zehnpfennig assesses your condition to determine the most appropriate treatment, depending on what's caused your anal fissure and how serious it is. He works with you to select the optimal treatment program, which may include soaking in a sitz bath, lubricating the area with petroleum jelly, and resolving constipation so you don't strain on the toilet.

Other treatments you might require for persistent or recurring anal fissures include:

• Hydrocortisone suppositories, creams, and foams
• Topical muscle relaxant
• Anesthetic ointment
• Nitroglycerin or calcium channel blocker ointments
• Medical Botox® injections into the anal sphincter

If nothing else is working, Dr. Zehnpfennig can perform a surgical procedure to cut the internal anal sphincter muscle, reducing pain and allowing the fissure to heal.

If you have symptoms of an anal fissure, call Montana Colon today or book an appointment online.