Bright red bleeding during bowel movements is often mistaken for hemorrhoids. However, not all types of bleeding can be the result of hemorrhoids.
It can also be caused by a fissure in your anal canal.
What are fissures?
An anal fissure is essentially a tear in the lining of your anus. This tear causes severe pain and inevitably results in bleeding before or after a bowel movement. Sometimes, this tear can be quite deep.
It can also expose underlying tissues or muscles, further exacerbating the pain and suffering. Surprisingly, there is no age limit or other prerequisites for this condition. It can affect people of all ages and genders.
In fact, it is also commonly seen in infants and very young children. Most often, these fissures are not permanent in nature. They heal on their own within 4-6 weeks, but there may be some instances when the condition persists for a longer period.
This can worsen the condition and make the pain unbearable. There are many treatments available, including stool softeners, pain relievers, and similar treatments.
But if these don’t help, you may need to seek medical help and undergo surgery to correct the condition or underlying defect that caused the fissure.
In any case, you shouldn’t ignore a fissure for too long. It’s best to seek medical help and understand how to permanently fix the problem.
Causes and Symptoms of Fissures:
Most often, this tear in the anal lining is called a fissure. The causes of fissures include: – Prolonged diarrhea – Childbirth – Strained bowel movements – Crohn’s disease Other times, it can be a direct result of cancer, infection, or other inflammatory bowel diseases, among other underlying problems.
Only a detailed medical examination can identify the problem for you. In some very rare instances, HIV, tuberculosis, or even syphilis can cause fissures.
You should understand that these are all underlying medical conditions that can manifest in different ways through the body.
Anal fissures are one such sign. Most often, these anal fissures are caused by a special set of tissue in your anus. This is known as the anoderm. Unlike the skin on the rest of your body, the anoderm has no hair or sebaceous glands.
On the contrary, it contains a large number of sensory nerves. As a result, this area is very sensitive to pain and touch, and remains so until the end of the anal canal.
This often explains why anal fissures are so painful and susceptible to even minor triggers.
Symptoms of Fissure:
But of course, you must understand the symptoms mentioned to understand the problem.
– A distinctive cut near your anus. This is quite obvious and not difficult to notice.
– A persistent burning or itching sensation in the anal area, especially during or after a bowel movement.
– Bleeding during or after a bowel movement. This is usually bright red. It may be in the stool or on tissue paper after wiping.
– A clear skin tag next to your anal opening.
– Sharp pain in your anus during bowel movements.
Overall, bowel movements become extremely painful, and this can be made worse if the patient is constipated. Hard stools further aggravate the pain. How are fissures different from hemorrhoids?
