They are painful and may bleed, causing so much discomfort that they can affect your quality of life.
Many anal fissures heal on their own or with the assistance of things like dietary changes and home remedies.
However, deeper fissures that persist may require treatment from a healthcare provider.
Westend61 / Getty Images
This article explains the more common symptoms and causes of anal fissures.
It also offers solutuions to treat fissures yourself, as well as how to prevent them from coming back.
In the past, anal fissures were thought to be brought on by straining to pass stool.
However, the underlying cause is now considered tenseanal sphinctermuscles.
Anal fissures can be primary or secondary.
Options also may include using sitz baths and a local anesthetic to decrease pain.
Sitz Baths
Sitz baths, available at most drugstores, are essentially small plastic tubs.
Soak in a sitz bath for 10 to 15 minutes two or three times a day.
While it will not speed healing, it can help to ease the pain and discomfort of anal fissures.
In some cases,Epsom saltsor other products may be added to the water in the sitz bath.
However, these should only be used with a healthcare provider’s approval.
Topical Treatments
Topical treatments can help soothe the perianal area and relieve the pain of anal fissures.
Eating the right amount of fiber helps prevent stools from being too hard and causing constipation.
It also keeps stools from being too liquid and causing diarrhea.
Insoluble fiber, in particular, can help soften stools and improve digestion.
Avoid hot and spicy foods, like cayenne pepper.
Any foods or spices that cause heat in your mouth can feel like fire to an anal fissure.
Nuts, popcorn, and tortilla chips can also be problematic.
Start slowly with fiber supplements and increase the amount used over time.
This will help you avoid side effects like abdominal bloating and gas.
Fiber supplements can be taken long-term.
They are helpful in treating constipation and diarrhea, both of which can lead to anal fissures.
They are associated with few side effects and are generally considered safe.
Stool softeners are not the same aslaxatives.
Stool softeners come in liquid, capsule, and tablet forms.
Most people usually use them for about a week.
Other lifestyle changes should be put in place to help with constipation, too.
This is so you could eventually stop using the stool softeners.
Check with a healthcare provider about which over-the-counter stool softener treats anal fissures most effectively.
Drinking water can help keep stools soft and make them easier to pass.
Recommended daily water intake depends on the person, so ask your healthcare provider what they suggest for you.
If wiping is causing pain, try using a bidet, a hand shower, or peri bottle.
These may be gentler on your irritated skin.
Soft flannels or washcloths may help, too, if you dont mind doing some extra laundry.
(Wash separately in hot water.)
Preventing Anal Fissures
If you’re prone to getting anal fissures, prevention is key.
It’s important to treat fissures and their causes before they become chronic and are harder to heal.
Johns Hopkins Medicins.Anal fissures.
Gardner IH, Siddharthan RV, Tsikitis VL.Benign anorectal disease: hemorrhoids, fissures, and fistulas.Ann Gastroenterol.
2020;33:9-18. doi:10.20524/aog.2019.0438
Schlichtemeier S, Engel A.Anal fissure.Aust Prescr.
2014;14:129. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-14-129
Sugerman DT.Anal fissure.JAMA.
2014;311(11):1171. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.214
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Anal fissures.
American Academy of Family Physicians: FamilyDoctor.org.Anal fissure.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Fiber.
University of CaliforniaSan Francisco Health.Patient education: Fiber supplements.
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Stool softeners.
American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons.Anal fissure expanded information.
University of Rochester Medical Center.Anal fissure.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2020 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
