Faeces poo is temporarily stored in the rectum and expelled from the body via the anus. An anal fissure is a tear or split in the lining of the anus anal mucosa.
The symptoms and signs include pain when passing a bowel motion and bright red blood from the anus. The problem is common in children younger than one year, and affects around eight out of 10 babies. Common causes in adults include constipation and trauma to the anus such as a difficult childbirth. Around half of cases heal by themselves with proper self-care and avoidance of constipation.
However, healing can be a problem if the pressure of passing bowel motions constantly reopens the fissure. Treatment options include surgery. The anus permits bowel continence, which is voluntary control over the passage of bowel motions. Waste is massaged down the length of the large intestine by waves of muscular contractions peristalsis.
Once the excess water is removed, the waste is temporarily stored in the rectum. The rectum joins to the anus, which is a short tube containing a muscular ring sphincter that can be opened at will to allow the expulsion of faeces poo. The membranous lining of the anus is called the anal mucosa. An anal fissure is a tear in the anal mucosa. Some of the possible complications of an anal fissure include:.
Severe anal fissures need to be surgically corrected. The fissure and associated scar tissue is removed. Sometimes, a thin slice of muscle from the anal sphincter is also removed, as this helps the wound to better heal.
