Anal fissures are small cuts and tears in the lining of the anus that are painful and itchy.
Most anal fissures do not require extensive treatment and most cases heal on their own within a few weeks. Certain home care treatments can promote healing and help relieve discomfort. They include stool softeners, drinking more fluids, fibre supplements and more raw fruit and vegetables and topical creams that reduce pain and inflammation.
You may require other treatments such as calcium channel blocker ointments that relax the sphincter muscles and allow the anal fissure to heal if your symptoms aren’t relieved within two weeks.
Other possible treatments are Botox injections into the anal sphincter to allow the anal fissure to heal while preventing new fissures from forming. Botox is used medically to prevent muscles from contracting.
Your doctor may also recommend an anal sphincterotomy, a surgical procedure where a small incision is made in the anal sphincter to relax the muscle, allowing the anal fissure to heal.
