An anal fissure is simply a cut or a tear in the skin surround and within the rectum. The most common cause of an anal fissure is trauma to the anus, and anal canal. Most people can distinctly remember when the pain started, and when they first had an anal fissure.

In some cases an anal fissure can be brought on by nothing more than a bowel movement. Sometimes diarrhea or hardened stool can also cause an anal fissure.

Can my Doctor Cause an Anal Fissure?

Yes! This may sound very strange, but anal fissures can also be caused by doctors. How is this done? One may go to the doctor for a prostate exam or for treatment of a different condition or for a check-up. During this exam a doctor may use colonoscopy which is a method used to check the inner anal canal for changes in prostate size, or for other anal diseases.

It is highly recommended that once you reach the age of 50 and over, you perform a colonoscopy to keep track of your prostate, as the majority of elderly people have prostate problems, which can only lead to more problems in the future. While a doctor is performing this exam, it is very possible for the device to be inserted incorrectly, or cause some damage to the outer and inner skin of the anus; this may cause an anal fissure. Rendering the conclusion that a colonoscopy and anal fissures are related to one another.

What are Some Other Ways a Doctor can Cause an Anal Fissure?

• Using a rectal thermometer
• Using an enema to clean the anal cavity (this is also performed by one’s self in the privacy of one's home.
• Using an endoscope or an ultrasound, which are other ways of examining the prostate gland during a prostate exam, or colonoscopy.

How Can an Infant Develop an Anal Fissure?

Infants are very commonly prone to anal fissures. The most common term for this is 'rectal bleeding' and is very common among infants and toddlers. This can actually occur during birth. During child birth, there is plenty of pressure to the entire body of the infant, and during this time the perineum (which is the small area of skin between the anus and vagina on a female, or the small area of skin between the scrotum and the anus on a male) can be torn, which results in rectal bleeding, and therefore will cause an anal fissure.

What are Some Other Causes of Anal Fissures?

The more extreme causes of an anal fissure may even include anal cancer. While this is generally a pretty rare occurrence, anal cancer may cause an anal fissure, as the skin surrounding the anus is more prone to infection or cuts. When an anal fissure occurs further away from the anus or more common area of an anal fissure, can lead to further suspicions of anal cancer.

When this outer skin is infected by an anal fissure, suspicions will arise and it is possible that the fissure was caused by a number of factors including: leukemia, TB(Tuberculosis), herpes, cytomegalovirus, gonorrhea, syphilis, Chlamydia, chancroid, or even Human Immunodeficiency Virus (also known as HIV or AIDS). While these are obviously very severe diseases, it is very rare for this to occur, and is usually only found in extreme circumstances.

How can a person tell if they have a fissure?

Well since fissures are common in pregnant women and even infants there are many signs which can help to tell if there is an anal fissure present. Obviously like any other cut if something opens it up again it will bleed, an anal fissure is very much like this.

Pregnant women may notice there is blood on their toilet tissue or directly on their stool not mixed into it. If pregnant woman so desires she can find a way to see is there is a small tear right on the anal opening, this is usually a sure sign that there is a fissure.

Since many medicines and treatments are not for pregnant women it is good to find something that will not harm the baby being carried. Some anal fissures may heal on their own and some may heal up and re occur during birth.

Pregnant women need to be aware of what vitamins to take during their pregnancy as too many of one vitamin although it may help to heal an anal fissure may be too much for a baby; these could include pills such as iron and folic. It is a lot harder for pregnant women to be able to control their fissures while still maintaining a proper diet to maintain good stool. This could be a very good reason as to why so many pregnant women have fissures, there is not enough of everything in their diet and pills can harm the baby and having a hard or constipated bowel movement can tear the anus or make it worse.

Conclusion

There are many causes of anal fissures, the most common being simple trauma to the anal area, while the most severe being life-threatening illnesses such as cancer or HIV. Even doctors can mistakenly cause an anal fissure, so every precaution should be taken when visiting a doctor, or when doing anything near the anal cavity as an anal fissure can easily occur.

Anal fissures occur when there is a small tear in the lining of the rectum and the rectum bleeds. This anal fissure as they are called can occur when a very hard bowel movement or

stress to the inner wall of the anus cause it to tear the inner tissue. Anal fissures may cause a lot of sharp pain inside the anus which can be almost unbearable for some women.

Anal fissures may heal on their own if a person ate right and made sure to watch their diet as if the diet is bad there is more of a chance of becoming constipated.

In other cases pregnant women will notice even after having the baby the anal fissure does not heal. I this case it is called a chronic anal fissure and may not heal due to a lack of blood supply to the area. Anal fissures also may cause scarring in the tissue which can make a permanent fissure occur. Sometimes a woman may notice that she has more than one anal fissure this is caused to many tears in the anal cavity lining toe to poor diet. Having a poop diet can not only cause anal fissures and hemorrhoids but can also be very unhealthy for a woman to be having a baby as diet is important.

Resources
* experts.about.com
* medicinenet.com

When there is a crack or a fissure in the anus, the condition is referred to as anal fissures or rectal fissures. When this happens it can cause a lot of itching, pain and bleeding. The blood may be seen in the tissue paper and even in the toilet seat. Anal fissures make it very difficult to pass stool and the person may become wary due to the pain, and this may lead to constipation, hemorrhoids and other medical problems. The pain intensifies even more if the stool is hard.

The cut usually happens in the anal canal tissues known as anoderm that remain in the outer lining. These tissues have sensory nerves and this is the reason of this excruciating pain. Causes of anal fissures include chronic diarrhea, constipation, anal intercourse, ulcerative colitis, childbirth, and even an ultrasound probe. Interestingly, some diseases can also lead to anal fissures such as leukemia, tuberculosis and also cancer.