Prevention

Who's affected?

Anal fissures are relatively common, with an estimated 1 in every 10 people affected at some point in their life.

Anal fissures affect both sexes equally and occur in people of all ages, including very young children. However, most cases occur in children and young adults between the ages of 10 and 30.

Treating and preventing anal fissures

Anal fissures usually heal within a few weeks without the need for treatment. However, they can easily recur if they're caused by constipation that remains untreated.

In some people, symptoms from anal fissures last six weeks or more (chronic anal fissures).

Adopting some simple self-help measures can make passing stools easier. This will allow existing fissures to heal, as well as reduce your chances of developing new fissures in the future.

Self-help measures for avoiding constipation include:

• plenty of fibre in your diet, such as fruit and vegetables and wholemeal bread, pasta and rice adults should aim to eat at least 18g of fibre a day
• staying well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids
• not ignoring the urge to pass stools this can cause your stools to dry out and become harder to pass
• exercising regularly you should aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week

You can help soothe the pain by taking simple painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, or by soaking your bottom in a warm bath several times a day, particularly after a bowel movement.

Your GP can also prescribe medication to help relieve your symptoms and speed up the healing process.

This can include laxatives to help you pass stools more easily and painkilling ointment that you apply directly to your anus.

Surgery may be recommended in persistent cases of anal fissure where self-help measures and medication haven't helped.

Surgery is often very effective at treating anal fissures, but it does carry a small risk of complications, such as temporary or permanent loss of bowel control (bowel incontinence).