Anal Fissure, Hemorrhoids? Please Help!? Sorry for the length, but I want to give you the prpeor background info on the problem so that you can answer it as best as possible. Please read through it and help me out if you know anything about anal fissures, hemorrhoids, or other problems that can result in these symptoms. I will greatly appreciate all of your help! Oh, and if it helps, I am a 21 year-old female. So this is kind of disgusting, but I’ve been experiencing some pain and bleeding on my anus. This started about a week ago. I had been constipated that weekend, and then on Monday, I was able to defecate, but I experienced burning pain, and when I wiped, there were drops of bright red blood on the toilet paper. After this, my anus continued to hurt off and on for about 2-3 days (although it did not bleed again). Then, tonight (8 days after initial bleeding), after about 3 days of no pain or bleeding, it happened again. I was a little constipated earlier, but I was careful not to strain myself, as I thought that the initial problem was hemorrhoids, and I know that those can be caused from strain during constipation. So, I waited all day until I could easily go to the bathroom. But, when I went, I again experienced the burning pain, and again If found drops of blood on the toilet paper after wiping. I initially thought that I had hemorrhoids, due to the constipation problem. However, I looked up pictures of external hemorrhoids, and I definitely don’t have anything like that. So then I thought I might just have internal hemorrhoids, but I looked in the mirror (a very difficult task, I might add), and I noticed a bright red scratch-looking thing, about half the size of my pinky nail right at the base of my anus. I looked up pictures of anal fissures, and this seemed to fit that description. However, I have questions for people who know something about anal fissures:Is it possible to experience a few days of pain relief when you have a fissure? I would have assumed that it would be constant (if not slightly-lessening) pain day after day until the fissure healed. What could I have done to get this? I have not had anal sex, nor have I had anything up there, lol. So how could a fissure could have occured? To be honest, I do remember scratching myself there on accident about 2 months ago, to where I experienced pain for about a day, but I hadn’t felt anything since then, so the two seem unrelated. I’m very confused. If you know anything about anal fissures, hemorrhoids, or any other problem that this could be, please let me know. And yes, I know I should go to the doctor. I am going to try to make an appointment soon, but I’m very busy, so I just wanted some background information if I could find it.
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No need to apologize about the length of your explanation. That’s actually GOOD because it provides enough background to answer your question.
I’m not a doctor, but in addition to reporting on sexuality for the past 36 years, I’ve also been a health and medical journalist, so here goes. It does sound like you have an anal fissure. This is a MINOR health problem, nothing to get overly anxious about. Like hemorrhoids, it’s a complication of constipation. For reasons that remain unclear, anal fissures are more common in women than men. Anal fissures sometimes cause pain, sometimes not, and sometimes, as in your case, the pain is intermittent. Treat your anal fissue conservatively. Keep the area clean by washing frequently with soap. Take hot baths. If you continue to notice blood on your toilet paper after two weeks of home treatment, see your doctor.
But your underlying problem is constipation, a huge problem in America because Americans don’t consume much dietary fiber, that is, fruits and vegetables. Recommended consumption is five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That means a fruit with breakfast (or dried fruit on cereal), a salad with lunch, a salad and a vegetable with dinner, and fruit snacks. If that’s not your thing, then use Metamucil, which is a high-fiber supplement containing psyllium fiber. Also, get regular exercise, never resist the urge to go, and try not to strain.
Remember, this is a MINOR medical problem. Manage it with a commitment to regular exercise and a higher-fiber diet.