Like all open wounds and tears, anal fissures are pretty common and typically heal after time, given the right treatment and attention. Ointments, supplements, and even simple physical exercises can help in treating the condition. However, similar to paper cuts, irritation to an open wound in an area as sensitive as the anus can worsen the pain. As such, it is a given that anal fissures cause discomfort and mild to extreme pains in the anus, especially during bowel movement.
In long-term cases, the prescribed treatment often results in side effects affecting areas other than the anus, like headaches, nausea, and cramps. An example of such treatment is nitroglycerin ointment, commonly used to treat chronic cases of anal fissure. It has been proven to be more effective than sitz baths, meant to relieve pain by widening blood vessels and thus increasing blood flow, allowing the fissures to heal. As with most other medicines, however, despite its effectiveness, application of nitroglycerin has its own side effects: low blood pressure, resulting in headaches, lightheadedness, and dizziness. For that reason, it is advised to always wash your hands after or wear gloves during application of ointment to prevent the chemicals to seep through the skin and increase risks of side effects. As with general medicines, it is important that the recommenfed dosage be strictly followed to prevent the more severe side effects, fainting and fever to name a few, to occur.
Aside from headaches, anal fissures are also known to affect the stomach. In most cases, due to the severe pain experienced in the anus during bowel movement, people go as far as refusing to excrete at all, resulting in constipation. Some, in order to avoid having to excrete at all, refuse to eat or lose their appetite over time. In addition to that, laxatives, being one of the many treatments recommended to relieve pain and discomfort caused by the fissures during bowel movement, tend to also affect the stomach when taken too much, causing nausea and inducing diarrhea, one of the common causes of anal fissures in the first place.
Despite the lack of direct correlation between the two, another common complaint from those affected by anal fissure is the occasional stinging pain in their lower backs. Unable to tolerate the anal pain, sometimes just sitting or standing for too long causes pain in areas closest to the fissures, namely the lower back.
Suffice to say, although the discomfort mentioned above are not direct consequences of having anal fissures, immediate action must be taken upon appearance of symptoms, not only to treat the condition and for a prompt recovery , but also in order to prevent the “side effects” brought by it. Anal fissure is a common issue among people of all ages, and is not known to be deadly, but not treating it properly could not only turn it a long-term and/or recurring condition, but it might also cause other problems for the body.
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