An anal fissure is a cut or a tear in the thin, delicate lining of your anus. The tear often exposes the muscle around the anus, called the anal sphincter. The damage can cause that muscle to spasm, ...

Treating an anal fissure typically involves practices that help the area heal, like using a sitz bath or taking stool softeners. Other times a doctor may recommend medication or a medical procedure.

Like other injuries, the signs that an anal fissure is healing are when it no longer bleeds or causes pain and when the wound starts to close. Anal fissures may heal at different rates depending on ...

Hemorrhoids are lumps that result from swollen veins around your anus. Fissures are skin tears in your anus and are more likely to cause pain and lead to complications. Hemorrhoids happen when veins ...