Hi all,
I wanted to talk about my symptoms and see if this sounds like an anal fissure. I know that rectal bleeding is very serious and I do plan to see a doctor soon to be safe.
I've had rectal bleeding pretty consistently for about two years now. I've gone back and forth on whether they were hemorrhoids or anal fissures (may be both!) Earlier, I could feel a slight bump with some pain, which made me suspect external hemorrhoids. I remember it reached its worst last fall, when I think my external hemorrhoid ruptured while making a BM and it was not a pretty sight!
But now my symptoms resemble those of an anal fissure, which is strange, since anal fissures cannot rupture. When my BMs are large, I am doing just fine and then once it reaches a certain point near the sphincter, I have a sharp pain and that's probably the source of the bleeding. Usually, it's just red blood on the toilet paper. Sometimes, the blood lightly attaches to the sides of the BM.
When I don't bleed for a few days, it heals, and I do fine without any pain or blood for a bit. But the day I have a large BM or strain at all, it seems like it reopens and I have chronic issues yet again. If I try to put water in to cleanse in the shower, it stings strongly - especially when I squeeze the sphincter muscle. The discomfort only lasts at the moment when the BM is passing through the problem area and although the pain is sharp, it is short-lasting and mild.
Do these symptoms sound like an anal tear? Even with the rupture incident (perhaps I also had an external hemorrhoid?)