Can we feel a fissure?

Yes, you can feel a fissure, specifically an anal fissure, through the pain and other symptoms it causes.

Understanding Anal Fissures

An anal fissure is a small tear in the lining of the anus. These tears can cause significant discomfort and other noticeable symptoms. According to the reference, common symptoms are:

• Sharp pain during bowel movements: This is often described as a cutting or tearing sensation when passing stool.
• Burning pain after bowel movements: The sharp pain may be followed by a deep, burning pain that can last for several hours.
• Bleeding during bowel movements: You might see a small amount of bright red blood either on your stool or on the toilet paper.

These symptoms are how you primarily "feel" an anal fissure. It's not that you directly feel the tear itself, but rather you experience the consequences of this tear in the form of pain and bleeding.

How We "Feel" a Fissure

While the tear itself isn’t a sensation, the irritation and damage to sensitive nerve endings in the area are what cause the pain. Think of it like a cut on your finger; you don’t feel the cut itself but the sting and throbbing due to the exposed nerve endings. Similarly, an anal fissure causes pain because of the exposure of nerve endings in the anus. The symptoms are your body's way of signaling that something is wrong.

Summary of Fissure Sensations

Here's a summary of how an anal fissure makes itself felt:

Conclusion

While you do not directly feel the tear of a fissure, you certainly experience its effects through pain and bleeding. The sharp pain during bowel movements and the lingering burning pain afterwards, combined with potential bleeding, are the clear signals that a fissure is present.