A digital rectal exam, which may be painful, may be needed if a definitive diagnosis of anal fissures cannot be made based on a patient’s history. 1 Anoscopy, which also may be painful, can be used to ...

Chronic anal fissures are tears in the tissue of the anal canal that last for more than 8 weeks. Unlike acute fissures that often heal on their own, chronic anal fissures require medical treatment.

Heel fissures are cracks or divides in the skin over your heels. Sometimes these are an uncomfortable nuisance because they cause thick layers of dead skin cells to build up. Other times they can be ...