01 April 2002
I'm a bit concerned because last night when I went to the toilet I noticed a bit of blood on the toilet paper. What might this be?

Response
Sounds like this could be an anal fissure An anal fissure is a small tear in the lining of the anal canal most likely caused by constipation or maybe even a bout of diarrhoea. It can cause pain, bleeding and even itching.

Fifty percent of anal fissures will heal by themselves but there are ways of helping the healing process along. Take a look at our leaflet on Anal Fissures for more information.