Overview
Anal fissures are a very common problem that can be easily treated. But people who are suffering from this problem may feel embarrassed or afraid to consult a physician or afraid to seek medical attention.
An anal fissure is a tear in the lining of the anus and it makes people experience extreme levels of pain during and after a bowel movement. The pain is usually described as sharp tearing or splitting and you may experience sensations like burning and itching. Blood can be seen in a variety of ways including on the
- Tissue
- Stools
- Toilet bowl
This problem will become a major issue for the people when they don’t seek medical attention or assuming their problem is hemorrhoids. Hard drive bowel movement is the main cause of these anal fissures and it has the capability of scratching the lining of the anal canal. Spasms, diarrhea, and inflammation.
Most of the time, you don’t need to consult your healthcare provider as these problems will heal on their own or you may be advised to use an ointment or medicated cream which is prescribed by your physician. if you are unable to ease your symptoms, then we would advise you to consult your physician. He or she may recommend some medications or in very rare cases, your physician may advise you to go for surgery.
Experiencing pain while passing the stools. Burning sensations, blood on the stools, persistent sensation of itching in the anal area, constipation, and difficulties while urinating are the common symptoms of anal fissure. Anal fissures may cause more damage to your body by developing anal cancer, human immunodeficiency virus, herpes, tuberculosis, and syphilis. Due to this reason, we would recommend people who are suffering from anal fissures problems should have a word with their doctor immediately before it brings more problems to your body.
Treating Anal Fissures Permanently
Anal fissures can cause great discomfort to you as well as your body. There are many over the counter medications and home remedies that are available for you to treat your problem. Following are the various ways to treat anal fissures
Taking a sitz bath
Taking a sitz bath is a simple process All you need is a plastic tub, warm water, and if you want you can add Epsom salt. You have to get some warm water and filled it into the plastic tub that can be used as a sits back. Fill the water in the sits back for about two to three inches from the bottom because if you fill it too much, there are high chances of the water may overflow. Fill your plastic tub with a few inches of water and put it on to the toilet seat and also make sure that it fits perfectly. Add three tablespoons of Epsom salt in the water and the main objective of this method is to let your body soak in the Epsom salt and also you should make sure that the Epsom salt is absorbed in the water. You need to sit on there and let your body absorb the Epsom salt through this method. This method can promote great healing to your body. People use this method for a wide variety of reasons. Sit as long as you want in the sitz bath but the recommended time is usually about ten to fifteen minutes at a time.
Make sure that your physician knows you opted for this method. You can use your bathtub in case you don’t have a plastic sitz bath. But, we recommend people who are suffering from this problem to use a plastic sitz bath instead of a bathtub. Don’t sit for a long time if you opt to follow this method in a bathtub. This method can offer you relief from the pain you are suffering and it will also speed up the process of healing.
Thirty Grams of Fiber each day
It has been observed that consuming twenty-five to thirty grams of fiber each day may relieve pain and speed up your process of healing, as per the medical professionals. People from different countries failed to follow this diet and getting diagnosed with diarrhea, constipation, and a wide variety of diseases that are related to your digestive tract system.
By taking the right amount of fiber each day, you can prevent your body from getting diseases such as constipation, and diarrhea. Fiber can make your stool easily passed and prevents stools from being too hard. An easily passed stool has a lesser impact on the fissure area and you are able to ease the symptoms of anal fissures such as burning and itching sensations.
Avocados, shredded wheat cereal, plain rye wafer crackers, beans, soybeans, split peas, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, wheat bran flakes, lentils, cowpeas, French artichoke, pigeon peas, and high fiber bran cereal are the foods that are high in fiber.
Fiber Supplements
If you are not getting or eating enough fiber from food, then we would advise you to opt for a fiber supplement. There are many fiber supplements available in the drug stores and you need to consult your healthcare provider before you would like to go for this option. Your physician may prescribe a fiber supplement based on the symptoms you are suffering. As per the Food and Drug Administration, a person must consume twenty-five grams of fiber from food.
As the intake of fiber is essential for your body, we would advise you to take fiber supplements. These are available in many forms and in this way, you can increase the intake of fiber. People also use fiber supplements to get rid of problems such as constipation, and irregular bowel movements.
There are a variety of fiber supplements available in the health stores such as
- Methylcellulose soluble fiber
- Psyllium soluble fiber or ispaghula
- Wheat dextrin
- Inulin
Fiber supplements can improve your gut health, heart health, lowers cholesterol levels, regularize your bowel movements, and helps you to lose weight. People may experience bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence, loose stools, a sudden increase in your weight, reduced blood sugar levels, stomach issues, and allergic reactions are the common side effects of taking fiber supplements.
Stool softeners
Stool softeners are the best option for all the people as these are associated with few side effects. You shouldn’t consider stool softeners as laxatives as they are entirely different. It works by adding more water into the digestive tract system, which eventually softens the stool. You should check with your physician before using stool softeners. Because you may not know which one works best for you.
Cramps, gas, nausea, bloating, and gut problems are the side effects associated with too much use of stool softeners.
Increase your intake of water
Dehydration is the common cause of constipation. Having adequate levels of water in your body may help your stools easier to pass. If you are unable to consume more water, then you can maintain your hydration levels by eating foods that are high in water content. Set a goal of drinking eleven to thirteen cups of water. If you are a fitness freak, then we would advise you to drink more than the recommended cups. If you are experiencing easy bowel movements, then you can consider that you drank enough water for the day because drinking water can helps your stool soft and easier to pass.
Zucchini, broccoli, watermelon, cabbage, tomato, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, celery, strawberries, cucumber, spinach, and lettuce are the best foods that are having high water content. We would advise people to eat the high water content foods which will be helpful to reach your water intake goal.
Don’t hold on to a bowel movement
Go to the bathroom when you are experiencing the urge for a bowel movement. Waiting for a long period may not good for your body as well as to your digestive tract system. We would advise you to go to the bathroom when you feel the urge. If you do this for a long time, then the stools will become harder to pass.
Workouts
Develop the habit of doing exercises. When you are doing physical activities such as jogging, running, and some workouts it will help you to reduce the chances of getting diagnosed with diseases such as constipation, anal fissures. Also, make sure that you are drinking more liquids when you are doing workouts.
Surgery
If your symptoms persist even after using all the over the counter medications prescribed by your physician, then your healthcare provider may recommend surgery for your problem. During the surgery, a small part of the muscle known as anal sphincter will be surgically removed by your physician and this is called Internal sphincterotomy.
Conclusion
People who are suffering from anal fissures should seek medical attention immediately. If you don’t take the treatment at the right time, then it may lead to further problems. There are many home remedies, and over the counter medications are available to treat this problem. We would advise you to consult your physician before your problem become severe. If you are experiencing the symptoms even after following the home remedies or taking the medications prescribed by your physician, then you should consult your healthcare provider to plan other course of action.
References
- https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0031-1272820
- https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/anal-fissure
- https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-230X-14-129
Sirisha B 
Raju Ch