What Is Anal Fissure?
Have you ever found it very painful to pass stool because you think you have a tear in your anal canal? If yes, then you have what is called an anal fissure. An anal fissure is a tear in the lining of your anus. You probably may be wondering how feasible it is for a tear to happen in that enclosed part of the body. Well, some factors have been identified to precipitate this condition. These factors will be highlighted in this article.
An anal fissure can bring both discomfort and pain. They can even bleed and cause the quality of your life to reduce. Being a little tear, it can heal up on its own, but in most cases, with the aid of home remedies and dietary changes, the tear heals up faster. However, when the tear is deeper and more painful, it might require medical attention. This medical attention will, on the one hand, bring about the administration of pain killers and the antibiotics that will prevent infection from being introduced into the body through tears.
According to research, anal fissure is responsible for 5% to 15% of reasons why people visit colorectal surgeons. It can happen to anyone, notwithstanding the age or status of the individual. Anal fissures that do not heal for a long time or ones that re-occur should be reported immediately to the Doctor. Experts have explained that anal fissures can be deep enough to expose the muscle tissues in the affected area. This kind of fissure cannot be treated with mere home remedies.
The home remedies need to be combined with the examination of the affected area and recommendation of drugs and sometimes surgery by a professional medical practitioner. When the pain or tear lasts for up to or more than 6 weeks, then such fissure can be tagged chronic that needs immediate medical attention. If, after undergoing several treatment methods and anal fissures persist, it is best to go to a doctor to inspect for underlying health ailments.
Who is at Risk?
Anybody across all age grades can have anal fissures. Even though investigations have shown that people tend to have lower chances of developing anal fissures as they age. That is, the older you get, the lower your chances of developing anal fissures. However, for people who have had anal fissures in the past, there is a higher tendency that they might experience it twice or three more times in their lifetime.
If you have been clueless about the symptoms of anal fissure, what causes it, and how to treat mild ones at home, then you are in the right blog.
Now the query is, how do I know when I have anal fissures? What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of Anal Fissures
Some of the ways through which you can identify when you have anal fissure include;
- Pain during bowel movement
- Itchiness in the anus
- Bleeding while passing stool
- Discharge while passing stool
- An obvious tear in the anus
- Lump of skin around the tear
Causes of Anal Fissures
In most cases, the cause of anal fissure is trauma caused to the anus or anal cavity. The following have the tendency of causing trauma to the anal cavity;
- Pushing a dry and hard stool
- Severe constipation
- Anal sex
- Chronic diarrhea
- Inserting objects into the anus
Some other factors apart from trauma that can be said to be responsible for anal fissures include;
- Underlying health conditions like Crohn’s disease, leukemia, colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease
- Bad bowel habits
- Poor blood flow to the anus
- Infectious diseases like sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis
- Extremely tight anus
- Childbirth
Home Remedies for Anal Fissures
Anal Fissures can be frustrating and painful. This is because, even while it is trying to heal up, you still need to pass stool. In their words, passing stool while the fissure is healing up may cause the tear to reopen.
However, this depends largely on the texture of the stool you are passing. Whatever may be the cause of your anal fissure, it is best to keep your stool soft always to ensure that it does not reopen the tears. Apart from this measure, other measures can help in the management of anal fissures until they heal completely.
The following are other measures that can help in the home treatment and management of anal fissures.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is best understood for its skin healing properties. It is packed with effective anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe damaged skin. Just as it remedies terrible skin conditions, it can also treat tears, especially in the anus. This is a fact that has the backing of science.
All you just need to do is slit the leaf open and apply the gel to the affected area of your anus. Repeat this methodology about three times a day and record your experiences. Not only will aloe vera help heal up your wounds faster, but it can also help protect your wound from being infected.
Dietary Fiber
Consuming enough fiber-rich foods is a natural way of preventing and even treating anal fissures. Experts have made it clear that females should consume up to 25% of fiber and males 35%. This will help in the elimination of bowel conditions that may cause your anus to tear. However, it is quite unfortunate that most people do not meet up these fiber requirements.
Fiber is known to help in the regulation of the texture of the stool. It prevents your stool from being too hard to tear your anus and too soft to cause diarrhea. When your stool is neither too soft nor too hard, it makes the process easier, as fissures do not get irritated or begin to tear up during the process. Some fiber-rich foods that can help you regulate your bowel movement, as well as the texture of your stool, include;
- Split peas
- Pumpkin seeds
- Beans
- Cowpea
- Avocado
- Soybeans
- Chickpeas
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is packed with many health-benefiting properties. As you use it to treat your anal fissure, it also goes into your body to improve the functions of other parts of your body while preserving your organs in the process. Straining while passing stool can be a painful experience if you have an anal fissure.
One of the major causes of straining is constipation, and apple cider vinegar is an awesome remedy for constipation. This is because it is packed with fiber properties that help not only in the digestion of foods but also in the easy and smooth movement of the bowel. All you need to do is mix apple cider vinegar with honey and drink the mixture at least twice a day. This will, on the one hand, help you heal your anal tears, and on the other hand, it will also help ensure the easy movement of your bowel.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is known for its wide range of healing properties, both inside and outside the body. Consuming foods prepared with olive oil can help lubricate the organs in your body, especially your digestive tract, thereby making the process of passing stool easier. In addition, it is packed with properties that can soothe the pain you feel in your anus during anal fissures.
This effect is courtesy of its anti-inflammatory properties. Also, applying olive oil mixed with honey to the affected area of the anus can help speed up your healing process.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is rich with properties that make it easy to get absorbed into the skin. When you apply coconut oil to your anus when you have anal fissures, it gets absorbed into your skin and heals up the tear while lubricating it in the process. Apply coconut oil roughly about three times a day to the affected areas.
Drink Enough Water
When your body lacks water, your stool becomes so hard, and you will most likely suffer from constipation. Constipation here will make you strain excessively while passing stool. Aside from this, drinking liquid also helps in the proper maintenance of your kidneys. In other words, as much as you drink water to ease up your bowels and make your stool softer for easy passage, it also goes into your body to maintain and protect your vital organs from damage.
8 glasses of water is the average amount of water recommended by experts for everyone to drink daily. Drinking at least 7-8 cups of water every day is good for your health. You can also add water-based foods and fruits to your diet. Some of these foods include;
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Celery
- Strawberries
- Tomato
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
Conclusion
Anal fissures can be uncomfortable, painful, and frustrating. Depending on the degree of the fissure, mild ones can heal up on their own, and sometimes with the aid of some home remedies, while chronic ones may require medical attention.
