Home Remedies for Anal Fissures | Chennai Laser Gastro

Anal fissure is a tear in the anal canal that can form due to various reasons (discussed below). Anal fissure results in bleeding from the anus especially when passing stools. Still may contain blood or may have streaks of blood on it. Sometimes anal fissures heal on their with changes in diet and with some home remedies. If the fissure is deeper, it needs medical intervention and treatment to heal. In this article, Dr. Karthik Gunasekaran, the most sought after gastroenterologist in Chennai puts across some home remedies for anal fissures that can help treat them or at least, they can help you with treating the symptoms to a great extent.

What causes anal fissures?

Diarrhoea and constipation are two main reasons for formation of fissures. High tension in the sphincter muscles during diarrhoea or when suffering from constipation can lead to pain, spasms and tears. Conditions such as hypothyroidism, obesity can also cause fissures. Tuberculosis, Sarcoidosis, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS, Syphilis can also cause anal fissures. Fissures that are caused due to these diseases usually tend to last longer and take time to heal and may sometimes need surgery.

Home remedies to treat anal fissure or it’s symptoms

“The important mantra is, you need to reduce the strain on the sphincter muscles while passing stools. If you are suffering from constipation or if your stools are too tight to pass, you need to add more fiber in your food and soften them” says Dr. Karthik Gunasekaran.

Sitz bath

A Sitz bath is a small bowl usually placed on top of a (western) toilet seat. It is filled with warm water and a little bit of Epsom salt is dissolved in it. You need to then sit on it for some time. This can help reduce the pain and the burning sensation in the anal region and help in the healing of fissures.

Inclusion of fibre in your diet

It is important to include lot of fiber in your diet. Fiber can help you pass your stools with ease and can also help with constipation problem. Following are the foods rich in fiber:

Legumes
Whole grains (whole wheat, barley, corn, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum)
Nuts
Avocados
Pears
Berries
Coconut
Peas
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Chickpeas
Turnip
Broccolli

Stool Softeners

If you are suffering from constipation, the first thing you need to do is, drink a lot of water. A glass of warm water as soon as you wake up from bed can help a lot in bowel movements. Stool softeners are medicines that you can take after consulting a doctor.

Along with water, add a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet than processed foods. Fruits and vegetables have fiber in them and also are easily digested. Fruits and vegetables rich in water content can help you in easing constipation. Eg. Watermelon, spinach, strawberries, tomato, cucumber, celery, musk melon, cabbage etc.

Regular workout

If you are overweight or obese, you must work out regularly and bring down your weight to the right levels. Even if you are in good shape already, you still need to work out to stay fit. Regular exercise not only keeps a tab on your weight but also helps in improving the metabolism of your body and helps in passing stools easily. Did you know that some people go to the restroom after working out to pass stools? Also, when you work out, blood flow to all parts of the body is increased and that again helps in the healing of anal fissures.

The above-mentioned home remedies for the treatment of anal fissures are not just for treating the existing fissures but they can also help in avoiding recurrence or formation of fissures for the first time. If you have tried these home remedies and still not finding any improvement in the symptoms or still seeing streaks of blood on your stools, please see a good gastroenterologist near you. If you are in Chennai, you can call us at +91 97102 04044 or +91 90928 49786 to fix an appointment with one of our top gastroenterologists in Chennai.