Anal Fissure Treatments: What You Should Know
If you have ever had an experience in which you have had bright red bleeding following a bowel movement, or sharp severe pain while having one, you may be one of many people who have suffered from anal fissures at one point or another. Anal fissures are small tears in the rectum or anus that occur due to tissue trauma and that result in bleeding and other symptoms. You may wonder what you can do to treat these fissures and prevent them from recurring. Luckily there are both home and medical remedies that can help you with anal fissures. All you need to do is learn the options available to you and give them a try.
Change Your Diet
Anal fissures can occur as the result of hard stool that actually tears the internal lining of your anus or rectum. As such, one of the easiest ways to prevent future fissures is to adjust your diet.
Increasing your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables can help to soften the stool, preventing the type of bowel movements that can cause anal fissures. You should also avoid processed foods that can cause digestive upset and constipation. Instead, try whole grains and beans that are high in fiber. This too will help to naturally remedy your digestive problems that cause anal fissures.
Take A Sitz Bath
To help remedy your pain and discomfort due to an acute or chronic anal fissure, you can try taking a sitz bath. A sitz bath is a shallow (only a few inches), warm bath that you can soak in a few times a day as needed.
You should not spend more than 20 minutes at a time in this bath as it may dry out your skin if you do so. However, the warm water will help to temporarily ease your pain and discomfort, and will help to ease muscle tension that contributes to the development of anal fissures.
Consider Surgical Options
If you have chronic anal fissures that just will not heal and are painful or uncomfortable, simple home remedies may no longer be sufficient treatment options. Instead, you may need to consider the possibility of surgery.
A rectal surgeon at a center like Pilipshen Colon and Rectal Surgical Services will be able to perform a procedure known as a sphincterotomy. This is a surgery in which your surgeon will make a small incision on the interior of your anus or rectum to relieve the muscle tension or possible spasm that is preventing your fissures from healing and is causing them to recur. Such a simple procedure could save you months or even years of pain and discomfort.
As you can see, there are various treatment options available to you to treat your anal fissures. All you need to do is give them a try so that you can prevent future pain, discomfort, and bleeding.
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