Anal fissures are small ulcerations of the mucosa near the anal orifice due to a wound created during defecation.

The area is particularly dense with nerve endings which, when subjected to muscle contractures and dilations of the anal tract, make the ailment painful and irritating.
Let’s find out better how to cure them.

• Symptoms of anal fissures
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatments for anal fissures i
• Natural remedies
• Chinese medicine and acupuncture

Symptoms of anal fissures

The presence of fissures causes contraction of the anal sphincter with consequent protracted pain. There is talk of a real pain syndrome in three stages of the fissure : the pain occurs when the stools pass, then subsides for a few minutes, and returns more intense later and can last for several hours.

Painful symptoms with sphincter spasm can be accompanied by burning and light bleeding , technically defined as rectorrhages, less abundant than those caused by the presence of hemorrhoids.

These lesions can become chronic and manifest themselves more clearly, even with fistulized fissureswhich require the intervention of a surgeon, to avoid very serious infections.

The fissurectumia surgery today is at the forefront, carried out with diode laser surgery that allows you to make a deep wound flat, let it transpire to definitively cleanse itself of secretions. It is an operation that requires 10 consecutive days of rest and that many describe as an operation in which the fissure is “burned”, since an electric scalpel is used.

Causes 

The first cause for the presence of fissures is intestinal irregularity , constipation and all that this disorder brings with it, including the abuse of laxatives .

The efforts exerted for defecation, the incorrect posture assumed, and the hard consistency of the stools lead to possible lesions of the mucous membrane of the anal tract. To overcome these difficulties, remedies irritating to the intestine are often abused or enemas are used which, in already compromised conditions, accelerate injury times.

Also the opposite problem, frequent dysentery with the presence of liquid compounds with an altered pH cause the formation of anal fissures.

Poor hygiene and sexual practices involving anal intercourse can create trauma to the mucosa and painful lesions.

Diagnosis 

In the diagnostic phase, other pathologies such as hemorrhoids, neoplasms of the anus and rectum, inflammatory and sexually transmitted diseases  must be excluded .

For this reason, the dialogue with the proctologist is essential to investigate how the pain manifests itself, if it is divided into three times and if there is bleeding and sphincter spasm.

Treatments for anal fissures

• Diet 

Food has always been the first curative remedy. Correcting some habits to help the intestine reprogram peristalsis and the natural hydration of the mucosa is essential to emulsify the fecal material.

It is recommended to consume foods with a high fiber content and drink plenty of water regularly.
Whole foods should not be missing from the diet: wholemeal bread, brown rice, pasta, oats, legumes, if well tolerated, because otherwise they could cause bloating and meteorism , such as beans and lentils, fruit, vegetables.

Also fiber supplements to keep the stool soft : among these psyllium and bran available in herbalist’s or in health food stores.

Natural remedies for anal fissures 

It is very useful to resort to a topical herbal muscle relaxant , such as bay leaves and sweet almond oil to calm the spasms and other ointments useful to heal the lesion, for example based on calendula .

Before reaching conditions of fistulized anal fissure that involves fissurectomy , or in any case to chronic conditions that require mechanical practices with dilators or balloons, it is advisable to ask your doctor and trusted herbalist for advice to identify some natural remedies that help the scarring and epithelial restoration of the lesion. Let’s see some aids that can be provided by nature’s pharmacy:

• Paeonia officinalis: is a remedy used both in phytotherapy and in homeopathy for its astringent, absorbent and healing properties. It is indicated for anal fistulas, fissures and hemorrhoids , it can be taken both for internal use and for local applications with ointments.
• Aesculus ippocastanum , in glycerine macerate: works on circulation, has astringent properties, helps speed up tissue healing times. Thanks to the presence of escin it reduces bleeding.
• Marigold macerate , to be used for local washing: thanks to its anti-inflammatory, soothing, anti-spasm and healing properties.
• Arnica is suitable for local brushing. Helps to hydrate and heal the tissues.
• Ointment of propolis and hypericum : acts as a soothing, calms spasms, softens the tissue, heals the fissure, thanks to the action of hypericum. It has an antibacterial and protective action thanks to the virtues of propolis.

You can learn  the properties of psyllium for the treatment of anal fissures

Traditional Chinese medicine for anal fissures

Chinese herbal medicine includes a wide range of poultices, steam baths and ointments.  The dry extracts are used easily and comfortably for topical applications: they are dissolved in water and transformed into a gel, thus obtaining substances that are easy to consume and have a great therapeutic effect. 

Li Shi Zhen during the Ming dynasty took about 27 years to write one of the most important Chinese phytotherapy texts called Ben Cao Gan Mu which described and illustrated, just think, 1,892 individual phytotherapeutic substances and 11,000 phytotherapeutic formulas or recipes.

Many gels for specific skin problems indicated in classical herbal medicine and prepared according to Chinese medicine parameters contain a powerful antioxidant action on the skin.

Absolute “king” in this area is a remedy known as Ren Shen or Radix Ginseng . Its extreme revitalizing power allows you to benefit from an immediate relief effect, testifying to its immediate effectiveness: once applied to the skin it is perceived as a very slight tingling which corresponds to an increase in cellular metabolism.

Acupuncture can also be an alternative technique to counteract the formation of fissures and alleviate painful symptoms. Vibrational acupuncture specifically, performed with a tuning fork, provides encouraging results.