Diet gun

Anal fissure is a skin tear or injury inside the anal canal.

Anal fissures cause pain, especially during bowel movements.

Usually this injury (skin tears) of the anus causes pain such as a burning sensation during defecation and is often accompanied by bleeding and itching.

Anal fissures affect all ages but are more common in babies and middle-aged adults.

Primary anal fissures
Primary anal fissures, which are the most common type, occur in generally healthy individuals and are associated with constipation as there is trauma during hard bowel movements but can also be from other types of trauma to the anal area such as birth trauma, vaginal infections or reactive from the use of personal hygiene products or from anal sex, usually when objects are used or when there is insufficient lubrication.

Such types of fissures respond well to proper nutritional interventions and parallel conservative treatment with topical ointments and mild laxatives.

Secondary anal fissures
Secondary anal fissures are the result of an underlying condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, sexually transmitted diseases or anal cancer.

Such types of fissures require treatment of the underlying cause in addition to treatment of the fissure itself.

Since the most common causes of anal fissures are constipation with intense straining during defecation and also large and/or hard stools, in addition to treatment with mild laxatives (laxatives that form bulky and soft stools so that there is one bowel movement per day) and the use of topical ointments (anesthetics and nitrites for better healing of the area), the diet should include a balanced amount of fiber and not an excessive amount of fiber.

Drinking at least 2 liters of water per day will help soften the stools in the colon.

A diet rich in plant fibers should contain the following:

Vegetables:

Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach

Starchy vegetables:

Peas

Fruits:

Avocado, kiwi, pear, apple, orange, figs

Legumes:

Chickpeas, lentils, beans

Whole grains:

Oats, barley, quinoa, bulgur, whole grain bread

Nuts:

Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts

Seeds:

Sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia

If we have diarrhea, fiber intake should be stopped for as long as it lasts and fiber should be slowly reintroduced into the diet.

If there is also active irritable bowel syndrome along with anal fissures, fiber should be limited and nuts and seeds should not be consumed because they usually create intolerance and bloating, resulting in the exacerbation of anal fissures.


Sources of the article
Dietary Changes to Prevent and Heal Anal Fissures
Diet and other risk factors for fissure-in-ano. Prospective case control study
Diarrhea
Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Diarrhea
Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The Mediterranean diet for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)