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Fissures & Diet

Fissures are a painful condition that are all-too-common throughout the world. While avoiding developing a fissure in the first place is clearly the best solution, that is not much help if you are already suffering. If you have been diagnosed with a fissure, dietary manipulations can provide an answer--minimizing your pain while maximizing your chances for a speedy recovery.

  1. Fissures

    • A fissure is a tiny tear in the lining of your colon. A fissure typically occurs from the passage of either exceptional hard or large bowel movements. While a fissure can cause both rectal bleeding and pain, more than 90 percent of fissures heal on their own, without the need for medical intervention or surgery. Common symptoms include fresh (bright red) blood on toilet paper after wiping, burning mid-bowel movement and itching around the anus.

    Fissures and Diet

    • As fissures are primarily caused and re-irritated by the passing of exceptional stools during a bowel movement, diet can assist your efforts in remaining fissure-free by smoothing out the natural digestive processes through the inclusion of additional fiber in your diet. Consumption of additional fiber (both soluble and insoluble) can help normalize bowel movements, allowing you to avoid developing fissures or reducing irritation on current fissures, providing for swift healing.

    Implementing a Fissure-Free Diet

    • To implement a fissure-free diet, aim to consume between 20 and 30 grams of fiber every single day, split between soluble and insoluble types. Whereas soluble fiber merges with the contents of your stomach to form a gel (smoothing bowel movements), insoluble fiber passes through the digestive tract intact, effectively cleaning your intestines as it travels.

    Sample Foods

    • Primary foods containing soluble fiber include grains such as oats, flax, barley and psyllium. Additionally, soluble fiber is contained within beans and peas, along with nuts, carrots, oranges and apples. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, is largely present within whole wheat items, nuts, seeds and green vegetables. You should aim to have at least one soluble and one insoluble fiber source with every meal.

    Considerations

    • Remember that the softer your stool is, the less of a chance that you will accidentally reopen an existing fissure. Thus, keeping your fiber intake high can both avoid future fissures and heal existing ones. In addition to regulating your fiber intake, you would also benefit by consuming at least eight eight ounce glasses of water every day, as this will also help to smooth out the digestive process. Finally, if your fissure becomes too unbearable even in the presence of additional fiber, consider purchasing an over-the-counter stool softener until the healing process is complete.

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