Anal fissure may not be very harmful, yet it causes pain and discomfort which can be unendurable. Having an anal fissure may also cause the patient to avoid bowel movement and defecation, which in fact, will have some negative impacts to the entire health condition. Anal fissures can be suffered by almost anyone in any range of age—adults, children, and infants, and this health problem is quite common. While most fissures heal by itself without any specific treatments, this anal tear or split can cause major change to daily digestion process. Hence, preventing it is the best treatment, which is crucial.

Preventing Anal Fissures

Painful sensation which at many times is accompanied by the excrement of fresh blood in the anal canal might be worrying issue with bowel movement, and this can make people avoid it. However, avoiding daily bowel movement will affect the entire digestion—the stool, which is already hard and causes fissure is going to get harder, so that the possibility of having worse anal fissure is higher. In order to prevent hard stool—the most frequent culprit of anal fissures, it is crucial to avoid constipation. Promoting bulk, soft stool is very helpful in preventing the occurrence of anal split, which can be painful and uncomfortable. Some ways to prevent anal fissures include:

• Changing the diets

Diets is the main contributor in producing hard stool. Unbalanced diets and lack of certain nutrients and substances cause improper digestion, which causes variety of effects, including constipation. Hence, turning into healthier menus and food consumption is important. Add more greens, fruits, and raw nuts into the diet in order to provide the body sufficient amount of natural fiber, which will reduce the risk of constipation and thus, anal fissures.

• Staying hydrated

We all are aware of the importance of water for our body. Preventing severe constipation is one of those. Consuming plenty of fluids will keeps your body and system hydrated with sufficient fluids. Hence, soft, bulk stool can be easier to produce. To prevent dehydration and thus, constipation and fissures, avoid drinking fluids which are going to make you go to the toilet often, such as caffeine and alcohol.

• Exercising effectively

Enough exercising time in daily basis will improve your entire digestion and prevent constipation. There are various kinds of physical exercises which can be done to make your body more active and thus, function effectively. Do running, cycling, or jogging for about 30 minutes in daily basis for a more active lifestyle, which keeps you from constipation and fissures.

• Stop delaying the urge to go

When your body tells you the urge to go to the toilet, do not ignore it. Putting it off to long will cause the stool to harden and dry out. Hence, it will be more difficult to pass through the anal section, resulting in the risk of split anal which can be painful.

• Avoiding straining and sitting on the toilet too long

When you have the urge, pass the bowel movement naturally and comfortably. Straining too hard will cause the anal section to contract more than it should be able to. As a result, it will tear and split, causing anal fissures which are painful during and after bowel movements.

• Anal fissures are not only familiar in adults, but also children and infants. To prevent it from occurring in infants, some things to consider include:
  • Adding more fiber into their additional diets. Provide the babies with bananas, papaya, and apples, which are good for proper digestion.
  • Reducing dairy products.
  • Keeping the anal section clean. Immediately change the diaper once it is wet or soiled. Wipe baby’s anal section with water and cotton cloth to remove all dirt. Wait until it dries before wearing the babies a new diaper.
  • Use soft and scent-free toilet paper or wipes to prevent allergies, which can end up in fissures in infants.
  • If the baby has diarrhea, immediately get the treatment for it. Continuous diarrhea will tend to cause anal split, which happens often with infants. This is similar to constipation. When the baby strains hard while performing bowel movements, it is important to get the treatment for it to prevent fissures.