Unlock Rapid Fissure Healing with the Ultimate Liquid Diet Guide!

An anal fissure, a tear or crack in the lining of the anus, can cause significant pain and bleeding, especially during bowel movements. While various treatments exist, dietary modifications, particularly a liquid diet, can play a crucial role in promoting healing and alleviating discomfort. This article explores the benefits of a liquid diet for fissure healing, the types of liquid foods to include, and other essential considerations.

Understanding Anal Fissures

An anal fissure is a tear or small crack in the lining of the anus. Medical conditions such as constipation, diarrhea, the passing of hard stools, and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are some of the causes of anal fissure, which leads to severe pain and bleeding during and after bowel movements. Anal fissures are a common problem; however, they’re typically not a serious condition. They can affect people of all ages and stages of life, and they’re often seen in infants and young children, as this age group can commonly experience constipation. In most cases, fissures occur from passing hard, dry stools. Other common causes are constipation, straining, and inflammatory bowel disease. In rare cases, anal fissures can occur as a result of HIV, anal cancer, and tumors. Anal fissures usually heal within 4-6 weeks. Diet and lifestyle modifications can help reduce pain and complications associated with fissures, although no one food can heal fissures.

The Role of Diet in Fissure Healing

The foods you eat have a great impact on how quickly your anal fissures heal. The chief elements of the anal fissures diet are consuming a high fibrous diet and drinking lots of fluids. Eating a fibrous diet helps improve constipation and smoothen your bowel movements.

Benefits of a Liquid Diet

A liquid diet can significantly ease the pain and discomfort of anal fissures by softening stools, reducing strain, and promoting healing.

Softens Stools and Reduces Pain

Liquids like broths and juices help soften stools, making bowel movements easier to pass and reducing straining, which is a major cause of pain during anal fissure recovery.

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Eases Inflammation and Promotes Healing

Soups and smoothies help soothe the anal area, reduce inflammation, and speed up the healing process.

Prevents Constipation and Keeps You Hydrated

Drinking plenty of liquids helps prevent constipation by keeping your digestive system hydrated and functioning well. Experts suggest drinking 3 to 4 liters of water per day, to improve digestion.

Top Liquid Foods for Fissure Healing

Clear Broths

Clear broths are rich in hydration, helping prevent constipation, which is critical for anyone dealing with anal fissure.

Fresh Fruit Juices

Fresh fruit juices are packed with vitamins and antioxidants that support tissue repair, aiding the healing process of anal fissure.

Additional Dietary Recommendations

Maintain a high fiber diet (25-30 grams). Also, consuming high fibrous foods such as chia seeds, flax seeds, and green leafy vegetables help in preventing constipation. Make a habit of adding more fiber to your diet.

Foods to Include

Fiber-rich food: Eating about 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day will help you to pass soft stools which will heal your fissure and also aid in the bowel movements. Such fibrous foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits are high in fiber and low in calories. So, you can consume them to heal fissure as they are also good in antioxidants which helps in taming inflammation and flare-ups.
Peas and beans: This category includes beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts etc. Which are rich in both kinds of fibers, especially soluble types. This will help in preventing straining and unnecessary pressure while passing stool which might aggravate the fissure.
Wheat bran: Consuming wheat bran will help you control mild constipation. Although they are not known as stool softeners they are a very good source of fiber.
Flax seeds: These are loaded with fiber and omega 3 fatty acids that help in preventing constipation and straining. These are also natural laxatives.
Apple: Apples are rich in a fiber named pectin which is a soluble fiber. It keeps your digestive tract in a gel-like consistency. This property of apple adds bulk to your stool and helps you pass softer stool.
Papaya: Papayas are great for your digestion. Papaya contains an enzyme named papain which aids smooth digestion. These are also high in fiber and water content; hence it prevents constipation and promotes regularity. (Pregnant women should not consume it) Studies have shown that Caricol, a supplement made with papayas, helped improve constipation and bloating among people with gastrointestinal dysfunction and digestive disorders. Papayas are also hydrating, as they comprise 88% water. Getting enough water can help prevent dry stools associated with dehydration. Yet, avoid eating too much papaya, as they’re very high in fiber. Some people report digestive discomfort with high fiber intakes. One large papaya contains 13 grams of fiber, which are about 50% and 34% of the recommended daily needs for women and men, respectively.
Watermelon: Watermelon has high water content and some fiber which helps in promoting a healthy gut which in turn prevents constipation and aids in regular smooth bowel movement.
Root vegetables: These are rich in intestine healthy fibers. You can eat them by roasting or boiling and making a stew of them with the skins on. This will provide your body with that resistant starch which enables you to pass soft stool without straining, pain and burns.
Broccoli: Broccoli is very well known for its property of bulking up the stool. Hence, it helps in easy bowel movements which helps in healing fissures. It is also known for its anti-cancer qualities. It has a good amount of soluble fibers which will keep you regular.
Lemons: Lemons are bursting with vitamin C. In fact, the juice from 1 lemon has 21% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C for an adult. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that plays an essential role in collagen synthesis and skin health. It’s found to be involved in all phases of wound healing, and a deficiency can significantly impair the healing process. As vitamin C is water-soluble, it’s not stored in the body, so it’s important to get enough vitamin C daily. Enjoy lemons squeezed in water or tea. Doing so will also promote adequate hydration to prevent constipation or dry stools.
Bananas: Bananas are a good source of fiber, which may help relieve constipation. One review found that 77% of people with constipation experienced increased stool frequency and softer stool consistency after increasing their fiber intake. One medium banana contains 3 grams of fiber, making it a good source of this nutrient. Men and women are advised to eat 38 grams and 25 grams of fiber per day, respectively. The ripeness of your banana is important. Unripe bananas have a higher amylase-resistant starch level, which can aggravate preexisting constipation. Bananas’ levels of resistant starch decrease as the fruit ripens.
Oatmeal: Oatmeal is loaded with soluble fiber, which helps your stools retain water. This may help prevent dry stools, a common cause of fissures. Ultimately, eating more oatmeal and other foods with soluble fiber keeps stools soft, making them easier to pass. Oatmeal also contains avenanthramides, which are compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. Fighting inflammation is an essential part of healing fissures, and this phytochemical may help contribute to the process.
Legumes: Legumes like beans, chickpeas, and lentils are a good source of zinc, a mineral that plays an important role in wound healing. In fact, a zinc deficiency can be a major cause of tissue injury. One cup of kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils contains 11%, 14%, and 20% of the DV, respectively. In addition to zinc, legumes are an exceptional source of fiber, which helps soften and regulate stools to prevent fissures. One cup of beans provides approximately 11-16 grams of this nutrient.
Probiotic foods: Probiotic foods will help you with the problem of constipation which will prevent you from spending too much time on toilet seat straining and causing harm to the fissure which will obstruct the healing process. Just make sure these foods do not contain artificial sweeteners or sugars if you purchase them from the supermarket. Curd is promoted in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment that works by targeting the digestive tract and promoting regular, pain-free bowel movements. Its probiotic potential is the foundation of this approach. Curd is made by mixing boiled milk with an acid, such as lemon or vinegar. Live bacterial cultures convert lactose into lactic acid. Depending on the strain, the probiotics may help relieve constipation. However, not all curds contain bacterial cultures that exert probiotic effects to help improve digestive health and bowel movements. The probiotic properties of homemade curds can be inconsistent. If you want to reap the benefits of probiotic-rich foods, opt for yogurt containing live bacterial cultures, sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi.

Foods to Avoid

Avoid junk foods that contain a large number of calories from sugar or with little fiber, protein, and minerals.

Spicy food
Processed food
Bakery delicacies- cake, pastries, etc.
Deep-fried food
Dairy products
Meat
Caffeinated drinks or food
Alcohol

Additional Tips for Fissure Healing

Bowel habits: Avoid straining to have a bowel movement. The high-fiber diet should help soften the stool to make it easier to pass, reducing the need to strain. If increasing fiber does not soften the stool, try over-the-counter stool softeners (such as docusate sodium - Colace) and/or laxatives (milk of magnesia, mineral oil, magnesium citrate, or Miralax preferred). Diarrhea can worsen the fissure.
Cleansing: Try to avoid toilet paper as this will further irritate the area. Instead use sitz-baths/showers or gentle cleansing with a moist wipe for sensitive skin. Avoid wipes with fragrance as they typically have alcohol and can irritate you skin.
Sitz baths: This is a method to provide pain relief and speed the healing of the fissure. This involves sitting in a warm bath or shower, directed at the anal area. These should be done two to three times a day for 10 to 15 minutes. These can also be used to clean the anal area after a bowel movement to avoid further irritation caused from using toilet paper.
Pain medications: Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents (example: Ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, and Motrin) are the preferred medications to decrease inflammation and help with pain. Narcotic pain medications should be avoided because of the constipation they may cause, worsening the fissure.
Plenty of water: Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated and keeps the digestion regulated and smooth. More water means less straining and hence healing fissure.
Exercise: Getting more exercise.
Clothing: Wearing loose, cotton underwear.
Do not strain during bowel movements.
Never ignore your urge to pass stools.
Increase the fluid intake, you can include fresh lime juice.
Avoid excessive consumption of too spicy food, alcohol and heavy meals in the evening.
Be active and avoid passive lifestyle.
Avoid stress and anxiety.
Indulge in some light physical exercises, deep breathing exercises, meditation practice and yoga postures. These habits will help you have positive vibes and also aid in quick healing with better blood flow throughout the body.

Medical Treatments

Lidocaine 2% jelly: Lidocaine is a topical anesthetic that will numb the anal fissure, reducing symptoms. Lidocaine can be applied two to three times a day as needed.
Nifedipine 0.2% ointment: Nifedipine may be prescribed for chronic fissures to decrease anal sphincter spasm; it improves blood flow to the area, healing the fissure. It is applied twice daily and takes at least 4 to 6 weeks to be effective.
Neomycin hydrocortisone suppositories: One suppository inserted at bedtime for 2 weeks.
Botox: Outpatient surgery treatment for patients in whom a lateral internal sphincterotomy may be risky.
Sphincterotomy: A same-day surgical procedure to divide the portion of internal sphincter that is in spasm.
Kshar Sutra Treatment: Graded Kshar Sutra treatment is an Ayurvedic therapy that involves using a medicated thread to treat chronic anal fissures and fistulas. The thread, coated with medicinal herbs, has anti-inflammatory and healing properties, which help reduce pain and inflammation, promoting faster healing. The Graded Kshar Sutra is placed around the fissure or fistula. Over time, the thread helps heal the tissue and reduces inflammation, speeding up the recovery process naturally. This non-invasive procedure is ideal for those looking for an effective solution to chronic anal fissures without surgery. It promotes natural healing and avoids the need for invasive treatments.

The DePOT Concept

The DePOT (defecation is put on-hold temporarily) concept involves temporarily suspending defecation for a week to provide immediate pain relief and promote faster resolution of the underlying disease by removing the aggravating factor. During this period, it is essential to ensure that the daily requirements of protein, minerals, vitamins, water, and fats are met. An enema is given on the first day to evacuate the rectum.

When to Seek Medical Advice

If fissures don’t heal within 8 weeks, they’re considered to be chronic. At this point, talk with your doctor, as you may require surgery. They may also investigate for any potential underlying causes. After all these dietary changes, if anal fissure is persistent or gets worse, consult a doctor. Something is wrong. Get a proper diagnosis for fissure to know the underlying cause so that the doctors can provide you with the right treatment necessary. You can get an online consultation with our doctors for your digestive disorders.

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