Anal fissures are tears or sores in the anus that result from the overstretching of the muscles in the area. Common causes of anal fissures are constipation, anal sex, diarrhea and childbirth. Treatment methods for this condition include lifestyle modifications in diet, fluid consumption, exercise, bowel movement routine, and many others that could prevent the worsening of an existing anal pressure or the development of a new one.
Sticking to a high-fiber diet is one of the most common ways to treat this condition because fiber softens the stool and facilitates defecation. However, experts suggest another way to treat the condition by changing the diet, and this is through avoidance of some foods. The 5 types of foods to avoid because they are responsible for the formation of anal fissures are wheat, egg, tomato, cow’s milk and its derivatives, and chocolates. These cause chronic constipation due to hypersensitivity. Preventing constipation by eliminating these foods in the diet will eventually prevent the development of anal fissures.
The five foods mentioned above cause hypersensitivity which then leads to chronic constipation. Researchers have found that these foods cause constipation that is not always resolved by standard treatments like high-fiber diet, increased hydration, and even laxative intake. These foods have derivatives that cause hypersensitivity to some adults, and totally avoiding them is the only way to prevent constipation. What do these five foods have in common? The answer is gluten, and this is the ingredient that causes a hypersensitivity reaction to people who suffer from chronic constipation. And it is not easily diagnosed because gluten is present in most foods consumed daily.
In cases of anal fissures, avoiding the five foods while doing the standard treatment methods of the condition proves to be effective. The absence of constipation is only one solved cause. Keeping the stool soft and having regular bowel movement are achieved by taking stool softeners or laxatives that could either be prescribed or purchased over-the-counter.
Other helpful measures to take to treat anal fissures are taking a sitz bath three times a day for 20 minutes, having a regular exercise routine, using wet wipes to clean the anus, and applying of doctor-prescribed creams that heal the tears. All of these measures should be done together with avoidance of the five foods that cause chronic constipation in order to effectively avoid anal fissure formation.
Studies are still continuously being done to clearly establish the connection of food hypersensitivity to the 5 types of foods to avoid because they are responsible for the formation of anal fissures (secondary to chronic constipation). The on-going studies may or may not add more foods to the list. For now, it is safest and smartest to avoid such foods because researchers have proven that eliminating them on the diet prevents constipation for those people who are hypersensitive to them.
Hypersensitivity to food may manifest through the most subtle ways and the damage to the body may take effect in other seemingly unrelated forms, such as chronic constipation.