It is a pretty common phenomenon that once in a while a person experiences severe pain that aptly describes what happens during and after using the bathroom. What is worse is that sometimes, occurrences like these are accompanied by blood in the stool, blood dripping in the drain, or blood stains in the toilet paper. These are some of the indications that you might be suffering from anal fissure. Can it be treated? Yes.
Immediately call your doctor to ask for treatment and prevention of a worsened anal fissure. There are treatments available focusing on the relief from pain and the healing of the tear or crack in the anal canal and anus which causes the bleeding and serves as the source of pain. Home remedies are many but discuss them with your doctor. If you plan to go the natural herbal way, ask your doctor about it. And one of the things you might want to mention to your doctor is the possibility of using Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) to treat anal fissure.
Dong quai is a popular indigenous herb in China also called as “female ginseng.” The plant grows in mountains where the temperature is cool in places like Japan and Korea. Chinese medicine has thousands of years in history of the use of the herb to treat various diseases known to human being. It is the root of the plant which is yellowish brown that is harvested and used as medicine. The roots are dried and used in the treatment of mild anemia, high blood pressure, fatigue, infections, inflammation, headaches, cardiovascular conditions and osteoarthritis. Traditional medicine also uses it primarily for the improvement of women’s health.
Despite its history of use, there is still a lack of scientific studies to verify the effectiveness of the herb in humans. But what is certain and good to note is that the active components of the plant have been known. The plant contains the chemical compound butylidenephthalide which shows antispasmodic activity. Its chemical constituents are coumarins, polysaccharides, flavonoids, ferulate and phytosterols.
Confirm with your doctor if you can use Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) to treat anal fissure when there are contraindications of its use with other drugs. One of them is the increase risk of bleeding because it might intensify the anticoagulant effects of blood thinners such as warfarin. Herbs or supplements known to slow blood clotting must also be avoided in combination with dong quai due to its antiplatelet effect. Among those known to slow blood clotting are garlic, ginger and ginkgo. Taking the herb can also make the skin extra-sensitive to light especially from the sun thereby increasing the risk of getting skin cancer. Some say that dong quai can also be used for the treatment of ulcers and constipation but there are not enough clinical trials for it.
Anal fissure in either cases of acute and chronic are treatable. Just make sure to talk to your doctor about it – always remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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