Anal fissure refers to a cut, tear or crack in the lining of the anus. Anus is an opening at the lower end of our gastrointestinal tract through which stool leaves the body. A prominent reason behind an anal fissure is persistent constipation.
Homeopathic remedies offer a natural, effective and non-invasive treatment for this medical condition. There is complete recovery with homeopathy which does away with the need for surgical intervention. Homeopathic medicines help in soothing anal pain, reduce the burning sensation, control anal bleeding if any and any associated discharge. The cracks in anal lining also get healed naturally. The most important hindrance in the healing of the anal cut is constipation with hard stool. While the healing process is on, if the crack gets scratched repeatedly by a hard constipated stool, cure gets delayed. To prevent this, the stool passed needs to be soft. Here, homeopathy brings relief by softening the stool and regularizing bowel movements. In this way, the underlying cause of constipation is addressed which makes the healing of cuts easy. Treating constipation from the root prevents recurrence of anal tears due to hard and dry stool.
Is homeopathy effective in treating Anal Fissures
1. Homeopathic medicines are made of natural substances so they have zero side effects.
2. Besides symptomatic management of the disease, homeopathic remedies restores the body’s healing process. They will only help the body, not bring any harm. They are helpful for acute or chronic and recurrent anal fissure cases.
3. Homeopathy suits people of all age groups. Medicines for anal fissure are prescribed based on the individual’s peculiar needs in every case that helps in preventing its recurrence. However, it is always advised to consult a homeopathic doctor to get the right medicines and avoid self-medication.
Best 12 Homeopathic Remedies For Anal Fissures
Among several homeopathic medicines for anal fissure, the most important ones are Ratanhia Peruviana, Nitricum Acidum, Graphites Naturalis, Paeonia Officinalis, Thuja Occidentalis, Sedum Acre, Petroleum, Bryonia Alba, Nux Vomica, Silicea Terra, Sulphur and Calcarea Sulphurica.
1. Ratanhia Peruviana – Top-Grade Medicine for Anal Fissures
Ratanhia Peruviana ranks as the number one medicine to treat an anal fissure. It is very effective in relieving intense pain and burning sensation in the anus while passing stool. The pain may remain for several hours thereafter. A very peculiar feature of the anal pain is the feeling of pieces of broken glass or a knife piercing the anus. Constipation is prominent and stool is passed with much straining.
When to use Ratanhia Peruviana?
When a person feels sharp pain like piercing with a knife, a burning sensation and pain in the anal area during or after passing stool.
How to use Ratanhia Peruviana?
Mostly used in 30C potency taken twice or thrice a day. In some cases, higher potency 200C is recommended, to be had just once a day.
2. Nitricum Acidicum – For Fissures Where there Is Anal Bleeding And Pain
Nitricum Acidicum is the best medicine for anal fissure with anal bleeding and pain which is tearing, cutting, sharp splinter-like in nature. The pain persists after passing stool and can last for hours. Bright red blood is mixed with stool. Stool is passed after much straining which leads to fissures in the anus even if the stool is soft.
When to use Nitric Acid?
It is recommended for persons with anal bleeding and sharp, splinter like or cutting pain in the anal area, besides constipation.
How to use Nitric Acid?
It is recommended to use this medicine in 30C potency, once a day only as it is a strong remedy.
3. Graphites Naturalis – For Anal Fissure with Sharp, Cutting Anal Pain
Graphites Naturalis helps persons who complain of severe, sharp, cutting anal pain while passing stool. The anus is very sore to touch and wiping the anal area causes acute pain. Besides anal bleeding, mucus may appear in the large stools passed with difficulty.
When to use Graphites Naturalis?
A person feels sharp cutting anal pain while passing stool that is large and passed with difficulty.
How to use Graphites Naturalis?
Potency varies from as low as 3X, 30 C to high like 200 C. When used in 3X potency, it can be taken twice a day but in 30C potency, it should be used just once a day or twice a week according to severity of symptoms. For using higher potencies, kindly consult a homeopathic physician.
4. Paeonia Officinalis – For Foul Smelling Discharge from Anal Cuts
Sourced from the root of the plant ‘Peony’ and hence its name, Paeonia Officinalis is a natural medicine. The characteristic feature to use it is foul-smelling discharge from the cracks present in the anal lining. There is intense pain in the anal area while passing stool that remains for long even after passing stool. One may complain of burning and itching at the anus.
When to use Paeonia Officinalis?
The main complaint is oozing of foul discharge from the anal cuts with intense pain during defecation.
How to use Paeonia Officinalis?
From its various available potencies, begin with 30C potency twice a day for good results.
5. Thuja Occidentalis – For Anal Fissure that are Sensitive and Painful to Touch
Thuja Occidentalis prepared from fresh green twigs of the plant Arbor Vitae is very effective where fissures are extremely sensitive and painful to touch. Itching and a burning sensation may be felt at the anus which aggravates while sitting. One may feel a pressing type of pain.
When to use Thuja Occidentalis?
This medicine serves best in cases where anal cuts are extremely sensitive to touch, besides burning and itching sensation at the anus.
How to use Thuja Occidentalis?
Can be taken in 30C potency once a day. Once relief sets in, gradually reduce the dose to twice a week followed by once a week.
6. Sedum Acre – For Anal Pain that Remains For Several Hours after Passing Stool
Sedum Acre, a lesser-known remedy, is extremely effective in reducing anal pain. The key feature to use it is anal pain that is felt for many hours after passing stool. The pains are of constrictive type.
When to use Sedum Acre?
This remedy is administered to those patients who experience constrictive anal pains for several hours after passing stool.
How to use Sedum Acre?
It mostly works wonders in 30C power and can be used two times a day. Its higher potencies are also available and can also be administered but only after consulting a qualified homeopath.
7. Petroleum – For Anal Fissure with Anal Itching
Petroleum is a well-known remedy to manage anal itching in cases of anal fissure. For those who need it, stool is passed in the form of hard lumps. Burning at the anus can be felt.
When to use Petroleum?
It is an ideal medicine for anal fissures with marked anal itching.
How to use Petroleum?
It can be administered one to two times daily in 30C potency for best results.
8. Bryonia Alba – For Treating Constipation with Hard, Dry, and Large Stools
Constipation with hard, dry, and large stool is the main reason behind anal fissure. Therefore it is important to treat constipation to prevent formation of the fissure. If constipation is treated and as a result stool softens with this medicine especially in cases where a fissure is present, healing of the fissure won’t be interfered with. The symptoms won’t aggravate because the hard stool which was earlier proving to be the obstacle is being treated simultaneously. Bryonia Alba acts wonderfully in cases of constipation where the stool is hard, dry, and large and it helps regulate the bowel movements and softening the stool.
When to use Bryonia Alba?
This is the best medicine to treat constipation with a hard, dry, large stool and that is the main reason behind anal fissure.
How to use Bryonia Alba?
Bryonia 30C can be administered twice or thrice daily for best possible results.
9. Nux Vomica – For Painful Fissures with Ineffectual Urge to Pass Stool
Nux Vomica is a well administered medicine in cases of intense pain in anus after stool, lasting for hours. A sensation as if the rectum is constricted or spasmodically shut is continuously present. This is accompanied by burning and smarting pain during the passing of the stool and post passing of the stool. Stools are dry, hard, knotted and difficult to expel. Those patients who need it have a sedentary lifestyle, long sitting hours at work, habitual use of laxatives and excessive consumption of alcohol, coffee, and spicy food.
When to use Nux Vomica?
It is administered in cases with painful fissures with in effectual urging to pass stool. It also helps treat dry and hard stool that is passed with a lot of difficulty and it is mostly observed in patients with sedentary lifestyles.
How To Use Nux Vomica?
It can be used in different potencies depending on the intensity of the symptoms from 30C, 200C and 1M. However, the potency is raised always consult a qualified homoeopath.
10. Silicea Terra – For Chronic and Non-Healing Anal Fissures
Silicea Terra is administered in cases of painful anal fissure that fails to heal. Pains are cutting, stitching, or smarting that can be observed during and after the passing of the stool. Rectum feels weak, paretic, or sluggish with extreme tenderness of anus. In some cases, stool recedes after being partly expelled. A lot of straining is required to pass stool due to ineffective rectal action.
When To Use Silicea Terra?
It is administered in chronic anal fissures which do not heal. Characteristic features to use this medicine are cutting or stitching pain during the passing of stool and a lot of straining while pass the stool.
How to use Silicea Terra?
It can be administered in 30C power or in biochemic form (3X or 6X) two to three times daily for best results.
11. Sulphur – For Intense Burning after one passes stool
Sulphur is one of the best medicines to treat burning, intense and long-lasting pains after one passes stool. Anal fissures with raw, excoriated feeling along with sensation of heat and fullness in rectum is felt. Stool is dry, hard, and knotted often followed by burning.
Fissures are sensitive and they bleed easily. Redness and congestion of anal area are the key factors to administer this medicine. Recurring fissures and hemorrhoids are a common tendency.
When to use Sulphur?
It is administered if there is intense burning after passing of the stool. The rectum feels sore and there is extreme pain in the anal area. It is also administered in cases with bleeding fissure.
How to use Sulphur?
Use this medicine in 30C power two times daily for best possible results.
12. Calcarea Sulphurica – For Non-healing fissure with purulent discharge
Calcarea Sulphurica is a very effective medicine in cases of chronic fissures with persistent soreness. Fissure edges unhealthy, indurated, or inflamed accompanied with yellowish, purulent, or offensive discharge from fissure. There is burning pain at the anus after passing stool. Occasional bleeding takes place mixed with discharge.
When to use Calcarea Sulphuricum?
It is indicated in cases of anal fissure of the non-healing type along with purulent discharge. It is painfful during and after passing this stool, which is often mixed with the blood and mucus.
How to use Calcarea Sulphuricum?
It can be used in 30C potency or in biochemic form (3X or 6X) twice or thrice a day for good results.
Causes Behind Anal Fissure
A. Trauma to the anal area or its overstretching are the main reasons behind anal fissure. It may happen for one of the following reasons:
1. Constipation: It is the most common cause of anal fissures. Passage of large, dry and hard stool tears the lining of the anal canal, causing an anal fissure. Anal fissures may also occur when stool is passed with much straining.
2. Long-term diarrhea (loose stool): It causes dryness in the anal area and irritation on the anal skin followed by cracks. It is very painful, as the skin in the anal area is very sensitive.
3. Trauma caused by vaginal childbirth
4. Anal sex or putting any object in the anus
B. Having very tight anal sphincter muscles that control anal closure, reduced blood supply to the anus or scar in the anal area.
C. Some other medical conditions like Crohn’s disease (an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation in any part of the gastrointestinal tract), tuberculosis, anal cancer, and some sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia.
Signs And Symptoms Of Anal Fissures
1. Pain in the anal region: It is the main symptom of anal fissure. It is felt while passing stool, but sometimes the pain may continue for several hours after passing stool.
2. Bleeding: A streak of blood is passed along with stool, or blood can be seen on the outer surface of the stool or toilet paper after wiping the anal area
3. Burning sensation at the anus or itching at the anal area
4. A visible crack in the anal area
5. Hard, dry stool in cases of constipation
6. Foul-smelling discharge from the cut
7. A skin tag or small lump near the anal fissure in long-standing cases
Diagnosis of Anal Fissures
Diagnosis of anal fissures is on the basis of clinical symptoms and visual examination of the anal region. A cut in the anal area seen during physical examination confirms the diagnosis. In rare cases, anoscopy may be recommended to see inside the anus canal and rectum. In this test, the doctor inserts anoscope in the anus to see and check the details of the ano-rectal area. A few blood tests and stool examinations may be recommended depending on the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is anal fissure a serious condition?
Anal fissure is not life-threatening, but it can become chronic and very painful if not treated properly on time .
2. What is the difference between acute and chronic fissure?
Acute fissure: Recent onset, heals within a few weeks
Chronic fissure: Lasts for more than 6 weeks, may have thickened edges, spasm, or poor healing
3. Can anal fissures heal by themselves?
Proper diet, hydration, and bowel regulation heal mild fissures, but chronic fissures usually need medical treatment.
4. Does an anal fissure always bleed?
No. Some fissures cause intense pain without bleeding, while others may bleed slightly.
5. What is the correct diet to manage anal fissure?
High-fiber foods (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), plenty of water, soaked flaxseeds or psyllium are some foods that can help in managing anal fissures.
6. Can stress worsen anal fissure?
Yes. Stress can lead to irregular bowel habits, constipation, and increased muscle spasms, which can delay healing.
7. Is surgery always required for anal fissure?
No. Most fissures can be managed without surgery, especially when treated early and holistically.
8. How does homeopathy help in anal fissure?
Homeopathy helps by reducing spasm and pain, regulating bowel movements, promoting natural healing of fissures, and most importantly, treating the root cause, not just symptoms.
9. How long does it take for an anal fissure to heal?
Acute anal fissure usually heals in 2–4 weeks. Chronic fissure may take several weeks to months to heal, depending on the severity and compliance.
10. Can anal fissure recur?
Yes, if constipation and lifestyle issues are not addressed, anal fissure can reappear. Long-term regulation of bowel is essential.
11. What lifestyle changes help prevent fissures?
Regular bowel habits, adequate fiber and fluid intake and some form of physical activity in your routine help in preventing anal fissure. Avoid straining while passing stool and address the constipation issue whenever it arises.