Fissures - what are they?

A fissure is a small tear or crack in the skin, commonly occurring in the digestive tract. If it occurs, it can cause significant discomfort and pain, particularly during bowel movements.

So why does a fissure occur, and what can you do to prevent it?

The occurrence of a fissure typically results from trauma or strain on the skin or mucosal lining.

One of the most common causes is constipation, which leads to the passage of hard stools.

The strain required to pass these stools can stretch and tear the delicate lining of the digestive system, resulting in a fissure.

Conversely, frequent diarrhoea can also cause irritation and subsequent tears.

Other factors contributing to the development of fissures include childbirth and underlying medical conditions like Crohn's disease. Chrohn's disease increases the risk of chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract.

If you wish to prevent a fissure, you need to solve the reason it is happening in the first place.

I frequently have conversations with people who tell me they need to change the alkalinity of their body to resolve a fissure. Alkalinity and acidity of the body are much misunderstood and, therefore, much abused terms.

Your blood is acidic or alkaline and in a very narrow range. The alkalinity of the blood has precious little to do with poor digestion, which is what is causing the fissure.

Instead, you need to fix your digestion.

So you need to drink adequate water, ensure healthy gut bacteria, and ensure that you do not overeat. While generally speaking, fibre-rich foods are good for digestion, in this case, they can cause harm.

Fibre has a scraping action on your digestive tract. If fissures have already developed, the fibre will only aggravate.

So what you need instead is soft, easy-to-digest food that allows the fissure to heal.

Once healed, you can go back to fibre-rich foods. The inflammation can be reduced by consuming nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and flaxseeds, which may aid in the healing process.

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