Anal fissures -- small splits in the skin lining your anus -- can cause pain and minor bleeding during and after elimination. If you experience painful bowel movements or see blood on stools or toilet tissue, MayoClinic.com advises consulting your doctor. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes such as warm baths and a high-fiber diet to treat fissures; he may also prescribe topical medications. Natural healers sometimes recommend herbal remedies -- including calendula, aloe vera and horse chestnut -- to alleviate fissures. Consult your doctor before trying herbal remedies.
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Anal fissures can be caused by constipation, straining to eliminate, passing hard or large stools, or the trauma of childbirth; food allergies and chronic diarrhea may also play a role. Possible complications can include ulceration and infection. According to Thomas A. Kruzel, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, anal fissures are often associated with inflammatory bowel disease. If fissures persist in spite of self-care, doctors may prescribe medicated creams, topical nitroglycerin or calcium channel blockers. Chronic, severe anal fissures may require surgery.
Calendula
Calendula officinalis, otherwise known as marigold, is a common garden annual. However, this humble, familiar little plant has significant anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects and has been used medicinally for centuries to promote wound healing and prevent infection. Blue Shield Contemporary and Alternative Health notes that calendula significantly improves severe dermatitis caused by radiation therapy for breast cancer and credits it with promoting tissue repair and reducing pain. Calendula gets its healing effects from its flavonoids, triterpene saponins and antioxidant carotenoids. BSCAH advises steeping 1 tbsp. of calendula flowers in hot water for 15 minutes, then dipping a clean cloth in the liquid to make a warm compress. Apply for 15 minutes three times a day. Kruzel recommends treating fissures with a topical cream containing calendula and other herbal ingredients. Consult your doctor before using calendula.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera, a succulent plant native to Africa, has been used to heal wounds and burns since 1500 B.C. It appears in "The Egyptian Book of Remedies" as a treatment for skin problems, and was endorsed in 74 A.D. by the Greek physician Dioscorides as a hemorrhoid remedy. Drugs.com -- which provides peer-reviewed medical information to consumers -- reports that aloe vera's healing effects are due to its mucopolysaccharides, sulfur derivatives and nitrogen compounds. The gel also contains bradykinase, a natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. Aloe vera gel is safe for topical use, although adverse reactions of irritation, itching and discomfort have been reported. AnalFissures.com advises applying pure aloe vera gel to the affected area with a soft, clean cloth; you can also use a commercial topical aloe vera cream. Check with your physician before using aloe vera.
Horse Chestnut
Horse chestnut, or Aesculus hippocastanum, is a hardwood tree cultivated throughout Europe and North America. The tree yields spiny capsules containing between one and three dark brown, glossy seeds. Extracts made from the seeds were traditionally used in poultices to promote wound healing and to treat skin ulcers; herbalists have long recommended horse chestnut to treat hemorrhoids. BSCAH notes that the active constituent in horse chestnut, a compound called aescin, stimulates circulation and has anti-inflammatory effects. You can apply a gel or cream containing 2 percent aescin three or four times a day. Consult a health professional before using horse chestnut.
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