What is Anal Fistula & its Symptoms?
Fistula means an abnormal connection or passageway between organs that do not normally connect.
Anal fistula is the most common type of fistula.
It occurs when a boil develops near anal region which is unable to drain out; and gradually it grows inside to form a tract between rectum and perianal region.
This tract is called anal fistula whose primary opening is inside the anal canal and secondary opening is in the perianal skin.
Externally patient feels a pimple or boil near the anus through which blood and pus discharges on and off, sometimes stool and gas can also pass.
Multiple tracts form in complicated cases.
Patient feels pain in the affected area, itching, soreness, excoriation of skin and sometimes fever can also occur.
Anal fistula is more common in males, but nowadays I am seeing a lot of female patients.
Sometimes in females a tract forms between the rectum and vagina, which is called rectovaginal fistula; through this stool and gas starts discharging in vagina and the patient feels a lot of discomfort.
What are the Causes & Risk factors of Anal Fistula?
- Anorectal abscess: It is the most common cause
- Piles or hemorrhoids
- Anal fissure
- I have seen in my clinical practice, which I have been doing since 1997, that after the surgery of piles and fissure, the patients often develop anal fistula
- Constipation
- Crohn’s disease
- Colitis
- Cancer
- Radiotherapy
Allopathic Treatment
According to my clinical practice anal fistula usually starts as perianal abscess. Perianal abscess is a big boil on your hips near the anus. At this moment it can be a perianal abscess only or a perianal abscess with fistula.
In both the cases a conventional doctor usually prescribes antibiotics and painkillers. This gives temporary relief to the patient but if the patient has anal fistula, then the problem will come back soon.
If the patient is suffering from abscess only, then I have seen that strong antibiotics suppress the abscess. This suppression of abscess leads to fistula. On the contrary, with homeopathy the abscess gets matured, pus discharges and wound heals without converting into anal fistula.
When the patient suffers from abscess again the allopathic doctor advises him I & D (Incision and Drainage). This procedure usually does not help the patient and unhealthy pus discharge continues. This prompts the conventional doctor to get the MRI or CT scan done. This confirms the diagnosis of anal fistula and the doctor advices the major surgery of fistulectomy.
In fistulectomy the fistulous tract is cut and taken out of the body.
This surgery has many complications like urinary retention, bleeding, thrombosed hemorrhoids, stool impaction, loss of control of stool, anal stenosis, slow healing, adhesions and so on.
But the frustrating thing is even after going through this major surgery the problem recurs in almost 80% of patients.
All these things lead the patient to think whether surgery is the only treatment for anal fistula. My answer is ‘No’.
We can treat anal fistula with homeopathy without surgery.
Homeopathic Treatment
Most of the patients come to me after multiple surgeries and long sufferings.
Our homeopathic remedies first control the infection which in turn reduces the frequency of abscess formation. Eventually the abscess formation stops. The symptoms like discharge, pain, itching and irritation gets better.
After this, remedies heal the fistula tract by new tissue development. Gradually fistula opening closes.
This is a long and slow process which takes time. How much time it takes varies from patient to patient. This also depends upon the length & depth of fistula and patient’s sensitivity towards the remedies.
It usually takes about 1 to 2 years to heal the fistula completely. One should be patient during the treatment so that complete and permanent cure can take place.
I have seen if fistula patients are suffering from IBD, Crohn’s disease or diabetes then the treatment becomes complicated, and it takes more time to heal.
Number of Medicines
There are around 72 medicines in homeopathy for anal fistula which are very effective.
Now which of these medicines are to be given, in how much potency, how many times in a day – this is a complicated process which only a highly qualified and experienced doctor can do.
A sensible doctor never prescribes on the name of the disease ‘Anal Fistula’. He takes complete history of the patient, then studies his symptoms properly.
After that he selects the medicines keeping in mind the susceptibility of the patient and decides upon the potency and repetition of medicines.
My Approach to Treatment
In anal fistula I prescribe for one month and then I review the patient after that. Every month the case is studied again thereby fine tuning the medicines and their potencies.
Name of Medicines?
Friends in this blog I have not named any medicines, nor I have promoted medicines of any company; because by doing so I will be playing with your health and may harm you. A sane doctor will never do this!
Top 7 Home Remedies & Diet Tips for Anal Fistula
- Sitz bath: You can sit in lukewarm water thrice a day. You can also add 5 tablespoons of calendula mother tincture in this water to promote healing.
- Apply calendula ointment twice a day on the affected area. This relieves pain and promotes healing.
- While sitting you can put donut pillow or soft pillow under the hips.
- Avoid eating rich spicy food. Also decrease the amount of nonveg in your diet.
- Increase the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
- Avoid drinking alcohol & stop smoking.