Hi all,
My fissure comes and goes, I eat quite healthily but very occasionally I do give in and eat red meat, or chips or deep fried chicken/fish, naughty I know but I love my food.
I am 43 and have slowly gained weight over the last 2/3 years. I am bit overweight but I exercise regularly.
My fissure really started giving me problems about 6 months ago. Is there any connection between putting on weight and anal fissures?
What foods should I definitely avoid or eat very little of?
Eggs, avocado, nuts, corn on the cob, fish, olive oil (any difference in cooked or natural?), whole meal bread, skimmed milk, red wine, are these ok?
I eat fresh raw or cooked veg everyday, but not too keen on fruit.
Does it help to eat a lot of small meals a day?
Can drinking too much water cause stools to be too soft or runny?
Thank you!

Red meat and cheese really make a hard bm for me.
I don't think drinking lots of water will make your stools runny, it will be helpful especially if you take fibre like psyllium.
I eat small meals because of diabetes, the only difference I notice is with eating less you go less often and that is helpful for healing.
I made the mistake at first of eating lots of raw vegetables, but that made things worse so now I eat them cooked.
Olive oil is good though, so is whole grain bread, but not too much. Fresh fruits are good. I avoid prunes, they are too sweet but they cause sooo much flatulence!! :oops:
I suppose we each have to figure out what works best for us. I'm still learning and this is at least my 5th fissure over 29 years.

I'd heard that nuts can cause problems because they can be sharp when you pass them. Apples & pears are my go-to snacks. Also coffee & tomatoes are highly acidic & can cause problems too. As far as I know fish & avocados are OK- I'd be very sad indeed without them! Olive oil is your friend & I think it's impossible to actually drink too much water. I'd heard food allergies can aggravate fissures- I got tested for them & everything came up negative- which actually made me much more confident about what I ate. I hope this helps- take care!

Basically you must keep things soft - so if they go in hard they come out hard. Avoid nuts at all costs!!!
I know most people tend to suffer after eating dairy and red meats (I personally avoid them because of this)
You need to eat lots of fibre so you dont become constipated and this should remove the need to push or strain during a toilet visit.
So good foods are wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, cooked vegetables (keep them soft), soups, fruits, etc.
Personally i can drink two glasses of red wine without any effect but dont over do it on the alcohol or it dehydrates you causing a harder and drier stool.
Drink as much water as you can and no this wont make things sloppy but a small amount of water from each glass will pass into the bowel and this helps keep things softer. Also eating more fibre requires a larger water intake so aim to have at least 6-8 glasses per day.
ohh and as for corn on the cob - well corn normally passes through the digestive system intact and so should come out intact therefore i would personally avoid it!!
Davo

Thank you all for your helpful replies, I love nuts and corn on the cob but I guess I will have to cut back for a while to see if it helps.
Any idea if weight gain and fissures are related? I have read that weight gain can cause hemorhoids. Just wondering if I lost some weight whether it would help or not.
Thank you

Personally i would not imagine weight gain would contribute towards the formation of a fissure. It tends to be related to constipation so a lack of water and fibre in your diet would normally be the source of the problem.

jinglecy,
lots of good stuff above... one more thing: chew!!!
I used to just half chew stuff before my AF, but if you chew things thoroughly, it makes it MUCH easier to pass and you taste your food more!
Also, i eat a LOT of yoghurt, greek and regular, and it doesn't seem to hurt me any.
Hang in there!
pat