View source for Anal Fistula

Anal fistula is the medical term for an infected tunnel that develops between the skin and the muscular opening at the end of the digestive tract (anus). Surgery is usually needed to treat anal fistula.
== Causes ==
An anal fistula develops after an anal abscess (collection of pus) or when an abscess has not been treated completely. A fistula can also be caused by conditions that affect the intestines, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ordiverticulitis.

An anal fistula affects:

*50% of people withCrohn’s disease.
*30% of people with HIV.
*Approximately 30-50% of people with an anal abscess and is more common in women than men. 

One of the cause of anal fistula is anal abscess. It is often unknown, although it is more common in people with immune deficiencies, such as HIV and AIDS. Abscesses are treated with a course of antibiotics. If abscess gets bursts before it has been treated, it will cause anal fistula.

Another cause is Inflammation of the intestines.Crohn’s disease and Diverticulitis comes under this.

*Crohn’s disease: It is a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system.
*Diverticulitis: It is the infection of the small pouches that can stick out of the side of the large intestine.

Other causes that leads to the development of an anal fistula are:

*Tuberculosis: It is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs, but can also spread too many different parts of the body.
*Cancer of anorectum: The rectum is an area at the end of the colon.
*Syphilis: It is a bacterial infection that is passed on through sexual contact, injecting drugs or blood transfusions.

== Natural Remedies ==
*Diet plays an important role for the treatment of anal fistula. High fiber diet is recommended. This diet increases the amount of stools in the intestines. Fiber is made up of large carbohydrates molecules. Example of high fiber diet are: - Brown bread, Brown rice,Barley,Banana,Orange,Papaya,Apple,Pear,Broccoli,Cauliflower,Spinach,Carrot,Reddish,Tomato,Onion and Green pepper.
*Avoid very spicy, hot food items.
*Eat half cup of raw cabbage juice daily.
*Drink plenty of water.
*Many people do have habit of eating food which is prepared from flour with lots of sugar, spices and oil which is very harmful for health.
* Natural Antibiotics/Anti-inflammatories (+Protein)
**Manuka Honey
**Turmeric
**Minced Garlic
**Coconut Oil Ghee
**Milk/Yogurt – Main source of protein and pro-biotic bacteria, assisting in digestion, healing and closing of fistula
*Fruits, Vegetables and Fibre
*Multiple sitz bath in hot water with Epsom Salt, Dettol and Betadine liquid (a full cap) to remove infection and reduce any (potential) inflammation. After the bath,  it should be ensured that the area is kept dry and clean by wiping through a cotton soaked in diluted Dettol. For an abscess, depending on the stage and size, it will either subside down on its own or pop with hot presses. You can use Quret Drawing Salve to draw out the pus to the top.
*Dry cotton between my thighs to soak up the leakage.
*apply a semi-solid paste of tumeric and mustard oil (ratio wise, more tumeric less oil) which assist in drying up the pus near the opening and healing the wound. You can also vary between applying Betadine cream, Manuka Honey and mustard oil/tumeric solution.
*Sleep and Exercise Routine : In this section, I would briefly like to mention the importance of sleep and exercise. Sleeping is important as that’s when majority of the body’s healing occurs. As such, it is advised that you sleep for at least 8 hours to accelerate the healing process. Similarly, exercise releases the vital chemicals and hormones for overall well being.
* Healing Saints : [[St. Fiacre]]

== Warnings ==
Surgery is usually needed to treat anal fistula.

== References ==
[[Category:Diseases]]
[[Category:infectious disease]]