Piles or Hemorrhoids are the swollen veins in the lower part of the anal canal or anus, these are painless. Fissures are very painful, as they are caused due to the tear or cut in the skin near the anus. The fistula is the small opening develops in the skin around the anus, this opening has pus inside it.
Most people do not know the exact difference between the three, as they think that if they have certain kind of pain or bleeding in their anal part, it could pile, but few of them know that it could be fissure or fistula also. Actually, the fact is that they are unaware of these diseases and their physical conditions and causes. Though some symptoms may be same or confusing, so it is advisable to visit the doctor and get the earliest treatment on time.
Piles, fissures, and fistula are not taken as seriously as they are by many peoples, but these problems impact a lot on one’s lifestyle and routine. With the help of this article, we tried to explain the conditions on which the three disease differ, along with their causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Content: Piles Vs Fissure Vs Fistula
| Basis for Comparison | Piles | Fissures | Fistula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The swollen blood vessels in the anal canal, which occurs due to chronic constipation. | Fissure or Anal Fissure is kind of the cracks found in the skin of the anal canal. | Fistula or Anal Fistula is the small opening in the anal canal, it is kind of cavity filled with pus. |
| Symptoms | Firstly piles are not noticed as they are painless, but in their later stages swelling occurs in the anal area and become painful when they are felt. | It causes a lot of pain in the anal area, that a sufferer starts avoiding using toilet, though bleeding is infrequent. | This is the more severe condition than two, as in this the pus is discharge from the anal area. |
| Causes | A chronic cough, constipation for a long time, pregnancy. | Constipation, pregnancy, littering and giving pressure to the anus, Crohn's disease. | Obesity, people suffering from Crohn's disease, sitting in one place continuously, constipation. |
| Prevention | Intake of liquids and diet with high fibre work best, even they are advised not to exert too much pressure at the time of passing stools. | Fistula can also be prevented by taking proper liquid diet and a high fibre diet. | Maintaining hygiene habits while using toilets, is the best way of preventing the infections in the anal canal. |
| Treatment | The early stage of piles is treated with only medications, with intake of sufficient liquid and high fibrous diet in order to prevent constipation and pressure. | Lateral Sphincterotomy is the treatment available for the fissure, providing immediate relief. But in the earlier stage, the fissure is treated with medication and giving proper diet to the patient. | For the proper treatment imaging like MRI or ultrasound scan (sonofistulagram) is helpful to know the exact path of occurrence of fistula. After it is treated from the different methods like VAAFT (video-assisted anal fistula treatment), though another optional surgery is also available. |
Definition of Piles
Piles or Haemorrhoids are the inflammation in the veins of the anal tract. It occurs due to constipation, obesity, pregnancy, sitting in the toilet for a long time, weakening of the rectus muscles, diarrhoea and mainly due to lack of fibre diets and liquids, etc.
Piles are of two types, internal or external haemorrhoids. These haemorrhoids are present in everyone’s body, but when it get enlarge, they are considered as abnormal. Internal haemorrhoids are painless as they belong to the nerve fibres of the intestine and so cannot be felt, but the haemorrhoids which get protrude from the anus and bleed during hard stools.
People suffering from piles have less pain, but bleeding is frequent, this is due to the weakening of tissues (mass of tissues containing blood vessels) present in the skin of rectum and thus makes the skin to fill with blood which blows up. It is suggested to take high fibre and liquid in the diet and should visit the doctor as soon as possible.
Definition of Fissure
The tear or a cut around the anus, which are painful is known as fissures. It is noticed when passing the stool becomes difficult or constipation occurs, while we try to stretch and gives pressures to the sphincter muscles.
Anal fissures are curable within a few weeks if proper medication and diet rich in high fibre and liquids are taken. But if too much pressure or stretch is given to the sphincter muscles, the fissure could be worse and may cause a small amount of bleeding, and discharge of pus.
Diarrhoea, constipation, heavy exercise and lack of high fibres diet as well liquid is the main reason for the cause of the fissure. These days treatment is available in every field of medical science, whether its allopathy, homoeopathy or Ayurveda. The fissure can affect people of any age but mostly noticed after the age of 50.
There are two types of fissures, acute and chronic. Acute fissures are easy to treat and heal with time, Chronic fissures are difficult to treat than the acute one and have the chances of reoccurrence. If the fissures do not get heal, one should take the medical help.
Definition of Fistula
Anal Fistula is formed especially to the person who has anal abscess earlier, it is a type of opening in the anal area filled with the pus. The small gland in the anus get infected and cause an abscess.
A fistula is a kind of track forms below the skin and thus connecting infected gland to the abscess. radiations, cancer, warts, trauma, Crohn’s disease, and other disease-related to the bowel may cause a fistula. It is generally seen in a person suffering from obesity, continuously sitting in one place for the longest time.
The symptoms include swelling, pain, redness and irritation around the skin of the anal canal, with the discharge of the pus through the fistula. Diagnosis and treatments are available of this, although antibiotics are also considered as one of the best ways to care fistula.
Key Differences Between Piles, Fissures and Fistula
Given below are the few though essential points which show the difference between the piles, fissures and fistula:
- The swollen blood vessels in the anal canal, which occurs due to chronic constipation and result in bleeding is called as Piles, while Fissures or Anal Fissures are kind of cracks or tear found in the skin of the anal canal or around the anus, resulting in pain. Though Fistula or Anal Fistula is the small opening in the anal canal, it is kind of tubular organ between two tissues, an anal fistula is cavity filled with pus.
- Symptoms of piles are not noticed in the earlier stage as they are painless, but later on, swelling occurs in the anal area and become painful, when they are felt, whereas fissures cause a lot of pain in the anal area, that the sufferer avoids using the toilet, though bleeding is infrequent. The symptoms of fistula are more severe condition than two, as in this, the pus is discharged from the anal area.
- A chronic cough, constipation for a long time, pregnancy are the known cause for the occurrence of piles, while constipation, pregnancy, littering and giving pressure to the anus, straining, Crohn’s disease are the possible cause for fissures. Obesity, people suffering from Crohn’s disease, sitting in one place continuously, constipation are the causes of the fistula.
- In all the three cases it is advisable to take liquids and diet with high fibre work best, even they are advised not to exert too much pressure at the time of passing stools, along with that maintaining hygiene habits while using toilets, is the best way of preventing the infections in the anal canal.
- The early stage of piles is treated with only medications, with the intake of sufficient liquid and high fibrous diet in order to prevent constipation and pressure. Lateral Sphincterotomy is the treatment available for fissures, providing immediate relief. But in the earlier stage, the fissure is treated with medication and giving proper diet to the patient. In the case of fistula, the proper treatment starts with imaging like MRI or ultrasound scan (sonofistulagram) is helpful to know the exact path of occurrence of fistula. After it is treated from the different methods like VAAFT (video-assisted anal fistula treatment), though another optional surgery is also available.
Conclusion
Pain, bleeding, constipation, after going toilet or while passing stools can be the symptoms of the disease related to the anal canal. These can be due to the changes in the lifestyle, eating habits which have increased the percentage of such problems drastically. In this article, we discussed the main problems occurring in the anal part and how they distinguished from each other.
It is suggested that these are critical problems related to health and should not be ignored, one should immediately consult a healthcare professional if notice any symptoms.
pilesfit says
You elaborate all the differences in such easy words that even for a layman it would not be difficult to understand. Thanks