What does colorectal health mean to you? Simply going to the washroom and relieving yourself doesn’t count. There are several things that can go wrong even with what you consider to be a few minutes’ morning routine. Believe it or not, your colorectal health plays a major role in your overall well-being and considering it is one of the most neglected fields even in medical terms, chances are pretty high that you might have something amiss in that area even without having a clue.

So, what exactly is this colorectal health and why are we stressing too much on it?

The colon and rectum are a big part of your overall digestive system. Basically, everything you eat is made up of two parts: the one that your body will absorb and use and the other, that your body will filter out and excrete. While the first function is important to keep your body fuelled and energized, the second function is equally vital, as, without the proper discarding of the waste material, your body will begin to face toxic problems. Hence, any colorectal problem has the potential to disrupt proper excretion and can be of more trouble than you would have possibly thought of.

When a gland inside your anal region gets infected, it holds inside it bacterial fluid that makes the gland swell. This leads to the formation of what is known as an abscess. When this swelling increases, it causes a channel or tunnel to build, connecting the swollen gland to the skin outside of the anus. This is what is known as an anal fistula. Now, an anal fistula doesn’t just trouble your digestive system, it also has a deep psychological impact and can cause many problems in your day-to-day life also. Let’s understand why it’s important to identify any such problems and consult a colorectal specialist immediately.

Imagine that you have been invited to a get-together. Rows of well-cooked food are laid across the table for your indulgence. Even as you grab an empty plate and head towards what’s calling out to you, you stop and rethink. Considering you have pain and swelling in your anal region, it’s been a couple of days since you have relieved yourself and you are in no shape to stuff yourself anymore. With the fistula bothering you more, you consider the possibility of just being at home and making things easier on yourself.

Now, there are some people who prefer visiting a quack instead of going to a colorectal specialist. Even though no reason would be logical enough to explain that decision, yet, it’s something several people choose to do. What this leads to, in most cases is a botched-up treatment. Now, that could result in two things: one, stool incontinence because of the damage to the sphincter muscles that control bowel movements, or two, recurrence, characterized by the oozing of foul-smelling fluid from the anus.

If someone is going through a phase like this, they would surely avoid stepping out from the comfort of their homes. A feeling of anxiety mixed with a heavy dose of embarrassment has the potential to put a full stop to their social lives.

The prospect of being dependent on adult diapers can just add to their misery, making them want to avoid people, travel and everything else they would have desired.

Could you imagine getting close to a significant other while there is a bad-smelling liquid trickling down your anal region? Yes, it’s a turn-off and if you have an anal fistula, you are likely to find yourself in this situation. Anyone with an undetected or untreated anal fistula is at risk of bleeding, swelling, and pain apart from the oozing liquid from their anus. One, or all of these reasons is the potential to draw the curtains on your intimate life. To add to that, the difficulty in relieving yourself can just make things worse.

If you have an anal fistula, please understand that it could hamper your intimate life. Not just does this affect you, it is also bound to affect your partner, causing rifts in the relationship that you share with them. Apart from that, the concerns of hygiene take the problem to the next level.

Given the kinds of impacts that an anal fistula can have on your life, it’s no surprise, therefore, that an anal fistula can have a deep impact on your mental health too. The inability to socialize or get intimate with a partner of your choice can leave you feeling crippled and irritated.

Apart from that, if the chosen mode of treatment is not effective, the likelihood of a relapse or recurrence becomes very high, leaving you vulnerable to fear of having to go through the ordeal all over again. The slightest of symptoms could leave your mind overthinking, making you paranoid of a bad experience yet again. While the possibility of recurrence remains high when it is the case of bad treatment, it can also leave you with very little control over your bowel movements, adding to the state of panic you are already in, thereby making your mental health a matter of concern.

While you would understand the impacts that an anal fistula might have on your overall life, sometimes you might opt out of treatments just because you are scared of the results. But, what if we told you that you can SMILE your way out of this problem.

At SMILES Institute of Coloproctology, our doctors are experts in the domain and use the most advanced technology to their aid to understand your condition thoroughly and come up with the most fool-proof plan for your treatment. Unlike quacks and inexperienced doctors, we at SMILES devise a treatment option for you that presents the best clinical outcomes, bringing down the chances of recurrence to almost nil. In providing a robust follow-up plan for you, we ensure that you bring back your life to normal in the shortest window possible.

So, take charge of your life. We at SMILES are here at every step!