Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a skin condition that causes small and painful lumps to form under the skin. These lumps are usually in areas where the skin rubs against itself, like the armpits, groyne, buttocks, or breasts. The lumps will heal and then recur over and over again, causing channels under the skin and scarring in most patients. This condition can persist for years without remission in many patients.
The most common symptoms of HS are:
Some people only experience mild HS symptoms, while others experience the most severe symptoms of this condition almost from the beginning.
HS happens when hair follicles become blocked, but the inciting reason for these blockages is not well understood. Smokers and those who are obese are more likely to have this skin condition. Experts believe that hormones, genetics, excess weight, and cigarette smoking are all likely to be risk factors that can lead to HS. This is not a condition that is caused by infection or by being unclean, and it cannot be communicated to others.
Other risk factors for HS are:
Many patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa are misdiagnosed for years with skin infections or other kinds of skin conditions. It can take many years for patients to be correctly diagnosed. Diagnosis usually requires seeing a dermatologist who can recognize the overall signs and symptoms of HS. Most laboratory tests will be inconclusive when it comes to diagnosing this condition. Skin scrapings or skin fluid samples could be sent to a lab to verify if there is a secondary infection present related to HS.
Medications and surgery are usually necessary to treat HS. For patients with mild symptoms, antibiotic cream applied to the skin or steroid injections might be all that is necessary to resolve symptoms. Hormone therapy is also successful in some patients, and biologics that can help break the disease cycle can also be of great help. Pain medication can also be taken to manage discomfort from HS skin lesions, and retinoids are useful for those who have acne-like symptoms associated with their HS.
When symptoms have become very severe, or there is advanced damage to the skin from tunnelling, surgery might be a patient’s best option for treatment. In surgical treatment, the tunnels are uncovered so that they can heal. Removal of excessively damaged skin might also be necessary. In some cases, incisions can be made to allow infected areas of the skin to drain as well.
Prevention of this skin condition is often not possible since its causes are not well understood. However, avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise and a good diet have been shown to help reduce the risk of getting Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Those who have been diagnosed will need to follow all of their doctor’s instructions carefully to make sure that they are able to keep symptoms at bay or reduce the chances of experiencing flares of Hidradenitis Suppurativa after treatment.