Hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa) is a rare skin condition, with no cure and just some treatments that can help relieve the symptoms.
The condition typically has a negative impact on one’s quality of life and social interactions, which leads to feelings of depression and anxiety.
This blog is meant to be a support tool for people suffering from hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa), as well as their relatives.
As the name suggests, acne inversa is the inverse form of acne that mostly occurs in areas with many sebaceous glands, such as the groin, armpits, breasts or buttock folds. The inflamed lesions appear to be boil-like lumps filled with pus.
The exact cause of hidradenitis suppurativa is still unknown; however, it is believed that there are some factors that may contribute to its occurrence. These include:
Obesity and smoking
Hormonal changes during puberty or menopause
Genetic predisposition
Altered immune system response
Dietary factors
Stress
Hidradenitis Suppurativa is a chronic skin disease also known as Acne Inversa. It is an uncommon condition which is, non-contagious and inflammatory in nature. The long-term course of the disease can be unpredictable. Hidradenitis Suppurativa affects areas of the body where there are hair follicles and apocrine sweat glands. Apocrine glands are found in the armpits, and groin and are responsible for sweating.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa usually begins during adolescence or young adulthood but can happen at any age. It is most common between the ages of 18 to 30 years and affects women more than men. The disease often runs in families with genetic factors being more important than environmental ones in explaining its cause.
The disease occurs when hair follicles get blocked due to inflammation, infection, or other reasons. The blocked follicles form lumps mostly under the skin that may be tender and inflamed. Bacteria can grow inside the lumps leading to pus formation and drainage through open wounds which become painful and smelly with time if left untreated
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic skin disease that causes severe inflammation and pain for those who suffer from it. It is most common in the armpits, groin and breast areas. The disease starts with small, painful lumps that can turn into large, foul smelling abscesses filled with pus. The largest tumors can grow to the size of a football and weigh as much as 25 pounds!
In most cases, the symptoms of this disease are treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately, this doesn’t get at the root of the problem and only provides temporary relief. Fortunately there are alternative treatments available that do not involve surgery or drugs! These include acupuncture, herbal medicine and other natural remedies.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat many ailments including hidradenitis suppurativa (acne). There are some studies showing that acupuncture may actually reduce inflammation caused by HS lesions on the skin’s surface which would help alleviate some symptoms associated with acne inversa such as itching, burning sensations and redness.
Herbal medicine has also been used historically as well today for treating diseases like HS . Chinese herbs such as Astragalus membranaceus (Astragalus) have an anti-inflammatory effect while stimulating the immune
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a rare and chronic skin condition that affects approximately 1% of the population. HS is characterized by recurrent abscesses and scarring in areas where the skin rubs together, such as the armpits and groin. It is also referred to as acne inversa due to its similarity to acne (which has been termed “acne of the apocrine gland bearing areas” or “acne inversa”).
The most common signs and symptoms of HS include:
Recurrent painful lesions or nodules (bumps)
Chronic draining fistulas
Underarm or groin pain
Increased body odor
According to a study done by Dr. Ali Alikhan, there are three different clinical stages of HS:
Stage I: Single or multiple abscesses with inflammation, but no tunneling or scarring
Stage II: Recurrent abscesses with tunneling sinus tracts and scarring, but not involving skin folds
Stage III: Interconnected abscesses with sinus tracts and scarring that involve skin folds
You may be surprised to learn that conventional medicine has nothing to offer people with hidradenitis suppurativa.
In its attempt to understand what causes Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), the medical community have come up with a number of theories. None of these have been proved, nor are they likely to produce any breakthrough treatments in the near future.
The reason for this is quite simple. Conventional medicine believes that HS is an auto-immune disease. The problem is that this theory has not been proved and there is no way to find out if it is correct!
Auto-immune diseases are diseases where the body attacks itself for unknown reasons. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis are all auto-immune diseases.
As you can imagine, figuring out how and why your body attacks itself is a very difficult task. It may take decades or even centuries before we truly understand how auto-immune diseases occur and develop effective treatments for them!
If you suffer from HS, then you cannot afford to wait around while the medical community figures out what causes HS and develops some miracle cure!
You need relief NOW!
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a disease of the sweat glands (apocrine glands) that results in nodules and abscesses. The affected skin areas are normally armpits, groin, buttocks and underneath the breasts.
The signs of hidradenitis suppurativa are painful, itchy lumps under the skin. They break open, ooze fluid or bleed, and form scars. In severe cases, tunneling sinus tracts develop under the skin.
There are three types of hidradenitis suppurativa: mild (stage 1), moderate (stage 2) and severe (stage 3). The stages can overlap and symptoms can vary from one person to another.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and painful inflammatory skin disease characterized by recurrent abscesses and sinus tracts, which may result in fistulae. It is an infection of the sweat glands and appears as a result of inflammation in the skin. It is not contagious but can be hereditary.
Although it was first described in 1839, there is no known cause for HS. The current hypothesis is that it results from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors such as smoking. HS commonly occurs in areas where there are sweat glands such as under the arm, breast, or groin area.
The diagnosis of HS can be made by physical examination and medical history. There are no laboratory tests or imaging tests that diagnose HS; however, they can help to rule out other diseases that may be causing similar symptoms such as infections, tumors, and cancer.
HS typically presents before age 30; however it has been seen in patients of all ages including children. It affects females twice as often as males.