Get To Know The Risk Factors And Complications Of Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a painful skin condition, ladies. It causes chronic bumps under your skin! The bumps are small, sure, but they're very painful. The pain increases when they burst during a flare of this condition! Ladies, you'll see these bumps occur in the parts of your body that rub together. That means your thighs, armpits, and breasts, among others!

Ladies, you're going to take over-the-counter medicine for hidradenitis suppurativa. Pain medication is how you'll experience pain relief! You will also get prescription topical creams for hidradenitis suppurativa. These ointments are quite powerful! Red light therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa is another big one, ladies. And guess what? Laser hair removal for hidradenitis suppurativa helps too! However, the risk factors for developing this condition affect your treatment. The complications doo too! So, ladies, you have to understand them!

Being Overweight

Your weight is a big risk factor here, ladies! Specifically, being overweight makes you more likely to end up with hidradenitis suppurativa. It also means your symptoms will be more severe than other patients! Ladies, there's a reason for this. It's because your skin rubs together more when you're overweight. You also have more skin folds! In addition, obesity means you will see more inflammation throughout your body.

Ladies, there is good news about this risk factor! All you have to do is lose excess weight, and your risk of hidradenitis suppurativa goes down quite a bit. When you already have it, and you lose weight, your flares will be less intense! Losing just 10 percent of your body weight will let you achieve these results, ladies. Weight loss is great because you will deal with less friction on your skin. You won't have as much bacteria growing in the skin folds either!

Age And Gender

Ladies, you're more at risk of this condition than men! Researchers found this out when looking at the condition's stats. Unfortunately, they don't know why this happens. They need more time and research to find out! You'll likely get this condition when you're finished adolescence. Your risk, ladies, peaks when you're between 18 and 29 years old! However, you have to remember that hidradenitis suppurativa still happens in younger patients as well as older ones. When you get this condition at a younger age, your risk of complications goes up. You will have the condition for a bit longer when you get it younger too!

Family History

When there's a history of this condition in your family, ladies, you're more likely to get it too! In fact, 30 to 40 percent of those with this condition have a family member with it as well. Ladies, this number is likely much higher. Experts think many patients don't get an official diagnosis for their symptoms. They also know that there are many misdiagnoses out there too! Most of you who get this condition have a parent with it. Ladies, that's how close the family history gets! When you have this history, pay attention to your skin. Dermatologist appointments are your best friend here, ladies!

Infection Susceptibility

Ladies, you're much more susceptible to infection when you have this condition. It's a major complication to watch out for! Your affected skin is the most at risk. Infections are quite common when the lumps burst! The lumps under your skin are likely to burst after you have had a symptom flare. The bumps are inflamed hair follicles, and they're filled with pus! The good news? Infections don't typically cause your symptoms to flare.

After your bumps burst, they have to heal. Ladies, this is where the infection happens, remember? It's because many issues occur while these bumps are healing. Sweat gets trapped between the bumps. Bacteria will be trapped here too! The mix of these is the perfect recipe for an infection to set in. Thankfully, these infections aren't life-threatening unless your immune system is weakened. However, ladies, they're still very painful!

Obstructed Lymph Drainage

Another major complication you'll see with this condition is obstructed lymph drainage. Ladies, your lymph nodes aren't going to drain fluid right! This happens because hidradenitis suppurativa affects the parts of your skin with many lymph nodes. Remember, ladies, this includes your armpits and groin! When you're healing, you are likely going to deal with scarring. The scarring is what stops natural drainage when it goes deep enough! The fluid won't have anywhere to go. You will end up with swollen legs, arms, and genitals, ladies! This complication only really gets going after a flare. Your lymph nodes rarely swell while a flare is happening. It's most likely your bumps that swell up at this point!