Living with hidradenitis suppurativa

A few years ago my husband started to discover red boil-like lumps appearing on his inner thighs which seemed to grow to the point that they would rupture and create very painful open wounds which would not close on their own. This discovery was a big surprise as my husband had previously been healthy and active as a keen cyclist with no prior symptoms of any condition.

After many visits to the doctor and many hours of research later my husband found out that he was not the only one suffering with this skin condition and eventually he was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Sometimes known as acne inversa, HS is an incurable long-term autoimmune, auto inflammatory disorder which presents as abscesses and scarring on the skin – usually around the groin, buttocks, breasts and armpits.

The NHS estimates that 1% of the population has HS, but as many people are too embarrassed to seek diagnosis and treatment it is likely that the actual number of sufferers is more than this. The cause of HS is unclear with some saying that it is related to blocked sweat glands and hair follicles others believe that the immune system is attacking the bodies hair follicles the one thing that is for certain is that HS is not caused by any bacterial infection however there can be secondary infection of the wounds.

HS is a lifelong, recurring condition that requires constant management. Since his diagnosis my husband has undergone courses of all sorts of treatments from antibiotics to surgery however, the biggest improvement has been seen since he changed his diet dramatically removing all grains (not just wheat), pluses and legumes (peanuts) as well as greatly reducing his intake of diary and nightshades (tomato, aubergine…)

Some suffers of hidradenitis suppurativa swear by using supplements to help reduce the inflammation including Vitamins C, D and K. One very popular supplement is tumeric which is well known for its antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties – learn more about this wonder spice and what it can do your for skin in this fascinating article.

Of course a large number of HS suffers rely on medication to help ease their symptoms. In extreme cases the drug Humira can be used as an immune suppressant which reduces the effects of a substance in the body that can cause inflammation. Humira is very effective at relieving HS however, it is very expensive and almost impossible to get on the NHS and does have side affects such as a higher chance of developing cancer as the body is unable to fight off cancer cells as it is being suppressed.

As mentioned my husband has undergone surgery to help deal with open wounds from his condition. There are three types of surgery including drainage or removal of abscesses, laser ablation where the boils are removed by a laser, and cryotherapy which involves freezing the lumps with liquid nitrogen so that they fall away. My husband has only undergone the first type of surgery where the abscesses were drained and he underwent secondary intention healing where the open wounds were packed with gauze which means they have to heal from the inside out rather than healing over the top which can lead to reinfection.

Since changing his diet my husband has seen a huge reduction in his HS problems and he has been pretty much abscess free for nearly a year. Early diagnosis is really key when it comes to hidradenitis suppurativa so I urge you to seek medical help if you discover any reoccurring skin problem.