What Are The Risk Factors And Complications Of Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa appears to be a painful skin disease. Patients may experience small lumps under their skin. The skin bumps may break, triggering significant pain. The bumps appear to form where the individual's skin rubs together, such as the armpits and thighs. It seems that this condition may last for years. The flares may get worse the longer a patient is dealing with this condition.

Patients may apply prescription topical creams for hidradenitis suppurativa. They also seem to use over-the-counter medicine for hidradenitis suppurativa, particularly medication for pain. Red light therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa also appears to be a treatment option. Laser hair removal for hidradenitis suppurativa may relieve itchy skin and some other symptoms. However, patients still need to understand what the potential risk factors and complications of this condition are. This may affect their treatment.

Age And Gender

It seems as if age and gender are significant risk factors for hidradenitis suppurativa. The individuals who are most at risk appear to be between eighteen and twenty-nine years old. However, individuals may be affected when they are younger or older than this. If patients develop this condition when they are young, they seem to be at a higher risk of complications. They may also develop a widespread disease that may not be closely connected to their skin condition.

Women appear to develop this disease more often than men. However, researchers do not seem to know precisely why this is the case. Statistics of patients diagnosed with this condition may be the only reason they have pinpointed at-risk groups.

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Obesity

Obesity may increase an individual's risk of experiencing this condition. In addition, overweight patients seem to deal with more severe symptoms than other patients. Obesity appears to be a risk factor because the patient's skin can rub together more often. Their skin may also have extra folds in it. Individuals who are obese also seem to have increased inflammation. This may increase how likely they are to develop this condition as well.

Some evidence appears to indicate that losing weight helps reduce an individual's risk. It also seems to lessen the severity of flare-ups. The flare-ups may not occur as often as well. According to research, patients may be able to see significant improvement by losing just ten percent of their body weight. One study claims that thirty-five percent of their participants may have experienced a reduction in their symptoms. This may be because weight loss reduces friction on the skin. It may also lower microbial colonization.

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Family History

It appears that research indicates that a family history of this condition also increases an individual's risk of getting it. The flares of hidradenitis suppurativa seem to have a strong genetic component. Overall, it looks like thirty to forty percent of individuals with this condition may have a family member with it as well.

However, some researchers seem to believe that this number is higher. They claim that individuals may not seek an official diagnosis. These researchers also appear to say that many patients may be incorrectly diagnosed with other skin conditions. Patients with a family history may have inherited this condition directly from their parents. However, individuals still seem to be able to get it without this history.

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Frequent Infections

Hidradenitis suppurativa appears to have frequent infections as a major complication. Patients with this condition seem to be more likely to develop infections where their skin is compromised. This may be particularly common when the lumps below the patient's skin burst. Individuals with this condition appear to be the most at risk of this complication after a symptom flare-up. The infections may not cause the flares themselves. Flares may occur when a hair follicle is blocked, and the skin bumps may be inflamed and filled with pus. This may trigger an infection.

In addition, there may be issues when the bumps heal after they burst. The scarring may trigger infections during the healing process. Bacteria and sweat may also be trapped around the bumps. This appears to cause prolonged inflammation and infection. The infections may not be life-threatening unless there is an issue with the patient's immune system. However, they seem to be quite painful, regardless.

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Obstructed Lymph Drainage

Some patients with this condition may see obstructed lymph drainage as a complication. This may be because their lymph nodes seem to be impacted during a symptom flare. Symptom flares may influence lymph nodes, since the areas of skin that are affected can have many of them. This may include the armpits and groin. In addition to this, patients may see scarring after a flare. If this scarring is deep, it may also compromise the lymph nodes and stop them from draining. The result of this may be swelling in the arms, genitals, and other areas. The fluid may not have anywhere to go and thus, can build.

Although lymph nodes may not drain after a flare of symptoms, they do not seem to feel swollen while the fare is happening. However, this may be due to an inability to separate them from the infected bumps. They may also be hard to detect even with advanced ultrasound technology. Thus, researchers seem to believe that this complication only appears in the later stages of the condition.