🔥 Secondary Infection as a Trigger for HS Flare-Ups
Table of Contents
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is not just a skin condition — it’s a chronic, inflammatory disease that deeply affects quality of life. One major contributor to sudden flare-ups in HS is secondary infection — a complication that often goes unnoticed or is misunderstood.
Understanding how secondary infections work and how they can trigger or worsen flare-ups is key to long-term control and healing.
Trigger for HS Flare-Ups
🧠 What Is a Secondary Infection?
In HS, a secondary infection occurs when bacteria invade the already inflamed or damaged skin caused by the disease itself.
HS starts with blocked hair follicles.
This leads to nodules, abscesses, or tunnels (sinus tracts).
These compromised areas make the skin vulnerable to bacterial entry.
Bacteria multiply and trigger an immune response, worsening the inflammation.
The result? A flare-up — more swelling, pain, discharge, and skin damage.
🔁 HS and Infection: A Vicious Cycle
Unless this cycle is interrupted, the flare-ups become more frequent, severe, and resistant to treatment.
🔬 Signs That a Flare-Up Is Triggered by Infection
Look for these indicators that suggest a secondary infection is driving the flare-up:
Infection Sign
How It Looks/Feels
🌡️ Fever or chills
Suggests systemic involvement
🧴 Increased pus/discharge
Often yellow, green, or foul-smelling
🔥 Redness spreading beyond lesion
Infection spreading under the skin
⚡ Sharp, escalating pain
Not just pressure — but throbbing pain
🧓 Fatigue or malaise
Your immune system is under stress
💣 The Problem with Treating Just the Infection
Conventional treatment often involves antibiotics — which may help the infection temporarily, but:
Don’t address why the skin barrier keeps breaking.
Don’t fix the chronic immune imbalance.
Can harm your gut microbiome, which is crucial for immune regulation.
That’s why flare-ups keep coming back — because the core disease remains active.
