Not everyone with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) will develop problems. Some persons who develop this painful skin ailment remain in an early stage, with only a few pus-filled lumps and minor issues. Others develop a more severe condition, with tunnels connecting several under-the-skin lesions that drip fluid and cause significant scarring. However, no matter what stage of the disease you’re in, you can regulate and minimize your symptoms so you can thrive..
With HS, your body reacts abnormally to typical germs on the skin, producing inflammation of the skin and hair follicles. The goal of treatment is to minimize inflammation and halt the progression of the disease. “The earlier and more aggressively we treat the disease to control it better, the less likely we are to see complications develop,” says Dr Adil. Follow the link to read about some of the most common issues and what to do if they arise.
Infection
“Infection is a major concern,” Dr Adil recommends antimicrobial cleansers like use of neem soap or epsom salt bath to reduce the bacterial burden so your skin doesn’t overreact. “Many patients will tell you that they already use bleach baths, even if their doctor hasn’t suggested them. That is often used to help control the disease.”
Scarring
HS lesions can develop into painful scars and tunnels (under-the-skin linked lesions). To reduce the danger of long-term scarring, HS flares must be stabilized by reducing inflammation. Its recommended to treat HS at the earliest before HS stage progresses ..as the most amount of scarring is seen in stage 3.
Immobility
“I have patients who can’t lift up or use their arms because of the pain and limited range of motion,” Dr Adil says of scarring. And I have other patients who, if their groins become inflamed, find it difficult to walk.” HS patients told researchers that their thick, rope-like scars can be as psychologically and physically devastating as active tumours.
Swelling of the Genital Organs
Scars can also interfere with the microscopic lymph channels that drain excess fluid from the skin, causing them to cease operating, according to Dr Adil. “This is most common in the genital area, resulting in mild to severe swelling of the labia or scrotum.” “The more you control the disease’s inflammation, the more it tends to go down over time,” he explains. Ayurvedic medicines can help lower inflammation.
Finding the specific causes that aggravate flares might also help. “We have patients who can say, for example, ‘I know when I eat dairy, I’m in pain,'” Dr Adil explains.
Skin Pigmentation
“Skin discoloration is very common,” Dr Adil explains. “After a lesion has flared up, there may be temporary discoloration where the skin is either red or darker.” And each individual place can take weeks to improve.” Again, the solution is to keep flares at bay with medications and lifestyle changes. Small changes, such as reducing your intake of soda, can help you lose weight. According to Dr Adil, this can lessen the regions where your skin rubs together, particularly in the groin and beneath the breasts, which may contribute to the way HS develops.
Skin scarring
“Scars can sometimes take the form of tiny pits around hair follicles.” “Those will frequently have little blackheads that build up and refill over time,” adds Dr Adil. “Some patients have a tendency to develop that type of scar and thus may have a lot of pitting.” “If the disease is active, it leaves these things in its wake.” “That means you have to have the disease calm down in order to avoid these things,” he says.
Skin Carcinoma
Long-term chronically irritated skin can develop into cancer. “Part of it has to do with how the cells turnover, how they react, so it’s not uncommon to see squamous cell cancers in more advanced HS, especially in chronic wounds,” Dr Adil explains. However, if things change, make sure you’re being monitored; this isn’t one of the more typical problems of HS, but it’s something to be aware of.
Comorbidities
HS is a systemic disease, and you may also have diabetes, metabolic syndrome (a combination of risk factors that includes high blood pressure, obesity, and high blood sugar), and inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammation is the common denominator. Because stress and processed foods can increase inflammation, your treatment strategy should incorporate stress reduction as well as a healthy diet. Simply take the long view. “This is one of those diseases where the treatment is more like a marathon, not a sprint,” Dr Adil explains. “And it does take a lot of trial and error to help understand.”
Depression
“It’s distressing not to have control where you wake up on any given day with pain and drainage and have to deal with this disease before you think of anything else,” Dr Adil explains. And I believe that knowing you are not alone in living with HS and communicating with other individuals about coping tactics can be beneficial at times.”
Our Outlook –
Under one roof, we at EliteAyurveda Clinics have a panel of specialists in numerous dimensions of medical domains such as endocrine, autoimmune, gynecology, and so on. We are well-known for taking a multifaceted and root-cause approach to treating chronic and difficult-to-treat disorders.
According to Ayurveda, hidradenitis suppurativa is a cause of Kapha and Pitta dosha. When the digestive fire (Agni), or Pitta, is out of balance, the Kapha Dosha becomes vitiated, which slows down metabolism. Due to the disruption of fat molecules, they start to build up in muscles and impede bodily passageways, causing painful, swollen sores in the groin, buttocks, thighs, and armpits.
In Ayurveda, hidradenitis suppurativa Treatment is to restore the body’s natural equilibrium by detoxifying it with potent herbal therapies.
The treatment for Hidradenitis Suppurativa at Elite Ayurveda comprises balancing the Kapha and Pitta doshas, as well as providing harmony to the metabolism. The treatment comprises body detoxification, internal drugs to balance doshas, and external applications to heal scars.
The treatment involves combinations of herbs created based on individual Prakruti and Vikruti analysis. Visit our website to know more
Connect with us to get our patient testimonials and also to speak with our patients directly about their experience in getting their disease treated by us and by Ayurveda as a whole.
Medically reviewed by Dr Adil Moulanchikkal, Lead Ayurveda Specialist at EliteAyurveda Clinics. With over 15 years of experience in treating Neurological, Skin & Autoimmune Diseases.
