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It can be difficult to feel comfortable in your own skin when you have hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), an auto-inflammatory sickness that causes painful boils and skin abscesses that can discharge foul-smelling pus. This chronic disease affects between 1% and 4% of the Indian population and can appear as early as adolescence. Exercise can be painful for some people with HS, causing weight gain and exacerbating symptoms. Here’s what we know so far about the HS-obesity connection.

Obesity is a major risk factor, but it is far from the only one.

Excess weight is a major risk factor for HS, although it does not cause it and is not the only one. In actuality, some HS sufferers are overweight. Women between the ages of 18 and 29 are most commonly diagnosed with this condition. Cigarette smoking may also increase your chances of developing HS. Furthermore, faulty sweat glands can play a role in some persons.

Family History Should Also Be Considered

According to Dr. Adil, while being overweight is usually associated with acne inversa (also known as HS), acquiring this condition may have as much to do with your family’s genetic heritage. A mutation in the gene responsible for the division of hair follicles and other skin cells, according to studies, may have a role in the onset of symptoms. “There are several common genes, and each one adds a little increased risk” for HS, he says, adding that obesity, which often occurs 5 to 10 years before HS, boosts the risk even more.

Being overweight may exacerbate flares.

When it comes to HS, having a BMI of 30 or higher is still grounds for concern. According to a 2020 study published in SKIN, people with this condition are 17 times more likely to be overweight than the general population. According to Dr. Adil, obesity might also make it more difficult to control the disease. “A higher BMI contributes to hormonal imbalances as well as increased skin friction, further exacerbating the disease,” he says.

When the number of skin folds rises, so does friction.

Obesity and HS are usually linked due to enlarged skin folds induced by weight gain, which are commonly seen in the upper body. In later stages, clogged sweat glands can cause painful nodules, boil-like lumps, blackheads, and cysts, as well as the formation of channels beneath the skin in the armpits and groyne, under the breasts, and on the buttocks and inner thighs. Abscesses can rupture and produce an unpleasant odour. To make matters worse, this can cause permanent scarring.

The Skin’s Bacterial Balance Could Be Off

The warm, wet crevices between folds serve as a breeding ground for bacteria, either producing acute HS outbreak or exacerbating the chronic skin problem. “In the armpit and groyne, we have a very intricate balance between [good] bacteria and foreign pathogens,” Dr Adil says. “Beneficial bacteria help to keep bad bacteria at bay, but when we have a humid environment with inflammation and friction, it creates an imbalance that encourages bacterial growth.” Bactericidal antibiotics are routinely used to treat HS. Weight loss lowers excess skin, giving germs fewer places to colonise.

Extra weight increases inflammation.

Inflammation appears to have a role in HS, as it does in other skin diseases like as psoriasis and eczema, where chronic inflammation stimulates the immune system to generate cellular changes in the skin. Obesity, he believes, produces chronic low-grade inflammation, which can exacerbate HS symptoms, citing 2019 research that links increased inflammation to poorer illness outcomes. “We tend to think that this chronic overweight condition is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation, which leads to inflammatory changes in the skin and promotes these abscesses,” he adds.

Losing weight may help to minimise flares.

According to a 2020 study, overweight youngsters who lost weight before puberty had a lower risk of developing HS later in life. In adults, losing at least 15% of one’s body weight is associated with considerable reductions in HS symptoms. While the lesions make exercise difficult, decreasing weight can have a significant positive impact on the disease. “HS is a disease in which consistency of exercise is more important than speed,” Dr Adil adds. “Start small and gradually increase your exercise capacity to develop a routine that you can stick to.”

Working out with HS might be challenging.

It may be tempting to skip a workout in order to reduce skin-fold friction and sweat-clogged pores, but doing so may lead to additional weight gain and severe symptoms. Instead, dress in form-fitting training garments made of moisture-wicking fibres to keep your skin from rubbing together and to keep sweat at bay. Dr. Adil believes that a simple clothing modification like this may make exercising more enjoyable, if not possible.

Start cautiously and contemplate swimming.

Establish minor goals. To begin, lose 5% of your body weight and notice how you feel. If you’re in a flare and even brisk walking is uncomfortable, give your body time to heal. Replace the trainers and try again when the pain diminishes. Instead, swim some laps. “Water workouts are very good,” Dr. Adil explains, citing the fact that water lubricates the skin and eliminates friction. If you need further help, weight loss apps like Noom or Weight Watchers can help. As you lose weight, you may see an improvement in your HS symptoms—and feel better than ever in your own skin.

Other types of self-care are also necessary.

Losing weight should not be your sole focus. Your doctor may also prescribe medications to alleviate symptoms and, in certain situations, surgery to remove inflamed nodules, lesions, or damaged tissue. Dr. Adil stresses the significance of diet. Avoiding or limiting dairy, sugar, simple carbs, nightshade plants like tomato and aubergine, as well as bread, fermented cheese, black tea, and beer, can help minimise HS flares. A Paleo or autoinflammatory diet may be beneficial as well. “Whether the diet is truly anti-inflammatory or just results in weight loss, either way, it could be beneficial,” he continues.

Our Prognosis –

EliteAyurveda Clinics has a panel of doctors in many medical disciplines such as endocrine, autoimmune, gynaecology, and so on under one roof. We are well-known for treating chronic and difficult-to-treat illnesses with a holistic and root-cause approach.

To learn more, please contact us.

Hydradenitis suppurativa is a cause of Kapha and Pitta dosha, according to Ayurveda. When the digestive fire (Agni), or Pitta, is out of equilibrium, the Kapha Dosha becomes vitiated, causing metabolism to slow down. Because of the disturbance of fat molecules, they begin to accumulate in muscles and obstruct physiological passages, resulting in painful, swelling sores in the groyne, buttocks, thighs, and armpits.

The goal of hidradenitis suppurativa Treatment in Ayurveda is to restore the body’s natural balance by detoxifying it using effective herbal remedies. 

Elite Ayurveda’s treatment for Hidradenitis Suppurativa includes balancing the Kapha and Pitta doshas as well as restoring metabolism harmony. Body detoxification, internal medications to balance doshas, and exterior applications to repair wounds are all part of the treatment.

The treatment consists of herbal mixtures generated based on individual Prakruti and Vikruti analyses. To learn more, please visit our website.

Connect with us to obtain patient testimonials and to chat directly with our patients about their experience in having their ailment treated by us and Ayurveda in general.

Dr. Adil Moulanchikkal, Lead Ayurveda Specialist at EliteAyurveda Clinics, reviewed the medical records. With over 15 years of experience in Neurological, Skin, and Autoimmune Disease treatment.

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