Hidradenitis Suppurativa Support Group
Hidradenitis suppurativa (hi-drad-uh-NIE-tis sup-yoo-ruh-TIE-vuh) is rare, long-term skin condition that features small, painful lumps under the skin. The disease manifests as clusters of chronic abscesses or boils, sometimes as large as baseballs, that are extremely painful to the touch and may persist for years with occasional to frequent periods of inflammation,...
I had a question I posed on another thread, but thought it worthy enough to make it it's own thread.
What I would like to know is this....
How many of you have had your spots "cultured" when having them lanced or a doctor taking a sample?
How many times have you had cultures done?
How many times did you cultures come back with something other than, like me, "normal skin bacteria"?
(In other words, how many times have your cultures come back with staph or strep or MRSA?)
Here is a link to what is considered "normal skin bacteria".
http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/normalflora.html
For me, in the beginning, it was almost always staph. I have had many many cultures done, because for awhile the only relief I could get was by going to the ER and having one lanced and drained. And they ALWAYS take a sample. But for the past 3 years, maybe more, they have been coming back with what the doctors call "normal skin bacteria". And since I have had a GP for the last 8 months? every time she has cultured them they have come back as "normal skin bacteria".
I'm just wondering what the frequency is for "normal skin bacteria" VS the more serious bacteria that you would truly need antibiotics for.
What I would like to know is this....
How many of you have had your spots "cultured" when having them lanced or a doctor taking a sample?
How many times have you had cultures done?
How many times did you cultures come back with something other than, like me, "normal skin bacteria"?
(In other words, how many times have your cultures come back with staph or strep or MRSA?)
Here is a link to what is considered "normal skin bacteria".
http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/normalflora.html
For me, in the beginning, it was almost always staph. I have had many many cultures done, because for awhile the only relief I could get was by going to the ER and having one lanced and drained. And they ALWAYS take a sample. But for the past 3 years, maybe more, they have been coming back with what the doctors call "normal skin bacteria". And since I have had a GP for the last 8 months? every time she has cultured them they have come back as "normal skin bacteria".
I'm just wondering what the frequency is for "normal skin bacteria" VS the more serious bacteria that you would truly need antibiotics for.
What's got me though is when the doctor tells me "normal skin bacteria" I"m wondering if what she is telling me is that none of the "serious" bacteria are present in the cultures.
I hope everyone understands where I'm coming with this line of questioning.
Most infections involving the skin are from "normal skin bacteria"--Usually staph and strep species. We're always colonized with bacteria, but the problem is our skin is more unforgiving because of the HS. We tend to get infected. The overgrowth of these bacteria + the immune response and voila... you get the abscesses we all know and love.
Normal bacteria doesn't mean not serious though. It always depends on the severity and location of the infection. Staph and strep species can cause very serious infections or very benign infections. What your doctor means is that bacteria that usually just hangs out on your skin just happens to cause an infection.
With that said, because you have HS, you've had enough of these stupid abscesses to know what requires medical attention and what you can deal with on your own. If something is different than you're used to, go in. I hope this helps.
fastskis, I go in anytime I am sure what I can deal with and what I can't. This was just part of the HS process I am curious about.
So called "sterile cultures" VS cultures that come back as Staph or some other type of bacteria that you need to worry about.
I stopped long term antibiotic use a good while back, and now will only allow the dr. to give me them if I have one lanced, or if I am running a serious fever with a flare.
Amber