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 suffered with HS for 5 years now. I honestly thought I was the only one who had this and I thought I was dying. I never knew what I had until my doctor finally told me, 2 years ago. I don't treat them, I cover them up with band aids. I spend hundreds of dollars every month by just buying band aids so I won't have to go through the pain or embarrassment. The band aids are basically replacement skin for me. They hurt everyday and I'm in pain every single day. I would love to finally hear some suggestions and opinions on how I can actually treat them.
Anytime I have a flare up I drain the lesions (many on here will tell you not to do it because of infection risk. With the way I do it I figure I likely have the same risk as if I went and had the doctor do it so why pay the copay.) with that being said, we all drain at our own risk. If signs of infection occur after draining or things don't clear up within the week if seek medical attention. Alcohol swab the area and stick a straight pin in the little hole (if you can see one) that is most inflamed and then remove the pin. then gently press on either side of the bump to drain the fluid away. Wipe with the alcohol swab to clean. Repeat until no more fluid drains. I find I have to repeat this process daily for 1-3 days typically. Make sure you keep the area clean to help keep infection at bay. If you're too squeamish to do it yourself, your doctor can also do it,
Vinegar baths are excellent at relieving pain and helping the healing process. Add 1 cup or so of white vinegar to a clean bath tub full of warm water (add more if you have one of those huge tubs). Soak the affected areas for 30+ minutes gently swishing the water around the affected areas. Pat dry gently. The warm water helps soothe the pain and the vinegar kills germs and helps dry things out. They can be taken anytime including after draining.
The AIP or autoimmune protocol diet can help you identify if there is a food causing your hs. Not everyone's hs flares up when certain foods are consumed but many do. The most common food groups that trigger hs are gluten, night shades, dairy, eggs and nuts. The modified version of the diet works just as well as the standard and is easier to do so I'll share the modified protocol: eliminate 1 of the food groups listed for 3 weeks straight. Monitor your hs for any changes. If you notice it's getting better and no new spots are showing up, you found a trigger. Avoid that food group and flare ups should be few and far between. If no change after 3 weeks that food group is likely not a trigger and you can move to the next group and repeat the process. It's imperative that you COMPLETELY eliminate that group from your diet when trying this. Just reducing your consumption won't work. Gluten is found in anything that contains wheat, barley or rye. Night shades are potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, paprika, and tobacco (if you use tobacco products in any form you will need to stop them completely for those 3 weeks). Dairy is anything that contains milk, cheese. Eggs and nuts are pretty self explanatory.
I hope this helps - good luck!