Can hidradenitis suppurativa kill you?
Most skin conditions are unpleasant to live with, but hidradenitis suppurativa can become much more than just an inconvenience and unattractive. While other skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis can become severe and significantly impact your quality of life, Hidradenitis suppurativa— also known as HS or acne inverse — has the potential to become extremely painful, socially debilitating, and even life-threatening. For this reason, if you think you have hidradenitis suppurativa, it is very important to see a dermatologist (or other). Qualified health care provider) to explore treatment options. It’s also important to understand the mild and more serious symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa, as well as lifestyle changes that can help you control this difficult (and incurable) skin disease.
To start with the basics, hidradenitis suppurativa is a skin disease that experts believe is caused by an overactive immune system, leading to excessive inflammation around the sweat glands and hair follicles. The first sign that someone has hidradenitis suppurativa is usually a cluster of red, painful lesions in certain areas of the body, often the armpits, inner thighs, buttocks, or groin area. These may be confused with pimples at first, but then they grow larger and become more painful. Attacks of hidradenitis suppurativa may include a mixture of blackheads, hard nodules, and soft cysts — pus-filled cysts under the skin that can sometimes break open and release a foul-smelling fluid. In severe cases, affected areas may also develop areas of sinuses, tunnels that form under the skin. If left untreated, hidradenitis suppurativa can lead to serious health problems. Here are some of the scariest complications that can arise for people living with hidradenitis suppurativa, plus tips on how to stay healthy and maintain a better quality of life if you have it. Relatively common skin disease.
Blood infections and sepsis
One way hidradenitis suppurativa can quickly become serious: If bacteria gets trapped in clogged and inflamed hair follicles, it can lead to an infection that can spread to the skin or blood. In extreme cases, people with hidradenitis suppurativa develop sepsis, a rare but life-threatening complication in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Symptoms include high temperature, difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure and require a trip to the emergency room. Another condition to watch out for: a skin infection called cellulitis, which involves red lines, pain and fever. To help avoid these complications, always avoid pressure on HS lesions, and use proper wound care (below).
cancer
A rare but real complication of severe hidradenitis suppurativa: If inflammation of the skin is allowed to continue uncontrolled for years, it can lead to skin cancer and other cancers. People with hidradenitis suppurativa have a 50 percent higher risk of developing cancer, according to a 2024 research review in the journal. Annals of Medicine. One specific risk to watch out for: Long-standing, untreated HS lesions can turn into a cancer called Squamous cell carcinomathe second most common form of skin cancer. It is curable if diagnosed and treated promptly; Your dermatologist can perform a careful examination. A treatment plan for hidradenitis suppurativa that includes medications such as biologics can help fight inflammation to help prevent the increased risk of cancer associated with this skin disease.
Heart attacks and strokes
People with hidradenitis suppurativa also have an increased risk of serious cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, according to a 2019 study published in the journal. Gamma Dermatology. This is again a result of the chronic inflammation associated with hidradenitis suppurativa. People with hidradenitis suppurativa are also at greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a disorder that can lead to complications such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the journal Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBS, is a general term for conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. People with HS appear to be more likely to develop IBS, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Gamma Dermatology. If you have hidradenitis suppurativa and frequently experience symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps or bloody stools, it is important to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Staying healthy with hidradenitis suppurativa
The good news: There are plenty of steps you can take to stay healthy while living with hidradenitis suppurativa. Proper wound care is important to relieve pain and prevent infections that can lead to serious health problems. Open abscesses should be gently cleaned, and then you can use a topical antibiotic (ask your health care provider for recommendations) and a sterile, non-stick bandage, to promote faster healing. Your skin care routine can include the use of an antiseptic cleanser, to help kill bacteria that contribute to hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms, as well as infections.
Some lifestyle changes can help reduce the symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa and prevent long-term complications. One of the big things is to commit to maintaining a healthy weight; Obesity puts you at greater risk of developing hidradenitis suppurativa, and losing weight has the potential to reduce the severity of attacks or even put the skin disease into remission. The same goes for smoking, quitting smoking is a lifestyle change with great potential to reduce the symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa (not to mention the benefits to your overall skin health, and overall health). Another lifestyle change to consider: laser hair removal, which stimulates hair follicles and sweat glands to help reduce flare-ups of hidradenitis suppurativa. On the other hand, shaving can lead to inflammation and worsen attacks, so it is best to avoid the affected areas.