Pilonidal disease affects about 70,000 people in the United States each year. Most are men, but some are women, and a few are even teens or kids.
Although researchers are murky about why pilonidal disease develops in some people but not in others, the disease usually starts with an entrapped hair around the area of the buttocks crease. You’re more likely to get pilonidal disease if your hair in that crease is thick or coarse, which can irritate or pierce the skin.
At Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford, our colorectal experts urge you to get treatment if you have pilonidal disease. We offer state-of-the-art treatments to keep you comfortable and infection-free at our offices in Bloomfield, South Windsor, and Plainville, Connecticut.
Are you one of the 70,000 with pilonidal disease? Following are four signs that you might be.
Pilonidal disease forms at the base of your spine, near or at the top of your butt crack. Usually, the disease begins as an area of irritation, which may be itchy or painful.
As the disease progresses, it may form a cyst over the entrapped hair. The cyst looks and feels like a large, hard pimple or boil. The cyst may become red, infected, and start to leak pus, blood, or a mixture of the two.
A sure sign that you have a pilonidal cyst that’s become infected is when the cyst or the liquid that oozes from it smells foul. You should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
If the cyst becomes infected, it may develop an abscess. Once that resolves, it may leave behind a small cavity under the area, causing a pit-like look to the skin above.
The pit may have several openings to the skin. These hollows formed by the pilonidal cysts are called pilonidal sinuses. You may need surgery to remove them and stop them from recurring.
Even if your pilonidal cyst resolves on its own, it may recur, particularly if you’ve developed pilonidal sinuses. Untreated, recurrent pilonidal disease may increase your risk for a type of skin cancer called squamous cell skin cancer.
If you think you’re at risk for pilonidal disease, or have had a cyst that later cleared on its own, you can reduce the chance you get another cyst by keeping the area hair-free. Use a depilatory every 2-3 weeks to remove hair from your buttocks crease area.
To reduce the chance of infection, keep the area extra clean, too. Wipe thoroughly after defecation. Get a bidet or use disposable cleansing cloths (but don’t throw them in the toilet; they’re bad for sewage pipes) to be sure you’re absolutely clean.
If your pilonidal cyst is painful or infected, or if it recurs or won’t go away, give us a call as soon as possible. We can drain the cyst, or — if you have pilonidal sinuses — we’ll recommend simple surgery to remove them.
Don’t guess when it comes to your health. If you have an itchy, uncomfortable, or painful bump on your buttocks, contact our helpful team at the office nearest you (Bloomfield, South Windsor, or Plainville, Connecticut). We can book you for a pilonidal consultation, or you can schedule an appointment online today.
