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Understanding A Pilonidal Sinus
Imagine not being able to sit down and recline on your favorite couch or lie down on your back. If you are thinking what could be preventing you from accomplishing these simple, yet very relaxing activities, then here is a hint. It could be something painful on the surface, hiding a bigger problem inside.
If your backside is hairy or you sweat a lot, chances are that the tiny portion right at the top of your butt crack could attract an unwarranted visitor – a pilonidal sinus, or PNS – an itchy, painful condition that can soon transform into a bigger infection, requiring immediate medical attention from a doctor who is equipped to handle such situations.
A PNS is a tiny tunnel-like occurrence at the cleft of your buttocks, possibly housing pus and other fluids. If you think it’s just like another heat boil, think again. While these pimple-like boils rarely occur on your rear-end, here are a couple of things that are different about PNS.
- Normal boils take care of themselves; PNS doesn’t. It needs a good pair of medical hands to resolve it.
- A PNS can be extremely painful, often taking shape of a cyst or abscess. So, know the difference to identify one if you have it and get it inspected by a doctor.
- It could have a bacterial infection inside.
PNS: Types
If being painful was not enough, PNS can come in two forms. A cyst and an abscess are the two most common types of PNS and what usually starts as a simple boil-like bump can become either one of these.
- Cyst: When the boil becomes painful and then swells up with fluid or pus inside, you will have what is known as a cyst. Be careful with these kinds of PNS because if left untreated, they’ll burst and you’ll have an endless supply of foul-smelling liquid staining your pants.
- Abscess: This is when your PNS infects your tissues, causing it to swell up and develop pus inside. This also needs immediate medical attention as the infection can quickly spread and cause several problems.
Do You Have PNS?
It’s very easy to get confused when you have a bump in your rear end. Considering a PNS also starts off looking and feeling like a harmless mosquito-bite on your skin, it will take time to show its true form. Therefore,it’s critical that you notice how it’s like so that you can get medical help, if need be.
How it feels:
The first thing to notice if how the bump feels. While a harmless bug bite should just about disappear within a matter of a few minutes or at most an hour, a PNS will continue being adamant, staying the way it is with no signs of improvement.
Next, there will be pain, most definitely. This is likely to intensify when you sit or stand, or even touch the area.
Lastly, if you have a fever along with these conditions, please get yourself tested.
How it looks
It looks like a bump, to begin with, but, here are a few things you need to observe.
One, if there is any redness. If there is, please understand that it’s likely to be more than just an ordinary bite.
Two, check if it’s oozing out any fluid of any kind. This fluid could be sticky and smelly and sometimes could also come with traces of blood.
Third, a PNS could have several tiny tunnels connected underneath. Check for these signs.
Lasly, a PNS, more often than not, can sprout hair from inside.
If what you have resembles what’s mentioned above, then please consult a trusted doctor at the earliest.
What Triggers A PNS?
Before we begin explaining this, one fact is important to understand. This condition mostly occurs in men, especially right after puberty when there are a lot of hormonal changes. Other than that, elements like hair and sweat also contribute.
If you are a man/boy who is hairy and you happen to sweat a lot, take good care of yourself. One of the primary triggers of a PNS is sitting too much. Funny and odd as it might sound, if you have a job or any responsibility that keeps you glued to your seat for long durations, the growing hair might get pushed back into your skin. Your body reacts to this pushed back hair as a foreign object, fighting against it, thereby causing a cyst to form in the area.
Apart from sitting, the kind of fabric that comes in contact with the skin also could trigger the PNS. Friction of the skin with the clothing is what sometimes leads to the condition.
What To Do If You Have PNS
The first step is to identify the issue with the help of the points mentioned above. Once you know that it’s not a bug bite or a simple case of allergy, do not hesitate to visit a doctor. After you have had your consultation, your doctor will determine the best treatment.
While many doctors recommend a dose of antibiotics to take care of the issue if it isn’t too bad, there are times when the PNS has taken shape of an abscess. That’s when your doctor might ask you to go in for a surgical procedure. If this has gotten you worried, then the next few lines will put SMILES right back on your faces. There are several painless techniques these days that help take care of the PNS without causing you any trouble.
So, worry not and head to SMILES Clinic in Bangalore, where you will be cared for like you are a part of the family. With experienced doctors and empathetic, yet professional support staff, at SMILES, we make sure that you leave with a smile and you are taken care of.
Book An Appointment
DR. CM PARAMESHWARA
Dr. Parameshwar CM is a well-trusted doctor for fissure, fistula and piles treatment in Bangalore.
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