Piles, Fistula, Fissure, Pilonidal Sinus, IBS, Colitis, Constipation, Joint Pain, Sinusitis
A pilonidal sinus happens to be an infected tract between the buttocks underneath the skin. On most occasions, one needs to undergo an operation to treat the condition. It will be imperative to shave the area regularly to prevent hair growth following the procedure.
The term “pilonidal” is a “nest of hairs.” A sinus tract implies a small abnormal
channel or a narrow tunnel within your system. This sinus tract can become
infected, and it might discharge pus to your skin from time to time.
A pilonidal sinus happens to be a sinus tract consisting of hairs. It takes place
between the buttocks beneath the skin, a short distance from the anus. This
condition does not affect any other body parts in the vast majority of the cases.
You will come across different theories regarding the cause of this condition, and
the exact cause is not known. According to one concept, one might be born with
some minor abnormality that has resulted in the formation of a pilonidal sinus. This
is perhaps one reason why many families suffer from this ailment. In this part of
the epidermis, the hair tends to develop into the skin instead of growing outwards.
As per one more theory, the patient might develop skin dimples between the
buttocks in the epidermis. Local pressures might cause significant damage to the
skin accountable for creating the hairs, resulting in the condition eventually.
Hair fragments will cause irritation on the skin as well as inflammation after getting
stuck in the skin. A recurrent infection starts developing in the afflicted region once
the inflamed skin becomes infected. This results in the development of the sinus
consisting of broken hairpieces on most occasions.
Hairdressers often suffer from a similar condition when the hairs of their customers
end up entering the moist skin of their fingers.
Around 26 individuals out of 100,000 people are affected by this condition in the UK
every year. On most occasions, children and those whose age is more than 40
years will not be affected by pilonidal sinus. Moreover, it happens more in men than
women, and this is because men usually have more hair, unlike females.
This ailment can be caused by certain factors which we have mentioned here.
• Being obese or overweight.
• Performing a job where one has to sit for a long time.
• Having a deep, hairy natal cleft.
• In case the affected area has been irritated or injured before.
• A family history of the ailment.
Army jeep drivers were usually affected by pilonidal sinus, and therefore, this
condition was referred to as “jeep seat.” Driving for a long time while sitting on
hard surfaces causes lots of pressure and injury to the natal cleft.
Initially, this condition might not lead to any symptoms. It might not be possible for the person to feel that he has been affected whatsoever. In some cases, one might observe a painless lump in the affected region while washing. Nevertheless, symptoms are going to develop afterward, which can be chronic on most occasions.
A ball of pus and a skin infection might develop in the sinus area, resulting in inflammation and pain for several days. One can suffer from lots of discomfort and pain during this time.
Repeated pilonidal sinus can happen in approximately 40% of individuals. However, compared to the acute symptoms, the pain might be somewhat less in this case. On most occasions, some pus will be discharged by the sinus, which helps release the pressure, thus making the pain less intense and severe. Nevertheless, there is less possibility for the infection to heal completely. This might imply that an operation will be required to treat the condition since the pain symptoms might last for quite some time.
If there are no symptoms, it will be advisable for you to clean the affected region using shaving so that there is no hair. Moreover, you must use proper personal hygiene to maintain the cleanliness of the area.
It will be a good idea to use some medications known as antibiotics if you have any infection. You will be able to get relief from your pain by using painkillers like paracetamol. An emergency operation might also be required in the long run. On most occasions, the procedure will be performed in the hospital. It usually involves puncturing and draining the ball of pus along with the adjoining infection of the skin known as an abscess.
In this case, it will be advisable for the patient to undergo an operation on most
occasions. The doctors for pilonidal sinus treatment in Ghaziabadmight perform
different processes to get rid of the condition. These options might consist of the
following:
• Wide healing and excision by secondary intention - In this case, the doctor will cut
out the sinus along with a portion of the skin adjoining the sinus. Instead of being
closed, the doctor will keep the wound open for healing by secondary intention
(natural healing procedures). In this case, one has to make dressing changes
regularly until the condition becomes healed entirely. The positive aspect of this
process is that there will be a removal of all the inflamed tissues, and there is
significantly less possibility for the ailment to return once again.
• Excision and primary closure - In this case, the doctor will take out a part of the
skin containing the sinus. He will perform this operation by cutting a flap of the skin
known as an ellipse (oval) on both sides of the sinus. Following this, he will stitch
together both sides of the ellipse. The good thing about this process is that there is
a possibility for the wound to heal quite fast if everything is done successfully.
However, there is more risk for this condition to come back once again following the
operation than the step mentioned earlier. It will be possible to reduce the risk by
implementing a wound technique where one will move the line of stitches away
from the middle of the buttocks.
• Plastic surgery process – The doctor might recommend using plastic surgery to
get rid of the sinus in case there is a possibility of the sinus coming back.
The above-mentioned procedures can have some variations, which will depend on
the size of the sinus, the extent of the sinus, as well as whether it happens to be an
initial or recurrent issue. It will be a sensible idea for the surgeon to converse with
you regarding the best type of operation. Comprehensive research is being done to
find new techniques to help the patient recover quickly following a procedure. Recovery
On some occasions, the patient will not need any treatment to get rid of the
condition, which will be able to resolve on its own. It will be possible for the patient
to come back to his house following the operation on the same day. He might be
able to resume his normal activities within a couple of weeks, depending on how he
is responding to the surgery. However, it is advisable for the patients to consult their medical practitioners regarding when it will be safe to resume their normal
activities once again following the operation.
One has to maintain the dryness and cleanliness of the wound after the treatment.
It is important to shave the area in between the buttocks so that it does not consist
of any hairs. It might be imperative for the individuals to get rid of hair at the
interval of a couple of weeks until reaching 30 years of age, when the hair might
become soft in the long run.
On some occasions, the complications can be so severe that they might be lethal
eventually. In general, the difficulties can consist of the following:
• Bleeding
• Pain
• Allergic reaction to the materials, medication, or equipment
• Blood clot in the lung
• Blood clot in the leg
Make it a point to wash the region using a mild soap regularly to prevent the recurrence of pilonidal sinus. Make sure to maintain the dryness of the area while removing all the soap. Also, try not to sit in a particular place for a long time. Try to keep the region free from any hairs to ensure that the condition does not come back.
The only way to get rid of a pilonidal cyst is through a minor surgical procedure. But there are a few things you can do at home to ease pain and discomfort in the meantime. Try applying a hot, wet compress to the cyst a few times a day. The heat will help pull out the pus, allowing the cyst to drain.