It is not fully known exactly what cause's HS to appear, it is known however that it is not contagious and can not be transmitted directly between people.
To date there is no there is no complete cure for HS, however there are a number of treatments which are used to 'control' the condition and the majority of people have shown a reduction and in some cases have reported no further involvement at all (to date).
But no single treatment has worked for everyone. (see treatments on the main index page).
HS affects the apocrine glands which are mainly located in the pubic area's (armpit's, groin, breast's and anal region), although apocrine glands can appear anywhere on the body.
We possess two types of sweat glands, one type covers the majority of our body's and produces a salty solution of water which it use's to cool our body when necessary, the other type are mainly located in the pubic area's and produces a milky fluid (our sexual smell) which we use to attract ? a mate.
These are the glands which become infected and leads to HS. See Skin Structure
It is very unlikely to find a doctor who specialises in treating Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Hidradenitis Suppurativa is classed as a 'skin complaint' although this is not strictly true, it is treated as such and you will probably be referred to a dermatology clinic where a consultant dermatologist will treat you.
The specialist (dermatologist) you see will have probably treated other cases of HS although he/she will have their own theories about the condition and how they treat it. Make sure you know what is on offer and what should be avoided, don't be afraid to refuse a treatment which you are not happy with.
There have been NO recorded cases of a fatality from Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
An orphan illness is one that affects only a small percentage of the population, this in turn means that no one wishes to do research into the illness. The main reason for this is that the large pharmaceutical companies will not fund research as it would not be profitable to do so.
It is left to the groups such as the H.S.S.G and HIDE International to raise funds for research.
This has not been proven one way or the other to date (May 2000). Research is being done into the possible genetic links at the moment, there are cases where it run's in families and yet other's where no one in the family has previously suffered from HS.
Check out the News Update for the latest information.
There are a number of other condition's which have been linked to HS some are listed here.
 | Crohns Disease. |
| Arthritis. |
| Irritable Bowel Syndrome. |
| Eczema. |
| Thyroid. |
| Graves Disease. |
| Sjogren's Disease. |
| Down's Syndrome. |
For more information on these and more visit some of the medical site links.
There are three recognized stages if HS.
| Stage 1.
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| Stage 2.
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| Stage 3.
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