It could happen to anyone.
Sometimes, though, these types of bumps are more serious than your average annoying pimple.
They can be the first symptoms of an inflammatory skin condition calledhidradenitis suppurativa(HS).
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HS was once considered rare, but its actually pretty common.
About 1 to 2% of the population has it, per theHS Foundation.
Heres what you should know about this skin condition and how to spot it.
What are the symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa?
This is not brought on by something youre doing wrong, Dr. Mayo says.
HS is a chronic problem that starts with inflammation in your hair follicles.
Doctors there would follow standard procedure for these one-time abscesseslancing and draining them.
Unfortunately, thats a common scenario, according to Dr. Mayo.
Pain is usually what causes people to seek care, she says.
And they often go to the emergency department.
Many people just arent aware that HS exists, Dr. Mayo says.
And its not only patients, but doctors too.
Docs can take even longer to pick up on it in people of color.
Is it HS or something else?
If even the pros get it wrong, how can you tell when your skin symptoms might be HS?
I think HS is very much underdiagnosed, she says.
There are a lot of greattreatmentsnow, but we need to get people diagnosed first.
But as Wojciks experience shows, where it shows up on your body is a big clue.
The sites of HS tend to be atypical for acne, Dr. Akintilo says.
HS only rarely affects the face.
Boils/abscesses:Abscesses were the number-one misdiagnosis in the 2020 study.
These pus-filled lumps develop under the skin but usually crop up in isolation from an infection.
Because the same doctor saw her repeatedly, they were able to put two and two together.
Instead, your doctor needs to assess your skin symptoms in the momentandask about your history.
Fortunately, you have that broader view of yourself.
Of course, not everyone can easily get to a dermatologist or even a primary care doctor.
Could this be hidradenitis suppurativa?
Wojcik echoes that advice.
The good news is that thats changing.
When youre in this situation, Wojcik says, youre your own best advocate.
