What is Pilonidal Sinus?
A Pilonidal sinus is a small hole or “tunnel” in the skin. It usually develops in the cleft of the buttocks, where the buttocks separate. More than one hole may develop, and often these are linked by tunnels under the skin.
Most people associate the word sinus with the nose, but sinuses can occur anywhere in the body. Sinus is simply a medical term for channel or cavity.A Pilonidal sinus will not usually cause any noticeable symptoms unless it becomes infected. This can cause a pus-filled abscess to develop. Signs that you may have an infection include pain, redness and swelling in the affected area.
Caused of Pilonidal Sinus
The exact cause of pilonidal sinuses is unclear. It is generally thought they are caused by loose hairs that push into the skin.
Hair follicles- If a hair follicle becomes blocked, it can become enlarged and then burst, and a broken hair may push into the skin, leading to an infection, Increased risk- age – pilonidal sinuses can occur at any age, but are more common in young adults from 20-40 years of age or having a family history of the condition – over one-third of people have a family member with the condition or having an above-average amount of body hair, which may be why more men are affected than women, Jeep seat- During World War Two, thousands of army jeep drivers developed pilonidal sinuses. The condition became so widespread that it was nicknamed jeep seat or jeep disease , like wearing restrictive clothing, like army uniforms or repetitive motion, such as bouncing around in the seat of a jeep.
Pilonidal sinus symptoms ?
- Pain at the bottom of the spine.
- Swelling at the bottom of the spine.
- Redness at the bottom of the spine.
- Draining pus.
- Fever
