Living with a painful condition like hidradenitis suppurativa can be challenging. It can affect your everyday life and emotional wellbeing. Living with a chronic condition, it is important to get the right care from the right healthcare team which usually includes a dermatologist specialised in HS who can help you find the treatment possibilities that might work best for you.
Living with hidradenitis suppurativa
Social life
You may feel embarrassed about your visible symptoms or find it hard to be around people while you’re experiencing a painful flare-up. It might seem easier to avoid social situations at these times, but isolation might make you feel worse in the long run. Try talking to people in your life about your condition and how they can help you feel comfortable in these situations.
If you aren’t yet comfortable talking to the people in your life about your HS, there are other places you can find support. Many patients find it helpful to talk to other patients with similar symptoms. Ask your doctor if there is a group near you that you can take part in, or see if there are any online communities that you can join that feel like a good fit for you.
Emotional wellbeing
It’s very common to experience a mix of feelings when dealing with a chronic condition like HS. You might find that you feel angry or irritable more often than before, or that you feel more anxious or depressed. Feelings of helplessness and having negative thoughts are also very common.
“It’s been a horrendous experience living with HS, but I’m trying to turn that into something positive.”
Barry, living with HS in Ireland
Try to remember that these feelings are not a sign of weakness but a reaction to dealing with a difficult condition. It’s important to take them seriously and develop ways of coping that work well for you and enable you to continue to enjoy your life, even with the constraints of your condition. Talk to your dermatologist about getting support with these difficult feelings and any other impacts on your mental health.
Want to learn more about how to live well with hidradenitis suppurativa? Click below to read on.
Flare-up and Scar Management
Learn how to manage flare-ups of HS symptoms and how to promote scar healing.
Read more
How to Treat Hidradenitis Suppurativa
There is currently no cure for hidradenitis suppurativa but there are several treatments available to control HS and improve symptoms.
Read more
Surgeries and Other Procedures for HS
There are surgical and non-surgical procedures that can help treat severe HS.
Read moreThe information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care. If you have any concerns about your health or medicine, you should consult your healthcare specialist or general practitioner.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the patient information leaflet. You can also report side effects directly in the UK via the Yellow Card Scheme website: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ or via the the MHRA Yellow Card App in the Google Play or Apple App Store. In Ireland please report via the HPRA at https://www.hpra.ie/homepage/about-us/report-an-issue.
You can also report adverse events to UCB at UCBCares.UK@ucb.com or UCBCares.IE@ucb.com.