Living with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and dealing with painful lumps forming under your skin in sensitive areas such as your armpits and groin, can be stressful. While stress is understandable, it can actually cause flare-ups and make your condition worse. Luckily, there are ways to manage your stress.
Work With Your Doctor to Find the Right Treatment Plan
The proper management of your HS symptoms can help reduce your stress.
The good news is, there are many treatment options available for HS, including topical washes and creams, antibiotics, biologic medications, and surgical procedures. Your dermatologist can help you find the right one.
Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes
If you’re stressed, adopting healthy habits may help. Exercising, eating a nutritious diet, getting plenty of sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking if you smoke have all been proven to be great stress relievers and ways to keep HS under control. Many of these are also healthier ways of coping with stress than picking up a cigarette.
Reach Out for Help
You are not alone in your journey. Your healthcare provider can help with symptoms and flare-ups that are causing you stress and impacting your day-to-day life.
Talk to a Therapist or Counselor
Sometimes we just need to talk to a therapist who understands what we are going through.
A mental health professional can teach you coping skills for dealing with stress. A therapist or counselor can also help you work through any stigma you may face due to living with HS.
Talk to your dermatologist or primary care physician who might already partner with a team of health psychologists who work with people who have chronic conditions. He or she may be able to recommend someone in their practice or give you a direct referral.
You can also find psychologists who specialize in health psychology through the American Psychological Association or the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.
It’s also a good idea to check with your insurance plan where you can usually search for the keyword “health” under the