‘Pilus’ = Hair and ‘nidus’ = nest; Pilonidal sinus means ‘sinus with nest of hair. This condition is commonly occurs in hairy men.
Causes
This is an acquired condition. When a person sits, buttocks take maximum pressure. As they rub against clothing etc. hairs break off and get collected between cleft of the buttocks. These gradually penetrate the skin or enter the openings of sweat glands, forming a sinus. Gradually more hairs are sucked into the sinus forming a bunch of hairs, so it looks like a nest of hairs, thus it is called ‘Pilonidal Sinus’. As this condition is common in jeep drivers, this condition is also called ‘jeep bottom’ disease.
Symptoms of Pilonidal Sinus
A Pilonidal sinus/ cyst does not cause symptoms unless it becomes infected. Infection may cause the following symptoms:
- Repeated cyst / sinus in the midline, between buttocks
- A tuft of hair projects from its opening
- Ain during sitting
- Seropurulent foul discharge from base of spine in post anal region in the natel cleft
- Fever
Diagnosis Of Pilonidal Sinus
A Pilonidal sinus/cyst can be diagnosed by how it looks and by its location. Your doctor will examine the suspected cyst to confirm a diagnosis & Probing , MRI.
Ayurveda Treatments for Pilonidal Sinus
Different forms of surgical techniques for pilonidal sinus have been advocated, but none of them them provide good results ,as the postoperative recurrences are very common.
Kshar Sutra Therapy
Kshar Sutra is placed in the whole infected tract. It helps in eliminating all the infection, hair and infected tissue. Kshar Sutra is changed at regular interval. Number of seatings and Duration of treatment depends upon the extent of infection.
Kshara Sutra, an alkaline herbal medicated thread which is one of the most successful among all the therapies available for the treatment of Pilonidal Sinus and Fistula-in-ano from ancient time to the present era.
