A pilonidal cyst is usually treated in your health care provider's office. After numbing the area, your health care provider makes a small cut to drain the cysts. If the cyst returns, you may need surgery.
The two main treatments are drainage and surgical removal of the cyst. Draining the pus is simple and is done if the cyst flares up. Because cysts tend to come back, after the flare-up has quieted down, surgery is often suggested. Surgery involves removing the cyst while people are awake and the area is numbed.
Even after the pus is gone, the sinus tract will remain as part of your body. In other words, a pilonidal cyst will never truly go away on its own. As long as the tract is there, it has the potential to become infected again.
An infected pilonidal cyst or abscess requires surgical drainage. It will not heal with antibiotic medicines. If you continue to have infections, the pilonidal cyst can be removed by surgery.
In some cases it may take up to 6 months to heal. A problem called complex or recurrent pilonidal disease is a complication of a pilonidal cyst.
Avoid spicy foods – Spicy foods can cause diarrhoea, pain and excessive stress on your body when passing bowels. This is unhelpful for those living with pilonidal sinus, as it can worsen your symptoms. Certain hot foods and beverages (like tea) can also have the same effect.
Pilonidal cysts occur when loose hairs get trapped underneath the skin near the tailbone. Your body treats this hair as a foreign object and forms a cyst around it. Activities that cause pressure and friction can trigger a pilonidal cyst, such as sitting for prolonged periods, biking, and wearing tight clothes.
Most pilonidal cysts are left alone. But if a cyst becomes infected or inflamed, you need treatment. This may include: Incision and drainage.
Why are these wounds so difficult to heal? Location, offloading, pressure from clothing, and cleansing are issues that can impede the healing of a pilonidal cyst. It is not uncommon for up to 50% of pilonidal cysts to recur.
Diet. You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt. Drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).
A hair follicle in the skin becomes irritated or stretched. This may be caused by exercise that affects the buttocks area (such as horseback riding or cycling), tight clothing around the buttocks, heat, or heavy sweating.
Regularly washing and drying your buttocks (to keep the area clean). Losing weight (if you are currently overweight) to lower your risk. Avoiding sitting for too long (if your job allows) to keep pressure off the area. Shaving the hair around your buttocks (once a week or more).
Metronidazole Ointment in Non-healing Pilonidal Sinus Wounds.
Don't squeeze the pilonidal cyst or stick a needle in it to drain it. This will make the infection worse, or spread it. Cover the cyst with a pad or something similar to keep it from becoming more irritated, damaged, and painful.
People who sit for long periods of time are at higher risk of developing pilonidal cysts.
If you have a pilonidal cyst, follow these tips to help keep it from becoming infected: Shave around the cyst area to help prevent hairs from getting into the cyst. Clean the cyst area with a mild soap and rinse well to remove any soap residue. Avoid sitting for long periods of time.
Embedded hair and ruptured hair follicles aren't the only possible causes for pilonidal cysts. Trauma, injury, or stress on the skin may potentially cause growths as well.
If your child had a pilonidal cyst drained: If the doctor prescribed antibiotics, give them as directed. Change or remove the bandage as recommended. Your child shouldn't take a bath or swim until the doctor says it's OK.
In such a condition, your doctor will most likely prescribe some antibiotics. It will help in subsiding the bumpy cyst and heal the infection to minimize discomfort. Medicines like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are most widely used for reducing pain.
In the same study, 97.84% percent of patients expressed satisfaction with their choice to have laser ablation performed for their pilonidal sinus. Is pilonidal cyst surgery worth it? The nearly 98% of respondents who reported satisfaction with their laser procedure would tell you, "Yes, pilonidal surgery is worth it!"
Treatment of Pilonidal Cyst
The first common remedy for a pilonidal cyst is usually soaking in a hot tub. While this will not eliminate the problem, it will facilitate the cyst's coming to a head so that it can be more easily lanced.